Federated Arab nation - from Iraq to Morocco. Movements and schemes to forge a unified Arab state in the region

Résumé du document

Studying any political, cultural or ideological tendency in the Middle East is vain if one decides to look at it at the domestic scale. Indeed, the area must rather be regarded as a regional political entity in itself. Such approach is necessary for anyone who desires to understand correctly the political trends of the Middle East, whose Arab nationalism. Indeed the idea that Arab people belong to the same nation and should gather into a single federation or state is not new; but it received great impetus in the 20th century with the end of the Ottoman domination in the Middle East and the emergence of new political boundaries in the aftermath of the First World War.

Giving an accurate definition to what the idea of "nation" refers to may sound tricky, and to some extent, pretentious. Hence one may prefer to rely on the Syrian scholar Sati al-Husri's statement that "the Arab nation consists of all who speak Arabic as their mother-tongue, no more, no less" (Hourani: 1983; 313). He acknowledges in addition the weight of a common history shared by the Arab people as important in the development of a national feeling.

Extraits

[...] He shed light on the need for domestic socio-economic changes through the Arab socialist solution to fulfill the pan-Arab unity. As a consequence, giving primacy to socialism, Nasserism after 1962 demarcated its own ideological territory within the Arab nationalist movement” (Choueri: 2000; 179). Nasser's statements over the need for change in socio-economic factors lead one directly to the evolution of the social structure of the Middle East and the impact that it had on Arab unity's will. Therefore, beyond the proper limits of both Nasserist and Ba'thist ideologies, Inter-Arab rivalries have been central factors in the failure of Arab unity. [...]

[...] One may see several movements and schemes which sought for the unification of the Arab nation in the years following World War One. Therefore, Amir Feisal claimed in May 1919 are 2 one people” [ ] are Arab before being Muslims, and Muhammad is an Arab before being a prophet” (Mansfield: 2004; 228). Though king of Syria for a very short period before he was moved to Iraq by the British in 1921; he gave impetus to the unionist movement in arguing for the reunification of the Fertile Crescent into one state. [...]

[...] (2000) Arab Nationalism: A History Oxford: Blackwell Publishers. Cleveland, W. (2004) A History of the Modern Middle East Third Edition Cambridge: Westview Press. Goldschmidt, A. Jr & Davidson, L. (2006) A Concise history of the Middle East Eight Edition Cambridge: Westview Press. Halperin, S. (2005) Post-Cold War Political Topography of the Middle East: prospects for democracy”, Third World Quarterly 1135-1156 Hottinger, A. (1968) the Arab Bourgeoisie Lost Power” Journal of Contemporary History 111-128 Hourani, A. [...]

[...] Mansfield, P. (2003) A History of the Middle East Second Edition London: Penguin Books Edition. [...]

[...] An ultimate scheme of an Arab federation headed by King Ibn Saud was presented by Harry St John Philby but failed again because of the Hashemites' opposition to be placed under the tutelage of their regional rivals (Mansfield: 2004; 231). Overall, Peter Mansfield pointed out that the emotional aspiration for Arab unity remained undiminished in the interwar period, but the obstacles to its practical achievement increased (1973; 72). The first step towards Arab unity was actually achieved in March 1945 with the creation of the League of Arab states, based in Cairo. [...]