𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝘃𝘀 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗺

 

𝗔𝗿𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘀𝗺 𝘃𝘀 𝗜𝘀𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗺

What is the solution for Palestine and the deeply divided and fragmented Middle Eastern political scene? "The Arabs need to unite!" This is a tired and empty slogan. A more interesting and meaningful proposition would be.... "HOW can the Arabs unite?". To most Muslims, the solution is obvious - but the reality is distant from theory. Can Shite Arabs, Sunnis and the various denominations all unite for a common political cause despite their differences?? Is Pan-Islamism the solution given the deep sectarian fractures that continues to fragment the Middle East "We don't unite with deviants!" Or should the Arab Nations unite based on their common cultural and political identity, regardless of sect or religious affiliation?? A more important question would be, in recent history - has Pan-Arabism (Baathism) achieved more than Pan-Islamism (Salafism) for the Middle East ?? This question has long been the subject of complicated discussions dating back from the times of Abduh l, Afghani, Aflaq and Al Husri. Thinkers who sought to find a viable base for Arab Unity and Sovereignty following the decline of the Ottoman Empire. Now that we see the reactions of various Arab and Muslim nations towards the Palestinian cause, most notably - the open and direct approach of the Shia nations (Yemen, Iran etc), can we still maintain the ideal that "We can only unite upon Haqq (sectarian unity)" as espoused by the Salafist school? Have the Arab Nationalists developed a broader base of unity by bypassing sectarian differences for the greater good or is religious unity a more potent and authentic base for treating the case in Palestine and within the Middle East at large? One criticism from the Nationalists towards the Salafist ideologues is that religious unity and Islamic Brotherhood ( the "unity upon Haqq" argument ) has never been a reality beyond the first Islamic century and should not be expected in a Muslim world as divided and fragmented as ours while the Salafist school points out the flaw in the Arabist school in highlighting the fact that the Arabs have hardly been able to defeat any external nations (least of all Israel) based entirely on their shared Nationalist ambition, they were never able to establish an empire based entirely on this "Arabism", it was always by virtue is Islam and Islamic fervour. Quite interesting discussions, perhaps the solution lies somewhere in between. Nevertheless, these are interesting questions for an interesting era and the Palestinian question is a challenge to many thinkers because although it often seen through Islamic lenses, it is also an Arab problem (not all Palestinians are Muslim, there are many Christians too). ......