THE CHANGING ASPECTS OF ARAB NATIONALISM.

This study aims to explicate the socio-cultural dynamics that were not only effective on the historical development of Arab nationalism, but also did add differing aspects to it within time. Furthermore, this study aims to understand the transformations of Arab nationalism from early 19th century to the Golf Crisis in 1991. As it is attempted to illustrate in this study, contrary to other nationalist movements in the Third World, either anti-colonial or anti-Western, Arab nationalism has grounded on both its own identity and discourse of an opposition to Ottoman powers. During the first period, Arab nationalism had been trying to differentiate itself from the Ottomans by underlining cultural and linguistic factors believed to be the advantages of the Arabs in terms of understanding the true meanings of religion. After the 1920s, the rising Arab nationalism was indeed a territorial and secular nationalism, trying to ground itself by referring either to pre-Islamic or pre-Arabic past and culture. Between 1950s and 1970s, the developing Arab nationalism, represented by Ba'th Party and Nasserism, had been a socialist and anti-imperialist movement, defending the unification of the all Arabs under the same banner. After the 1980s, the rise of Islamic movements in the Middle East brought forth negative effects on Arab nationalism; yet, during the Golf Crisis in 1991, both religious and nationalistic ideologies and sentiments came together against American forces. Generally speaking, this study tries to elucidate all aspects as well as the development dynamics of Arab nationalism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]