Modern Convergent Arab Nationalism in the Mirror of Historic Memory

Modern Convergent Arab Nationalism in the Mirror of Historic Memory


Naumkin V.V.,

HSE University, Moscow, Russia; Primakov National Research Institute of World Economy and International Relations, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia, director@ivran.ru


elibrary_id: 71351 | RESEARCHER_ID: R-9576-2019


DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2021.06.04

For citation:

Naumkin V.V. Modern Convergent Arab Nationalism in the Mirror of Historic Memory. – Polis. Political Studies. 2021. No. 6. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2021.06.04



Abstract

Arab Nationalism (AN) is a broad ideological and political movement that played a key role in the liberation of the Arabs initially from Ottoman rule, then from European domination, and ultimately in the emergence and development of a whole array of independent Arab states. The article offers a radical new take on the current state of this movement, whose adherents have been in power in Syria for almost six decades. A review of the movement’s genesis undertaken by the author reveals that the Levant-Iraq zone has been a major feeding ground for the advent and elaboration of the united Arab nation concept, which formed the backbone of the ideology and politics of one of the three AN Pan-Arab segments – Ba‘athism. It is ascertained that for its survival, as a ruling party movement in Syria, a matter of paramount importance is the historic memory, that has played a much more prominent part in politics in Oriental countries than in the West. From an overview of the AN historical heritage, two tides of the Arab Awakening are singled out, and the role played by the personalities who devised the fundamental secular tenants of the Pan-Arab ideological and theoretical background is highlighted. In this context, the author identifies a continual trend underlying strained relationships between AN and the Levant, on the one hand, and the Ottomans, thereafter the Turkish nationalists of nowadays, on the other hand, meanwhile the modern slogan of the latter (“Five States – One Nation”) is practically a replica of the chief AN slogan (“One Arab Nation”). The article analyzes the evolution of the dichotomy: Qawmism (Pan-Arab Nationalism) – Watanism (particular, country-wise patriotism). Despite the fact that the Pan-Arab ideas have apparently suffered a crushing defeat, under conditions of glorification of the nation-state model, there are substantial prerequisites in the Arab world for its integration, that provide an impetus for AN to get back on track in the foreseeable future. However, this would require an ideological transformation of AN and for it to adopt its hybrid, or rather convergent variety, in order for it to meet the challenge of overcoming the antagonism between Qawmism and Watanism. 

Keywords
Arab Nationalism, Baath, Levant, secularism, Atab Awakening, qawmism, watanism, national liberation, Islam, hybridity, convergence.


References

Antonius G. 1938. The Arab Awakening: The Story of the Arab National Movement. Beyrut: Khayat’s. 492 p.

Arab Nationalism: An Anthology. 1962. Ed. by S.G. Haim. Berkeley, Los Angeles: University of California Press. 255 p. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0041977X00101077

Bashkin O. 2011. Hybrid Nationalisms: Watanī and Qawmī Visions in Iraq under ‘Abd al-Karim Qasim, 1958–61. – International Journal of Middle East Studies, Vol. 43. No. 2. Relocating Arab Nationalism. P. 293-312. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020743811000079

Becker C.H. 1932. Martin Hartmann. – Islamstudien. No. 2. Leipzig: Quelle & Meyer. P. 481-490.

Bendebka R. 2020. Pitfalls of Nationalism in the Middle East and North Africa Region. – Current Research Journal of Social Sciences. Vol. 3. No. 1. P. 1-14.

Berger M.T. 2004. After the Third World? History, Destiny and the Fate of Third Worldism. – Third World Quarterly. Vol. 25. No. 1. P. 9-39. https://doi.org/10.1080/0143659042000185318

Dawisha A. 2003. Arab Nationalism in the Twentieth Century. From Triumph to Despair. Princeton, NJ, Oxford: Princeton University Press. 352 p. https://doi.org/10.23943/princeton/9780691169156.001.0001

Humphreys R.S. 1999. Between Memory and Desire: The Middle East in a Troubled Age. Berkeley: University of California Press. 297 p.

Khalidi W. 1978. Thinking the Unthinkable: A Sovereign Palestinian State. – Foreign Affairs. Vol. 56. No. 4. P. 695-713.

Khan N.A. 1964. A Commonwealth of Muslim States. Introduction. – Studies in Commonwealth of Muslim Countries. Ed. by Motamar Al-Alam Al-Islami (World Muslim Congress). Karachi: Umma Publishing House. 96 p.

Kohn H. 1944. The Ideas of Nationalism: A Study of its Origin and Background. New York: The Macmillan Ian Co. 735 p.

Kramer M. 2008. Arab Awakening & Islamic Revival. The Politics of Ideas in the Middle East. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers. 297 p.

Malley R. 1996. The Call from Algeria: Third Worldism, Revolution, and the Turn to Islam. Berkeley: University of California Press. 310 p.

Malley R. 1999. The Third Worldist Moment. – Current History. Vol. 98. No. 631. P. 359-369.

