Islam vs. arab nationalism

ISLAM VS. ARAB NATIONALISM:

The main purpose of the paper presented below is to go into the conflict which exists between Islam and Arab nationalism. For this, the document will be divided in three different parts. In the first place, a general view of the notion of nationalism is presented, including two relevant figures' definition about it, followed by an outline of the ways in whichnationalism appears to contradict the Islamic demand of loyalty to the Ummah. Finally, there is a mention of one of the advocates of both Arab nationalism and Islam, his particular perspective on these issues and the way in which he attempted to reconcile them.

In the strictest sense of the word, the term "patriotism" is equivalent to the term "nationalism", which comes from the latin word natio,which literally means "being born" and which was first applied to the place of birth of an individual and then to a community whose members belong to the same race, language, culture or institution and considered themselves remotely related, with a common origin. Therefore, the terms "nationality" or "nationalism" have the same genesis and are describe by some experts in many different ways. Below,two of them are presented.
Abd al-Latif Sharara, a writer from the second half of the 20th century, asserted that: "[...] whenever anybody feels a certain nationality (qaumiyya) with a true feeling, such feeling is an indication of his tue national personality." and "[...] the basis on which the idea of nationalism has been established among every nation (ummah) in the world" (Haim - 225). That iswhy he thought that nationalism was an "[...] emotion and common interest, combined in one feeling and one idea within the members of the nation" (Haim – 228) because "[...] the nation is a human, not a geographical reality" (Haim - 226). From that, it can be deduced that Abd al-Latif Sharara's conception was more emotional that physical, so that it is not necessary to be born at the same regionas another people to share with them a common pride for the nation, and have a national feeling towards it.
Abd al-Rahman al-Bazzaz, a pan-Arab nationalist, politician and writer, president of the Republic of Iraq, also from the 20th century, afirmed that: "Nationalism is a political and social idea which aims, in the first place, to unify each group of mankind and to make it obey one politicalorder." but "[...] modern nationalism is based on the language, history, literature, customs, and qualities. On the whole, the ties that bind individuals together and make them into a nation are both intellectual and material" (Haim - 181).

An analysis from the definitions paraphrased above, allows to outline two important points: On one hand, the basis of the nationalism, which is formed bythe ideas of the membership to a concrete territory and the sharing of the same blood and language as all the members of that territory. Thus, instead of basing the unity on a belief or an ideology, the nationalism bases its unity on the physical territory, the language and the race. On the other hand, a basic characteristic of nationalism, which is the loyalty, revolves around the homeland, and allthe other loyalties as the loyalty to a concrete ideology are subordinated to the loyalty to a country. Therefore, no other type of loyalty can endanger the patriotic feeling, and when it occurs, the latter must prevail. This is a principle which any nationalist can not ignore, as a man lives because of and for its country, and deeply believes that nation is superior to all the other things.Acording to that view, it could seem that nationalism is narrowly attached with secularism due to the necessity of a separation between policy and faith. One of the main principles of nationalism is the rejection to any religious link and a complete acceptation of the secular order. Nationalism leads directly into secularism. The belief that the national unity should be based on a common land,...