The Prominent Role of Jews and Christians in the Emergence of Arab Nationalism
One notable point in the discussion of the Arab nationalist movement is that some writers and researchers have highlighted the role of individuals from various cultural and religious backgrounds in this movement. For example, the author of The Game of Nations states that several leaders and pioneers of this movement graduated from internationally backed universities, such as the American University of Beirut. This university is well known for its role in educating students who later became active in nationalist movements. The author claims that many of these leaders had Christian backgrounds.
The first people who called for Arab nationalism in the late 19th century were Westerners who, through missionary groups in Syria, began their activities to separate the Turks from the Arabs and create divisions among Muslims. This movement gradually expanded across the Levant, Iraq, and Lebanon until the first conference was held in Paris around 1910. As a result, numerous Arab associations were formed, and nationalist tendencies increased.
Initially, these associations and organizations operated secretly and recruited individuals for their cause. However, over time, their numbers grew, and their activities became public. In the upcoming sections, Inshallah, we will attempt to introduce these associations in detail.
The author of the book Contemporary Intellectual Schools, Their Role in Societies, and the Muslim Stance Towards Them writes about the emergence of nationalism in Arab countries:
“The truth is that those who instigated nationalism in Arab countries and led the call for it in Islamic lands were Arab Christians. They understood the benefits of uniting Muslim Arabs under nationalism rather than religion, as religion does not permit the mixing and unification of Muslims and non-Muslims in one entity. For this reason, Arab Christian nationalists and their allies began praising and promoting Arab nationalism. They believed that if Arabs wanted dignity, power, and respect among other nations, they had a dire need to revive Arab nationalism. This, in itself, was a kind of deception and manipulation, which over time fueled resentment and hostility toward the Ottoman Empire among the Arab population.”
It is an undeniable fact that enemies have always sought opportunities throughout history to strike at Islam and the great Islamic Ummah by any means. One of the ways they significantly achieved their objectives was by fostering nationalism among Muslims, particularly among Arabs.
The Most Prominent Advocates of Arab Nationalism
By examining various phenomena, we conclude that certain individuals played a crucial role in the emergence, expansion, and flourishing of Arab nationalism. In this section, we aim to introduce some of the most significant and well-known advocates of Arab nationalism:
1. Sharif Hussain
One of the key figures in Arab nationalism was Sharif Hussein. After this ideology reached Arab countries, he also began his activities in this direction. The author of Intellectual Warfare writes: “After nationalism spread to Islamic countries, Sharif Hussein raised the issue of separating the Arabs from the Ottoman Caliphate. Consequently, various nationalist movements emerged in the Arab world to dismantle Arab unity and solidarity. Pharaohism was revived in Egypt, Phoenicianism appeared in Syria, and Berberism emerged in Algeria. They supported political parties and movements founded on nationalism and racism.”
2. Abu Khuldun Sati’ al-Husri
Sati’ al-Husri was one of the key figures in Arab nationalism and wrote extensively on the subject.
Born in Sana’a on the 16th of Sha’ban 1296 (Islamic calendar) to Syrian parents, al-Husri spent time in the Balkans, where strong nationalist sentiments influenced his early nationalist ideas. After World War I and the fall of Ottoman rule in Arab lands, he moved to Syria to organize the Arab nationalist movement there.
Al-Husri was one of the first advocates who called for the separation of Arabs from Muslims under the Western-imported concept of nationalism. He invested significant effort into promoting Arab nationalism, developing theories, and treating it as his ideological and spiritual foundation. Based on this belief—and his specific objectives—he determined his friendships and enmities. His goal was to unite Arabs under nationalism rather than religious ties and to make them politically and culturally subservient to the West.
What is even more surprising is that some researchers claim that his native language was Turkish rather than Arabic. So, what led him to sanctify Arab nationalism and become so passionately devoted to it?
Arab intellectuals—both leftists and rightists—regard Sati’ al-Husri as the founder of the Arab nationalist ideology (Pan-Arabism). His approach to Arab nationalism was modeled after the German nationalist school of thought, whose most prominent figures were Johann Herder and Johann Fichte in the 18th and 19th centuries.
3. Mustafa al-Shihabi
He was one of the activists advocating Arab nationalism and considered it a nationalist creed. He stated: “Anyone who fights in this cause and dies is a ‘martyr’.”
He believed that in the past, people were connected through religion, but with the emergence of nationalist ideology, it far surpassed religious ties. He argued that Arabs, by embracing nationalism, realized that they could fulfill all their political, economic, and national aspirations through it.
4. Muhammad Ma’ruf al-Dawalibi
Al-Dawalibi was one of the well-known advocates of Arab nationalism and an extreme devotee of it. He believed that before Arabs became aware of Arab nationalism, they lived in deep misery, darkness, and fragmentation. In his view, the emergence of nationalist advocates was one of the signs of great prosperity.
5. Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser, the Egyptian president, was one of the most famous proponents of Arab nationalism. He undertook numerous efforts in this regard and earned grand titles. In his time, he led the call for Arab nationalism and dedicated all his energy and resources to strengthening and spreading it. To such an extent that he considered Arab nationalism a sacred faith and fundamental belief, employing numerous media outlets to propagate nationalist ideas and glorify the Arabs.
6. Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi
After the fall of the Ottoman Caliphate, Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi was among those who actively promoted Arab nationalism. He authored a book titled Umm al-Qura. Additionally, he wrote The Nature of Despotism, which many believe was directed against the Ottoman Caliphate and its hardships while advocating Arab nationalism.
The author of Nationalism from the Perspective of Islam states about Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi: “One of the first figures to seriously engage in Arab nationalism was Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi (1849–1903). He wrote Umm al-Qura, in which he argued for Arab superiority over the Turks and insisted that an Islamic state should be established under an Arab caliph in Mecca.”
7. Michel Aflaq
The call for Arab nationalism was, in fact, initially championed by Christians. The first individuals to raise the banner of Arab nationalism and establish associations and organizations for it were Christians. The pioneer in this effort was Michel Aflaq.
The most renowned thinker and advocate of Arab nationalism was Sati’ al-Husri, followed closely by Michel Aflaq.
Conclusion
Here, we have tried to introduce the most famous advocates of Arab nationalism. However, listing all of them would make this discussion excessively long. For further information, refer to Dr. Abdullah Azzam’s book Arab Nationalism, where he introduces additional figures.
