Title: Pan-Arab Nationalism: The Ideological Dream as Compelling Force
Abstract: The dream of pan-Arab nationalism - the idea that all Arabs could and must be united in a single state - has had an effect on Middle East history as compelling as that of Marxism on modern Europe. While both ideologies had lost appeal by the 1990s, that of pan-Arab nationalism continued to exercise an intellectual hegemony far in excess of that parallel utopian philosophy in Europe. Whereas in Europe, nationalism focused predominantly on the individual nation-state, the nation in the Middle East was supposed to incorporate all Arabs; existing states were merely shards of the whole. Inasmuch as the Arabs chose a European model, it was the unifications of Italy and Germany. Identity was believed destined to create a state rather than the state consolidating a new identity. This gap between reality and ideology was a major factor shaping the turmoil and seeming political perversity of the modern Middle East. Arab politicians and states engaged in constant battle; relations with the West were largely conditioned on the regional competition. Some leaders were reluctant participants in this game, pressured by foreign Arab rivals, domestic enemies, or fear of their own people's passions; others chased Arab leadership out of conviction or ambition. The root motive of this restlessness was the perception that something was unacceptably wrong with the world. Arab and Islamic societies were weaker and poorer than those in the West, though they considered themselves superior. Their centuries-long decline left them asking, as in the title of a 1930s article by Shakib Arslan, 'Why are Moslems Lagging Behind the Christians?' Arslan believed in panIslam, seeing Moslem unity as the answer to Western predominance. His brother, Adil, became a pan-Arab activist, believing that all Arabs must unite under a single government. Both men were struggling with the same paradox.
Publication Year: 1991
Publication Date: 1991-07-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 16
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