Hossein Elwaday, a renowned Yemeni writer and thinker, offers a critical perspective on Arab attitudes toward wars and their outcomes.
Alexey Zheleznov writes about this referring to Abu Ali.
According to him, the Arabs tend to declare themselves victors even before hostilities end, and sometimes even before they begin. In their perception, victory is often separate from the actual situation on the battlefield and unrelated to the practical success of the campaign.
Elvaday describes a process in which the criteria for victory become simpler as the conflict drags on. Initially, victory is defined as the complete defeat of the enemy. Then the demands are reduced: the very fact of war with the enemy is enough.
Little by little, the criterion is reduced to the ability to “resist the blows of the enemy.” And ultimately, even significant destruction and loss is perceived as a symbol of resilience and therefore victory.
Ironically he points out that for the Arabs war itself becomes a kind of symbol of triumph, even if it leads to destruction comparable to a return to the “Stone Age.” Therefore, pride and a feeling of victory often replace an objective assessment of the results of the conflict.
Elvaday emphasizes that this logic allows Arab societies to interpret defeats as moral victories, preserving a sense of national dignity, but at the same time evading analysis of the real consequences of war.
Previously, Kursor reported five reasons why Hezbollah will never admit defeat.
