Judge Kazem Abbas
The Middle East is a remarkable and turbulent region, burdened with numerous challenges. It has never known stability throughout history, nor is it expected to in the future. Bound by a mixture of inevitability and compulsion, it has remained a focal point of global crises. No sooner does one problem subside than others emerge across its landscape—often more severe, complex, and burdensome than those before—consuming what remains of wisdom, patience, and selflessness. In such an environment, the dominance of force over legitimacy and the entrenchment of hostility become almost inevitable, even normalized, turning the balance of right and wrong upside down.
Three years ago, tensions in the region escalated sharply, and the Middle East reached a boiling point. The language of gunfire prevailed over dialogue. Amid this charged atmosphere, two figures emerged as central actors, standing out with rare professionalism and resolve. They were linked only by a shared quality: decisiveness. One is a civilian in Iraq, Judge Dr. Faiq Zidan, and the other a military leader in Pakistan, General Asim Munir, Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistani Armed Forces. Although neither holds the highest protocol position in the constitutional hierarchy of their respective countries, both played pivotal and decisive roles in managing and defusing crises without fatigue or hesitation.
During a period in which Iraq itself was drawn into a severe regional storm that affected all parties roughly a year ago—a development unsurprising given its geopolitical position, which inevitably exposes it to regional dynamics while adding further pressure to its internal challenges—hope dimmed in political leadership circles. Efforts to steer the country toward safety, engage constructively with regional issues, and uphold constitutional governance through dialogue and evidence-based argument largely failed.
After public frustration deepened and the voice of the country’s senior religious authority grew weary of “chance politicians,” the constitutional judiciary—the so-called third authority in Iraq—represented by the President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Judge Dr. Faiq Zidan, stepped forward to assume responsibilities that others had failed to fulfill. It established clear constitutional and legal boundaries that no political actor could cross, adhering to strict neutrality and equal standards for all parties, without compromise or exception. In doing so, it identified and upheld the truth with fairness, integrity, and courage for all sides—individuals and states alike—who accepted it either willingly or under necessity.
This judicial role became central in line with the spirit of the constitution, whose highest objective is to preserve the peaceful transfer of power without undermining the principle of separation of powers. The judiciary also took into account the complexities of the region and its interconnected crises, articulating its position to decision-makers and public opinion domestically and internationally. In doing so, it became a trusted reference point in resolving disputes, with its position regarded as authoritative and binding in moments of crisis.
What we ultimately say, with firm conviction, is that as days pass, history is written. The events of our time in the Middle East will be recorded, and history will inevitably forget the names of many kings, princes, and presidents, relegating them to the margins of near-forgotten memory.
Yet it will record in ink of gold that a judge safeguarded his country through sound judgment, wisdom, and composure, and that a Pakistani general, with unmatched dynamism and charisma, helped defuse some of the most dangerous conflicts in the region’s recent history.
Between the steadfast, wise, and humble judicial authority and the decisive force of military leadership, a bright light emerges at the end of a dark tunnel—toward a more hopeful future for a Middle East free from injustice and aggression, and offering its resilient peoples a promise of peace and justice.
