Pity the scapegoat. This
account of the hysterical anger directed against the former headmistress of Beslan School No. 1, which I read on the ferry home, was displaced in my mind by Hurricane Katrina. But as the floodwaters subside it is worth another look as being another illustration that the human need to punish
someone for an awful crime is a wave that will breach the barriers of reason unless we keep the walls in good repair. The full story in the
Independent of 2 September is worth reading but requires payment, but you will get the general idea from this:
It was meant to be a sombre day of mourning and remembrance but the first anniversary of the seizure of Beslan's School No 1 was marked by a display of raw anger yesterday as the school's hated headmistress was forced to flee a mob intent on attacking her.
"Murderer! Murderer!" the mob shouted at a frightened Lidia Tsalieva. "Why did you come here?" The Kremlin, which local people accuse of tragically mishandling the siege and its aftermath, was also targeted.
What did Lidia Tsalieva ever do to deserve this? Was she supposed to predict that her school would be overrun by terrorists and she herself taken hostage? Was she supposed to drill the classes weekly in what to do when faced with men who slaughter children while shouting "Allah Akhbar"? With a five minute quiz on snappy techniques for press interviews afterwards?
She is an ordinary woman whose heart has been broken. Perhaps she lost less than her attackers, merely (merely!) having her pupils killed rather than her own children, but she did no wrong. One would have to be superhuman to be prepared for what happened, or to react to it without fear and mistakes. We can try to sympathise with the storm of grief that prompted the mob to pursue Lidia Tsalieva, the real murderers having escaped them by death, but their suffering does not make them right.
posted by Natalie at 8:14 AM
