A map of the Middle East by Steven Neff (Politically Illustrated).
As the Ottoman Empire began its decline, the definition of Arab identity separate from colonial Europe, took root in ideologies among diverse arab groups in the Middle East. Below are a couple -Isms, a distinct system of belief or theory, which originated after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire:
-ISM 1
Pan-Arabism: Sheriff Hussein ibn Ali of Mecca was the first to advocate the idea of pan-Arabism with the intention of unifying Arab nations into a singular country from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Sea.
“Most intellectuals believe in pan-Arabism as a kind of civilization, as a kind of cultural belonging; as a heritage to which these intellectuals accepted and were pleased to interact with,” said Shafik Masri, a professor of international law in Beirut, to Al Jazeera.
The idea was connected with Arab nationalism, while strongly opposing colonialism and Western political involvement in the Arab world. It also sought to improve the stability of local states by developing alliances and economic cooperation.
-ISM 2
Pan-Islamism: In contrast to pan-Arabism, pan-IsIamism arose in response to the increasingly secular language of pan-Arab national discourse. Pan-Islamism advocated the unity of Muslims under one Islamic state, often a Caliphate, which was a form of religious nationalism. The concept was to promote a return to basic Islamic principles among Arab citizens after a period of Westernization.
“The main branches of the Muslim Brothers and other mainstream Islamic groups do not reject nationalism, but rather secularism. In fact, pan-Islamism of this type was able to promote both Islamic and national unity,” said Ahmed Mousalli, a professor at the American University of Beirut, to Al Jazeera.
In the post-colonial world, pan-islamism was strongly associated with Islamists, Sayyid Qutb, Abul Ala Maududi and Ayatollah Khomeini, who favored a return in traditional Sharia law for an united and strong Arab world rooted in Islam.
-ISM 3
Radicalism: The trouble with the growth of Islam was the radicalization of these movements. Tensions grew between traditional Arabists and Islamists, but the two would share the same common enemy in the future - the west.
“There is more harmony now, especially because most regimes in the Arab world are no longer nationalistic. In fact, the Islamic Nationalist Congress has already met at least five or six times. Both sides also agree on general principles and now basically all of their enemies are the same,” said Mousalli.
In an interview with Al-Jazeera, Mousalli suggests the tension is not irreconcilable. “There’s actually more unity than not between Islamists and Arabists, it’s just there are extremists - on both sides - who take issue with each other.”
TWO -ISMS IN NORTH AMERICA:
1. Capitalism: Refers to the doctrine that private ownership and free markets should govern economies. The origins of capitalism can be traced to the Islamic Golden Age and the Muslim Agricultural Revolution where the first market economy and beginning forms of merchant capitalism took root.
2. Egalitarianism: The belief humans ought to be equal in rights and privileges. The framers of the United States made references to egalitarianism in the constitution, “… inalienable rights endowed by their Creator.”
Re-published from "The Top 3 -Isms in the Middle East" at Politically Illustrated.