Why Was Saddam Hussein Hated? Was He A Tyrant or a Patriot?

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What is your first opinion of the name, Saddam Hussein? Do you consider him a tyrant or a patriot? Or a man who simply loved and oppressed his power? While there has been little debate about Saddam Hussein’s contribution to history, it is important to view this historic personality’s contribution with an open mind.

Who Is Saddam Hussein?

Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the former and fifth President of Iraq who held office from 1979 to 2003. He belonged to the Ba’ath political party of Iraq that stood for Arab nationalism as well as socialism.

In the 1970’s Saddam, along with his political party found their way to the top by nationalizing various companies including banks and contributing greatly to the economic stability of Iraq. However, he was only the de facto head during these years.

On 16^th July, 1979, he was officially announced as the President of Iraq. He followed repressive dictatorship which questions whether the people of Iraq were really happy when he took office. Saddam Hussein’s term as the President was marked with several violation of human rights along with an unstable government of ‘trusted men’.

What Was Saddam Hussein Famous For?

Saddam Hussein strongly believed in two facts of life: God and Loyalty. For him, god was the true guidance force who helped him in his decisions and to keep Iraq safe. Secondly, the loyalty of his fellow Iraqis and party members was eccentric to describe the mass killings during his tenure.

During his tenure he killed many Iraqis who thought posed as a threat to his country. There were several mass genocides and tortures committed to teach the disloyal people a lesson. For Saddam, loyalty was thicker than blood.

He killed many of his first and second cousins who played games behind his back. The long list of executions even involves his son-in-laws. Most times Saddam would not directly order the executions of these traitors. He had mastered the subtle art of manipulating his government members to eradicate the traitors so as to leave no blood on Saddam’s hands.

There are several allegations linking the leader to Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organisations. The United States believed that he housed several terrorists along with nuclear weapons. While there is no proof of the links to terrorists, there were traces of Iraq possessing nuclear weapons but no concrete proof of the same.

However, along with the tyrant that is portrayed by the media, Saddam Hussein is best known for formulating Iraq’s foreign policy. After claiming Presidency, he represented Iraq in the several wars that followed. In the Gulf War against Iran, he made several brave decisions although it was at the cost of the Iraqi soldiers and economy, he was praised for it.

What Was Saddam Hussein Praised For?

“Women make up one half of our society. Our society will remain backward and in chains unless its women are liberated, enlightened and educated”. Although it is hard to believe, women during Saddam’s reign had a respectable status than they do in Iraq today.

However, there is a vast dichotomy between Saddam Hussein and his son, Uday Hussein. Uday, the eldest son and successor of Saddam, lost his place due to his violent crimes and assaults against women, although some are of the opinion that this was due to injuries during an assassination attempt.

Saddam had drained the Iraqi economy after the Gulf Wars but he had an equal contribution in building the economy. In the 1970’s he improved infrastructure, social services and set up power lines. He used the nation’s wealth effectively and channeled the oil reserves to the best interest.

Apart from improving infrastructure, modernizing Iraq, building schools, colleges, roads and public-health systems, Saddam made education compulsory for all, regardless of the sex. In the 1920’s Iraqi women in the rural areas were mostly uneducated, but with compulsory education, the status of women was improving.

Is Saddam Hussein a Tyrant?

As ambiguous as Donald Trump’s statements can be, he mentioned, “Saddam Hussein was a bad guy…really bad guy. But you know what he did well? He killed terrorists. He did that so good. He didn’t read them the rights. They didn’t talk. They were terrorists. Over. Today, Iraq is Harvard for terrorism”

In 2006, after a six month trial, Saddam Hussein’s execution took place on 30^th December, 2006. He was charged with crimes against humanity which included illegal killings in 1982 of 148 Kurds. There are rumours that he was stabbed six times after he was executed, which is denied by the U.S authorities.

There are several reasons to debate over Saddam’s rule in Iraq. Some are of the opinion that the United States only needed a reason to hate Saddam in order to gain control of Iraq and its oil sources. However, this does not condemn his violent acts against humanity and mass killings.

Till this day, Saddam Hussein’s execution is viewed differently by the world and the Iraqis. Those who supported the leader, raise their heads with pride claiming he died an honest man. On the other hand, particularly those who were affected by his harsh actions, celebrate the death of this tyrant.

To sum up a future debate Saddam already left his philosophy for the world. “Politics is when you say you are going to do one thing while intending to do another. Then you do neither, what you said nor what you intended”

Written by Jerusha Patel