Political nationalism means the freedom and independence of each country to choose any regime of government and any laws and regulations that it wishes for itself within its borders. The foundation of political nationalism in any type is formed on the idea that the right to sovereignty belongs to nations and that a state is national when it is elected or supported and agreed upon by the nation. The state and national government have no meaning without recognizing the freedom of the nation and the right of the nation to intervene in organizing this new political institution.
Political nationalism is associated with a government and state that is based on established borders and the preference of the needs and privileges of a specific ethnic group of one nation over others.
Is political nationalism still as prosperous and supported today as it was in the past, or has this phenomenon lost its status and credibility? In response to this question, it can be said that economic, political, and other forms of nationalism no longer hold the same position, and their credibility has been diminished. Political nationalism has also weakened compared to the 19th century. The existence of the United Nations and its vast branches and organizations, as well as the existence of regional unions such as the Union of South American Nations, the Arab League, the Southeast Asian League, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and recently the Middle East Union, along with the tendency and desire of small nations to emulate larger nations such as the United States and the Soviet Union to form larger units of national states for their protection and defense against larger powers, is clear evidence of the decline of nationalism since the 19th century. The path that the nations of the world have taken toward internationalism [what is internationalism and why did it arise? We will explain this in the next section, Allah willing.] will continue, whether another war breaks out or not, moving willy-nilly toward the old ideal goal of a single world government.
3. Cultural Nationalism
Cultural nationalism emphasizes the cultural and historical commonalities of a nation. Cultural nationalists seek to provide a specific definition of the nation and state by referring to a specific ethnic or religious historical past. Therefore, traditional value systems, customs, and cultural heritage are highly respected, often interpreted through specific lenses and exaggerations, with opposition to value and cultural innovations being a central focus for cultural nationalists.
Cultural nationalism is a movement in which individuals of a nation strive to revive the traditions and customs of their ancestors and preserve their historical legacy. The author of the book “The Phenomenon of Nationalism from the Perspective of Islam” writes about cultural nationalism in Iran as follows: “Cultural nationalism is the pride in Iranian nationality and traditions, the Persian language, and the history and pre-Islamic past in Iran, along with efforts to revive and preserve these manifestations and traditions in an extreme way.”
What the author has mentioned in his book is just one example; this type of nationalism is also prevalent among other nations, especially many Arabs, who similarly strive to revive pre-Islamic manifestations and traditions. “The goal of the nationalists is to distance the Arabs from Islamic thought and expand the scope of Islam in order to create a pre-Islamic Arab system to return to the ideals of Canaan, Adnan, and Iram after Islamic thought had dominated this vast world for fourteen centuries, containing within it all the correct thoughts and perspectives from that ancient heritage, and revive this ancient heritage.” The meaning of the old and past heritage refers to the same conditions of the pre-Islamic era, when people fought for long periods, shed each other’s blood, and took pride in their tribes and races over the most insignificant issues.
It is important to recognize that this type of nationalism draws its foundation from Western culture, which has attempted in various ways to involve people, especially Muslims, in such issues. It can be said that these phenomena are gifts from the West, presented to Muslims to disrupt, separate, and divide them. “The foundations of nationalism originate from the non-religious or anti-religious culture of the West. According to Arnold Toynbee, they are the gifts of Western civilization—intoxication and nationalism. Nationalist and racist ideas in the West have replaced moral values and have become a mixture of low human traits such as self-centeredness, prejudice, arrogance, and pride. Nationalism opposes human rights because, with a focus on nationality, this national feeling is accompanied by a hidden or overt element of hostility towards others.”
In conclusion, we can state that, although the names may change when presented to Muslims, the goals of all these programs and plans remain the same: to incite Muslims to fight one another and become divided and weakened. When each group, tribe, or nation opts for a path divergent from Islam, their paths will divide, making them vulnerable to the enemies who have long awaited their weakness!
Note: Dr. Dariush Ashouri, citing various authors, has identified another division of nationalism. In his book “Political Culture,” he writes: “Some authors divide nationalism into liberal and anti-liberal. Liberal nationalism is understood as a form of nationalism that relies on human values, human rights, and individual freedoms within the framework of a nation-state, while anti-liberal nationalism characterizes a nationalism that regards the individual as a mere instrument at the service of the state, denying him any rights or duties other than serving the state. This type of nationalism (which is akin to fascism) rejects political democracy and extols foreign invasion and national domination over other nations.”
Some authors have also mentioned other types of nationalism, such as “civic nationalism” and “religious nationalism.” However, based on our research and the sources available to us, these types are not well-known or widely recognized, which is why we have omitted discussing them in this research.
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