WHO DESERVES TO BE CALLED A HERO?

WHEN the silver screen brought T.E. Lawrence - Lawrence of Arabia - to life in David Lean’s 1962 epic film, he was immortalised as a bold British officer who united Arab tribes against the Ottoman Empire during World War I.

- HALIM GENÇOĞLU

With sweeping desert cinematography and dramatic heroism, Lawrence became not just a historical figure, but a cultural icon in the West.

But in the shadows of Lawrence's cinematic legacy lie figures like Omar Mukhtar of Libya, the “Lion of the Desert’, who led guerrilla resistance against Italian colonisation, and Imam Abdullah Haron, the South African religious leader and anti-apartheid martyr who died under torture in 1969 for his unwavering stance against racial oppression.

Their stories remain lesser known internationally - not for lack of courage or moral clarity, but perhaps because history often amplifies power, not principle.

A colonial hero, or a complicated figure?

T.E. Lawrence is hailed in Britain as a tactician, linguist, and bridge between East and West. However, his role in the Arab Revolt also coincided with British imperial ambitions.