And Now, Islamism Trumps Arabism

New York Times ^ | 8/20/06

[seutonius1234]

“I have more faith in Islam than in my state; I have more faith in Allah than in Hosni Mubarak,” Ms. Mahmoud said, referring to the president of Egypt. “That is why I am proud to be a Muslim.”

The war in Lebanon, and the widespread conviction among Arabs that Hezbollah won that war by bloodying Israel, has fostered and validated those kinds of feelings across Egypt and the region. In interviews on streets and in newspaper commentaries circulated around the Middle East, the prevailing view is that where Arab nations failed to stand up to Israel and the United States, an Islamic movement succeeded.

“The victory that Hezbollah achieved in Lebanon will have earthshaking regional consequences that will have an impact much beyond the borders of Lebanon itself,” Yasser Abuhilalah of Al Ghad, a Jordanian daily, wrote in Tuesday’s issue.

Hezbollah’s perceived triumph has propelled, and been propelled by, a wave already washing over the region. Political Islam was widely seen as the antidote to the failures of Arab nationalism, Communism, socialism and, most recently, what is seen as the false promise of American-style democracy.

The lesson learned by many Arabs from the war in Lebanon is that an Islamic movement, in this case Hezbollah, restored dignity and honor to a bruised and battered identity.

[pissant]

I can't tell them apart. It's like looking for a guy named Chang in China.

[KellyAdmirer]

If they want a Holy War, they'll get it. It's like the Japanese in 1941 - get fired up and start a war they can't possibly win. Well, it made the Japanese feel real good about themselves, too, and sure restored their "dignity" - until the US bombs started falling on them.

[Billthedrill]

Looks like somebody at the NY Times has discovered Islamism for the first time. Bully for them. For the rest of us who have been paying attention there are a few difficulties with the overarching thesis that Islamism is the new Arab nationalism - first, the backers of Hezbollah were Persian, not Arab, and compose Wahhabi Islamism's principal rival. Second, that the enthusiasm whipped up for Hezbollah's "great victory" is largely media-generated hot air that is due to dissipate with the next flurry of fighting, and lastly, that Arab nationalism was neither Arab nor nationalist to begin with.

A dignity that is dependent on the destruction of a sovereign nation is a fragile creature indeed. The young lady in the article may find herself happy under a hard-Shari'a government she will vote into office but it is likely to be her last political act in life. Ah, well. "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want and deserve to get it good and hard." HL Mencken

[nathanbedford]

Great post. The New York Times dismisses the millennia old blood feud between Shi'ites and Sunni with these few words:

Hezbollah’s perceived victory has highlighted, and to many people here validated, the rise of another unifying ideology, a kind of Arab-Islamic nationalism. On the street it has even seemed to erase divisions between Islamic sects, like Sunni and Shiite. At the moment, the Hezbollah leader, Sheik Hassan Nasrallah, is widely viewed as a pan-Arab Islamic hero.

I doubt if Sunni mullahs working their congregations would agree with this.

No one feels more threatened by this Shia resurgence than the princes of Arabia and they will take whatever measures they can to finance its undoing. Mubarak of Egypt and the king of Jordan must feel equally threatened. The Sunnis in Iraq are not exactly sitting on their hands and observing the takeover of power in Iraq by Shi'ites.

It is in this context that we ought to see the significance of Persian, Shi'ite, Iran obtaining the bomb.

[Sir Gawain]

LOL they're fooling themselves again and it will be another comedy worthy of Mel Brooks when they get whipped in 7 days or less.

[Leisler]

It isn't the same Israel. Most of the post-Holocoust founders, poor armed dirt scrabbled are gone. A significant number of Israelis aren't all that keen on fighting to the last. Also, in a generation or bit, more will be non-jews than Jews.

Radical Islam could yet strike the hardest blow, when internally the state is at it weakest. For all their screw ups, the Muslims have to win but once.

[Biggirl]

Islamism is a sign of a community that cannot, willnot accept the 21st century. This will in time I predict implode in itself.

[Biggirl]

When I had seen your posting, I was thinking of this URL that would be of interest to you. It is about young Jewish adults coming to Isreal to enlist in the IDF. This is a hopeful sign.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0%2C7340%2CL-3293328%2C00.html