Naazer M.A. 2019. Nationalism in the Muslim World: A Curse or Blessing? – Liberal Arts and Social Sciences International Journal (LASSIJ). Vol. 3. No. 1. P. 30-42. https://doi.org/10.47264/idea.lassij/3.1.4

Tauber E. 1993. The Arab Movements in World War I. London: Frank Cass. 322 p. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315036014

Zubaida S. 2004. Islam and Nationalism: Continuities and Contradictions. – Nations and Nationalism. Vol. 10. No. 4. P. 407-420. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1354-5078.2004.00174.x

 

Blizhnii Vostok: politika i identichnost’ [The Middle East: Politics and Identity]. 2020. Ed. by I.D. Zvyagelskaya. Moscow: Aspect Press. 336 p. (In Russ.)

Naumkin V. 2017. “Krasnye volkI” Iemena: Natsional’nyi front v revolyutsii [“Red Wolves” of Yemen: National Front in the Revolution]. Moscow: Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 312 p. (In Russ.)

Naumkin V. 2018. Nesostoyavsheesya partnerstvo. Sovetskaya diplomatiya v Saudovskoi Aravii mezhdu mirovymi voinami [Failed Partnership. Soviet Diplomacy in Saudi Arabia between the World Wars]. Moscow: Aspect Press. 455 p. (In Russ.)

Naumkin V. 2021. Crisis of the Ottoman Rule in Yemen in Early 20th Century (According to Russian Military Intelligence and Diplomatic Sources). – Vostok (Oriens). No. 2. P. 180-196. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31857/S086919080014448-9

Pir-Budagova E.P. 2015. Istoriya Sirii. XX vek [History of Syria. XX Century]. Moscow: Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences. 392 p. (In Russ.)

Tikhonova T. 1984. Svetskaya kontseptsiya arabskogo natsionalizma Saty al’-Khusri [The Secular Concept of Arab Nationalism by Sata al-Husri]. Moscow: Nauka. 221 p. (In Russ.)

 

Al-Duri A. 1984. Al-Takween al-tarikhi li-l-umma al-‘arabiyya: dirasa fi-l-huwiyya wa-l-wa‘y. Beyrut: Markaz dirasat al-wahda al-‘arabiyya. 339 p.

Al-Hindi H. 2012. Al-Haraka al-qawmiyya al-‘arabiyya fi al-qarn al-‘ishrin (dirasa siyasiyya). Beyrut: Markaz dirasat al-wahda al-‘arabiyya. 576 p.

Al-Husri S. 1985. Abhath mukhtara fi al-qawmiyya al-‘arabiyya. Beyrut: Markaz dirasat al-wahda al-‘arabiyya. 468 p.

Al-Sayf T. 2021. Da‘wa li-muraja‘at mafhum al-umma. Al-qawmiyya. Al-muwatana. – Al-Sharq al-Awsat. January 6. No. 15380.

Al-Shaer. 2021. Inzilaq Dimashq nahwa al-awham yabda bi-khatwa wahida. – Arabic.rt.com. July 21. Dustur al-Jumhuriyya al-‘Arabiyya al-Suriyya. 2012. Damascus.

Habash G. 2019. Safahat min masirati al-nidaliyya. Beyrut: Markaz dirasat al-wahda al-‘arabiyya. 384 p.

Hawatme N. 2019. Azmat al-mashru‘ al-watani al-filastyni. Muraja‘a naqdiyya. Damascus: Al-Daralwataniyya al-jadida. 176 p.

Tatawwur al-fikr al-qawmiyy al-‘arabiyy. Buhuth wa-munaqashat al-nadwa al-fikriyya allati nazzamatha Markaz dirasat al-wahda al-‘arabiyya. 1986. Beyrut: Markaz dirasat al-wahda al-‘arabiyya. 407 p. 

Content No. 6, 2021

See also:


Kudryavtzev I.Ye.,
The National I and Political Nationalism. – Polis. Political Studies. 1997. No2

Peregudov S.P.,
Convergence, Russian Style: «Golden Mean» or Hesitating Half-Way?. – Polis. Political Studies. 2008. No1

Malkov S.Yu., Korotayev A.V., Isayev L.M., Kuzminova Ye.V.,
On methods of estimating current condition and of forecasting social instability: attempted quantitative analysis of the events of the Arab spring. – Polis. Political Studies. 2013. No4

Peregudov S.P.,
Parties and interest groups: to a new model of interaction. – Polis. Political Studies. 2014. No1

Abazov R.F.,
Central Asia: Islam and Politics. – Polis. Political Studies. 1992. No4

 
 

Archive

   2024      2023      2022      2021   
   2020      2019      2018      2017      2016   
   2015      2014      2013      2012      2011   
   2010      2009      2008      2007      2006   
   2005      2004      2003      2002      2001   
   2000      1999      1998      1997      1996   
   1995      1994      1993      1992      1991