Reasons for the Strengthening of Nationalism in the West
One of the factors that led to the growth of nationalism in the West was anti-religious sentiment and opposition to the church and its various baseless programs. The most significant factor in the growth of nationalism was the creation of an ideal and an identity for nations. Man cannot live without an ideal. In the Middle Ages, the ideal of Christianity was prevalent in Europe. With the weakening of the church, there was practically nothing that could resurrect the people and unite them against their enemies.
The second factor was the motivation of soldiers to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their homeland.
After the French Revolution, the concept of nationalism spread in France. It was at this time that terms such as nation, nationality, and state emerged among the people. Nationalism emerged as a universal concept after the French Revolution and during Napoleon’s conquests. This idea spread throughout Europe with Napoleon’s conquests to the point that it was exported to the East even before democracy and freedom. Thus, nationalism first took shape in Europe in the 17th century (1648) and was transferred to other parts of the world after the French Revolution.
During the Reformation, the first reaction against the universal church emerged, leading to the formation of national churches. In these churches, instead of using Latin, which was the scholarly language of the time, local languages were employed to hold religious ceremonies. Additionally, instead of the official clergy, a hierarchy of national clergy was introduced.
With the victory of the French Revolution, most of the foundations, principles, and characteristics of the idea of nationalism emerged, marking the first implementation of this view in practice. Stimulating feelings and zeal for the homeland and flag, honoring and respecting national heroes, compiling a national anthem, emphasizing the sanctity of the French language and identity, creating grand national ceremonies and holidays modeled after religious ceremonies, pride in French history, and faith in a great message for the French nation were all among the primary and secondary foundations and principles of nationalism formed successively during the French Revolution. These were the initial practical steps towards nationalism.
The Great French Revolution openly declared its tendency towards nationalism from the very beginning, shouting “Long live the nation” instead of “Long live the king,” thereby demonstrating that the nation should be the heir to the privileges of the monarchy.
The church and the leaders of the Christian religion had united with the ruling apparatus of the time and managed many of the affairs of society under their supervision; but by the end of this millennium, the power of the church began to decline, and eventually, the lords of the church were forced to relinquish their positions in managing social affairs. The most important factors that caused this decline were:
– The distortions made by church leaders for material and personal gain, which distanced the Christian religion from its original essence and true teachings. Conversely, the people encountered Muslims and their ideas, prompting them to reflect and making the distortions of Christianity more apparent.
– The church’s collaboration with kings and seekers of welfare gradually distanced it from the oppressed, who were, in fact, the vast majority of the population, thereby gaining illegitimate privileges for itself. For example, while the impoverished were forced to pay heavy taxes, the upper class of clergy was exempt from paying taxes and had acquired significant wealth and property.
– The church’s resistance to scientists and its insistence on natural and cosmic views upheld as religious beliefs and interpretations of the Bible, which gradually lost validity with scientific advancement.
– The violence and coercion employed by church leaders who forced people to obey church laws and severely punished dissenters, often sentencing them to death with impunity. History recounts many instances of their crimes, burnings, and tortures. For instance, from 1408 to 1808, 40,712 people were burned, and nearly 387,944 others were subjected to harsh punishments.
– Religion’s withdrawal from social life allowed the rise of humanism, which recognized people and their intrinsic rights as the source of power, ultimately contributing to the emergence of nationalism.
In 1095, the church council led by Pope Urban II launched a war against Muslims under the name of the “Holy War,” intending to occupy Jerusalem, which Muslims refer to as the Crusades. The First Crusade ended with a massacre of Muslims by the Crusader commander, “Fray de Boulogne,” but in subsequent conflicts, Muslims consistently triumphed, leading to the conclusion that the Crusades ultimately favored them.
Years passed under the Church’s rule in Europe, led by the Pope, during which the Church practiced numerous superstitions to gain more wealth. For instance, they sold indulgences to the public for their sins in exchange for money. However, in the early 16th century, this practice by the Catholic Church was protested by a figure named Martin Luther. On October 31, 1517, he wrote a letter of protest containing 95 articles and posted it on the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church. Following this incident, the Pope increased his protests, urging Luther to retract his actions and apologize to the Church; otherwise, he would be excommunicated. Nevertheless, Luther ignored the Pope’s threats and persisted in his protests until the Pope ultimately excommunicated him.
Thereafter, the differences between the two sects widened until they culminated in the signing of the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648. Many historians believe that the “Treaty of Westphalia” represented the first agreement establishing the concept of the nation, replacing the identity of the church, wherein most Europeans identified themselves as “Catholic” or “Protestant.” Consequently, nationalism can be considered a product of this era.
As previously mentioned, one of the goals of nationalism worldwide is its anti-religious aspect. Although its emergence in the West arose as a reaction against the church and the problems it posed, it later evolved into a mindset for Westerners to oppose religion and its tenets; because the two cannot coexist harmoniously. The Islamic thinker Allama Sayyed Abul Hasan Nadwi (may Allah have mercy on him) writes in his invaluable book “What the World Lost in the Decline of the Muslims” about the anti-religious movement launched by Luther and his contemporaries, which spurred the creation of nationalism in Western countries: “Religion and national fanaticism were like two scales; the heavier one became, the lighter the other, and what is evident is that the scale of religion became lighter every day, while the scale of the opponent grew heavier.”
The English scholar Lord Lothian, former British ambassador to the United States, referred to this historical fact in a speech delivered at the Aligarh University ceremony in January 1938: “When Luther’s movement, known as the Reformation Movement, destroyed the cultural and religious unity of Europe, the continent was divided into various national governments, and the conflicts and rivalries that ensued became a constant and eternal threat to world security.” The decline of religious authority and the erosion of the foundations of religion and morality resulted in the rise of the ideologies of patriotism and nationalism.
Imam Nadwi, may Allah have mercy on him, concluding remarks on the results and consequences of nationalism in Europe are as follows: “The outcome of the collapse of the religious system and the exaggerated strengthening and growth of nationalism led to Europe becoming a military base against the entire East, creating a dividing line between the West and the East—or in other words, between Europe and other continents and regions.”
