Better Late than Never, Mr. Aboul Gheit!

The Arab League Secretary General’s recent gesture hugging the Syrian officials in the UN General Assembly 74th session was interpreted by many worldwide as an indirect apology speech-act. The words uttered by Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit and the warm handshakes and hugs spoke louder than words!

According to a video on Twitter, “Good evening. Great. How are you?” Aboul Gheit says, before shaking Muallem’s hand and kissing him on both cheeks.

The Arab League Secretary General then exchanges greetings with Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad and its ambassador to the United Nations, Bashar Jaafari.

“Really, it’s always a pleasure to see you,” Aboul Gheit says to the Syrian officials before giving a friendly tap on the shoulder.

Hopefully, Mr. Aboul Gheit’s warm gesture, mainly motivated by Syria’s victories against terrorists if not to mention some countries’ thrust, is to apply the logic of law 

Reason, and legality on the founding member of the AL, and coincidently at the headquarters of the UN, which Syria too is a founding member.

However, many calls were echoed before by some Arab countries, mainly Lebanon, Iraq and Algeria, as to rescind the AL 2011 unjust decision.

 Iraq called for the return of Syria to the Arab League as to re-participate in its activities, while the Egyptian-Syrian Friendship Association stressed that the return of Syria to the League is “inevitable”, describing the freeze of its membership as a big “mistake”.

During the regular session of the 152 Council at the level of permanent at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the League, Iraq’s ambassador to Egypt and the permanent representative to the League, Ahmed al-Dulaimi, called for Syria’s return to the Arab League as to pay its role and carry out its activity, because Syria is considered one of the basic and effective countries in the Arab League.

The head of the Egyptian-Syrian Friendship Association, Major General Alsayed Khadr described the League decision to freeze Syria’s membership in 2011 as a big “mistake”

Khader added that the decision contradicts Alexandria Protocol and the Arab League Charter, where the second article stipulates the preservation of the independence and sovereignty of the member states from any aggression.

According to Khadr, Article 8 of the League’s charter stipulates respect for the government systems in the countries of the Arab League. He also stressed that it is the time now for the Arab League to correct its course and activate its charter to save the joint Arab action system and to preserve the unity and integrity of the national state from the danger of greediness of the regional states that threatens Arab national security.

Dr. Mohamad Abdo Al-Ibrahim

alibrahim56@hotmail.com