What is Pan-Arabism?
Pan-Arabism holds that the Arabs, from Morocco to the Persian Gulf, are a single nation defined by a shared language, history and culture, and that the borders drawn after the Ottoman Empire and European rule divide them artificially. Its aims range from close cooperation between Arab states to full political union. It reached its greatest influence in the 1950s and 1960s, when it was linked to anticolonialism, Arab socialism and the leadership of Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. Its best-known party form is Ba'athism, which has its own profile.
Core beliefs
- Arabic-speaking peoples form one nation with a common destiny.
- Colonial-era borders between Arab states should be weakened or erased.
- Arab countries should be free from Western and other foreign control.
- National identity rests on language and culture, not on religion or sect.
- Oil wealth and resources should serve the Arab nation as a whole.
- Arab states should act together in foreign policy, including on Palestine.
History
Arab nationalism grew out of the nineteenth century Arabic cultural revival known as the Nahda, in which both Muslim and Christian writers took part. During the First World War, Sharif Hussein of Mecca led the Arab Revolt of 1916 against the Ottoman Empire with British support, hoping for an independent Arab kingdom. Instead, much of the region was divided between British and French mandates. In the interwar years, thinkers such as Sati' al-Husri argued that language and history, not religion, defined the nation. The Arab League was founded in 1945. After the Egyptian revolution of 1952, Nasser became the leading symbol of Arab unity, especially after the Suez crisis of 1956. Egypt and Syria formed the United Arab Republic in 1958, but Syria withdrew in 1961. The Arab defeat in the 1967 war with Israel badly damaged the movement's prestige.
Variants
Nasserism combined pan-Arabism with Arab socialism, land reform, nationalization and non-alignment. Ba'athism, founded in Syria, built a party around the slogan of unity, freedom and socialism. The Arab Nationalist Movement, founded by George Habash and others, moved toward Marxism in the 1960s. Earlier liberal and Hashemite versions sought unity under constitutional monarchies. Some later movements, such as Muammar Qaddafi's in Libya, mixed pan-Arab ideas with their own doctrines.
Criticisms
Critics argue that pan-Arabism in power produced military and one-party governments that suppressed dissent and used the cause of unity to justify repression. Kurds, Berbers (Amazigh) and other non-Arab groups argue that its definition of the nation marginalized them. Islamists argue that it placed ethnic identity above religious community, while advocates of individual states argue that it ignored real differences between countries. Defenders reply that it helped end colonial rule, built national pride, and raised education and living standards in several countries.
In practice
Every attempt at lasting political union failed, including the United Arab Republic and several proposed federations. However, pan-Arab ideas shaped the Arab League, cooperation on oil policy, and widespread public support for the Palestinian cause. From the 1970s, state-based nationalism and political Islam gradually displaced pan-Arabism as the main forces in Arab politics, although its symbols remain popular.