Negative Effects and Consequences of Nationalism on the World
2. Distortion of History
To prove their claim of the superiority of their nation, nationalists often find their country mixed with misery, problems, and ignorance. Faced with this, they feel compelled to refer to history and its past, seeking periods when their nation experienced glory and greatness on a global scale. (Although there may also be dark spots, such as oppression and crime). They tend to exaggerate this glory excessively. If they do not find such periods, they resort to legends and myths, presenting them as historical facts, which they then take pride in. As history often recounts inhumane acts, oppression, aggression, and the misery of their people, these individuals are wary of realism and careful examination of history. Will Durant remarks on this: “Nationalism was discovered in the nineteenth century and corrupted almost all historians.”
That is why some people today tend to glorify archaeology and pre-Islamic periods.
3. Distortion of Islamic Thought
One result of nationalism in the lives of Muslims is that nationalists have imposed their ideas onto Islam, causing a distortion of Islamic thought. One of the most obvious manifestations of this distortion is the linking of Islam with Arabism, a view rooted in nationalist thinking that posits that a nation’s beliefs and culture are manifestations stemming from the historical and intellectual characteristics of that nation.
4. Distortion of Islamic History
Nationalism has influenced and distorted the history of Islam. On one hand, nationalists have endeavored to present a positive image of the pre-Islamic era, arguing that Arab and non-Arab nations did not come into existence and identity because of Islam, but rather during the era of ignorance. Today, Arab and non-Arab nationalists call people back to the era of ignorance and pre-Islam and take pride in it. This has been one of the significant goals of nationalism proponents: to encourage Muslims to return to the pre-Islamic era rather than hold onto their Islamic identity. In the long run, this practice leads people to believe that their foundations predate the Islamic era, misconstruing Islam as having taken everything from them and destroyed the culture, history, and masterpieces of their ancestors.
Moreover, many individuals, ignorant and unaware of religion, criticize Islam and blame it for the perceived loss of science, art, and culture. One of the means of promoting nationalism among Muslims is by reviving the old pre-Islamic era, glorifying its heroes, elevating the status of non-Islamic elements in Muslim history, and emphasizing the lessons of their literature and that of the pre-Islamic era in universities, scientific centers, and schools. The enemies’ goal in doing this is to divert people from Islam and instill in the hearts of Muslim boys and girls a love and friendship for others [the past and those who lived during the era of ignorance].
5. Limited International Cooperation
A virtue of the Islamic religion is that Muslims extend a helping hand to every Muslim and non-Muslim in need, as this is obligatory in Islam. However, nationalism prioritizes monopoly and national interests. The author of the book “Nationalism from the Perspective of Islam” writes: “Since the nature of nationalism is exclusive and based on the interests of a particular nation, issues such as migration and the environment can pose significant obstacles to international cooperation, international organizations, and treaties, while these matters concern the general interest of all people worldwide.”
6. Materialistic Thought
Religious nationalism arises from environmental necessities and thus aligns completely with materialistic thinking, carrying its characteristics into political, social, and cultural spheres. A hallmark of its materialism is its contradiction with morality and the promotion of a conventional interpretation of social life.
7. Turning to the West
Another negative effect of nationalism is that when a nationalist feels that their society cannot satisfy their spiritual thirst and aligns poorly with their desires, they are compelled to distance themselves from that society. This is one of the traps that the enemies use to ensnare the youth. “When a nationalist feels a void in their being and seeks to fill it, they inevitably look to the Easterners and Westerners of the past, leading to the growth of nationalism and inclination toward this phenomenon.”
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