This paper argues that there is no real nationalism in the Middle East and if is, then it is an instrumental. The historical process of the region which relates to nationalism has had three stages： （1） the European...This paper argues that there is no real nationalism in the Middle East and if is, then it is an instrumental. The historical process of the region which relates to nationalism has had three stages： （1） the European conquest that forced the indigenous people to battle both for freedom and confront a secular idea such as nationalism; （2） arbitrarily marked borders by the West disregarding ethnic religious and tribal lines and affinity; （3） the creation of Arab nation states with no solid infrastructure of shared national values. This perspective can help understand current political developments in light of the Arab spring upheavals, in Iraq, Syria and Libya.展开更多
文摘This paper argues that there is no real nationalism in the Middle East and if is, then it is an instrumental. The historical process of the region which relates to nationalism has had three stages： （1） the European conquest that forced the indigenous people to battle both for freedom and confront a secular idea such as nationalism; （2） arbitrarily marked borders by the West disregarding ethnic religious and tribal lines and affinity; （3） the creation of Arab nation states with no solid infrastructure of shared national values. This perspective can help understand current political developments in light of the Arab spring upheavals, in Iraq, Syria and Libya.
