Many cultural and political circles in Syria, and perhaps in the Arab region as well, were surprised by the release of an important book by Mr. Abdul-Halim Khaddam, the Vice President of the Syrian Republic, titled “The Contemporary Arab System: Reading Reality and Anticipating the Future.” Parts of the book were published by the London-based newspaper Al-Hayat and online on the (Elaaf) website. The book carries new political ideas and perspectives on the Arab reality and the future of the region, inseparable from the significant intellectual transformations and profound political changes witnessed globally in recent years, affecting everyone in the East and West, nations, individuals, and groups.
The significance of this book lies, first, in the importance of the author himself and his political status and leadership position in the government and the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, following the political and intellectual journey of the party since it came to power in Syria in 1963. Secondly, the book includes a critical analysis of Arab political thought and the nationalist ideology of Arab parties and movements during the past era. Mr. Abdul-Halim Khaddam holds them all responsible for ignoring and exacerbating the situation of minorities in Arab countries.
In this article, we will focus on one of the fundamental issues highlighted by the author, which is the issue of the rights of national and ethnic minorities in Arab countries. We fully appreciate the magnitude of the risks that threaten everyone if genuine and comprehensive solutions are not found, providing these regions with alternatives to ethnic conflicts and destructive national wars. This is what Mr. Abdul-Halim Khaddam pointed out in his book, stating: “One of the significant flaws in the principles and approaches of Arab parties and nationalist formations established in the 1930s is that they did not study the ethnic reality in the Arab homeland, characterized by the presence of national minorities that do not share the Arabic language with the Arabs in their history, culture, civilization, and values, whether in the western or eastern parts of the Arab world.”
Mr. Khaddam adds, “Other Arab organizations continued to ignore this situation after the forties. Arab national consciousness should not contradict the existence of national or cultural minorities in the Arab homeland. Therefore, it should not hinder the possibility of deepening the bond of citizenship based on belonging to the homeland, history, and shared culture in many aspects. If we fail to do so, we will, unintentionally, contribute to tearing apart the unity of the nation with its Arab and other national and cultural minorities.”
Yes, undoubtedly, the issue of minorities in Arab countries, like other internal problems and issues, has fallen victim to the arbitrary ideological solutions of Arab nationalist parties and governments, regardless of their political orientations. These governments adopted the option of forced and ideological assimilation of minorities in Arab societies as the sole solution to the problem. They pursued a policy of Arabization and demographic change in minority regions, as seen in many Assyrian regions, especially in northern Iraq.
Despite the modernizing trends of Arab nationalist parties and movements, they remained under the influence of traditional Islamic ideology. This ideology worked on Islamizing society, subjecting all minorities and ethnic and religious groups to hierarchical rankings based on specific Islamic criteria. In other words, the religious inequality (theocratic) that appeared in traditional Islamic Arab society left its impact on the ideology and theoretical thinking of Arab nationalism. It produced nationalist inequality, thus leading to inequality in citizenship rights among all nationalities and ethnicities within a single state.
Arab nationalist thought distinguished the Arab element from other peoples and nations, emphasizing its superiority. It coined expressions that diminished and belittled the status of other peoples and religions. One famous phrase, coined by one of the prominent theorists of Arab nationalism and co-founder of the Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party, Michel Aflaq, stated: “If Muhammad is an Arab, then every Arab should be Muhammad.” Thus, Islamic fundamentalism produced Arab nationalist fundamentalism in thought and practice. Belonging to minorities remained a source of accusation and condemnation, casting doubt on the patriotism of their members in most Arab countries.
Most Arab nationalist movements and parties, in their various intellectual trends, made a mistake in their perception of the concepts of (nationalism) and (Arab nationalism). They treated Arab nationalism as an inherent reality and approached the concept of nationalism as an accomplished ideal thing instead of advocating for it and working towards it. Therefore, I believe that the issue of (national identity) in most Arab countries has not been settled yet. Also, Arabs have not unanimously agreed on a specific and fixed definition of (Arab nationalism). Many Arab countries refer to themselves as the “nation,” such as the Kuwaiti nation, the Algerian nation, and the Tunisian nation. Libya is attempting to disassociate itself from Arab identity. In independent cultural circles, some call for Syrian nationalism, Lebanese nationalism, and others advocate for ancient Egyptian (Pharaonic) nationalism, as well as Iraqi nationalism with an Assyrian/Babylonian character.
Some argue that there is no single Arab people in one Arab nation, but rather Arab peoples in a diverse Arab world with varied cultural identities and national characters. The varying positions of Arab countries on the current Iraqi crisis, the Palestinian issue, and other critical Arab matters reflect an Arab divergence, both officially and among the people, regarding the concept of (Arab nationalism).
