Arab Nationalism

...Not only is there no dialogue, there is not even room for one...

...The same depressing picture emerges from recent Arab nationalist discussions which are ably summarized in the essay by N. Rejwan...

...Once received a revelation from heaven so that we might guide humanity toward its destiny...

...Tutsch discusses the tensions which arise out of the contradiction between their feeling of insecurity and inferiority vis-a-vis the West and the superior feeling bestowed upon them by their religion lean Vigneau the French scholar, quotes at length from Nasser's writings and speeches which are filled with Islamic political ecstasy...

...The problem of the psychology of Arab intellectuals—or semi-intellectuals—is touched upon frequently in the book...

...That, he continues, "is why find orientalist at work in the foreign ministries of Western governments [sic] the works of Moslem and Hindu mystics...

...Included also are articles by influential spokesmen of the Arab nationalist movement as well as an extensive precis of Arab nationalist writings...

...a representative of the Rockefeller Foundation who visited the Syrian University was interested in cultural projects and studies of Islamic mysticism rather than in laboratories or technical equipment...

...and a Dutch orientalist advised his Government to set ud a university in Indonesia devoted especially to oriental culture, instead of sending Indonesians to study in the West...

...Word,he says, should not be taken at their face value...

...Tutsch, on the other hand, warns against the dangers "of the rise of a pan-Arab national-socialism" arising out of the alliance between Nasser and the Arab socialist parties "One has only to see the distorted, hate-filled faces of those listening to the inflammatory 'Voice of the Arabs' to understand what is going on in this region...

...How can state domination be avoided...

...If they cannot assimilate the warnings, they should at least study the book's extensive translations of what the Arab nationalists tell each other and their own peoples...

...Gebran Majdalani, a prominent member of the Ba'ath, the Socialist Renaissance party in Syria which is the main pillar of Syrian-Egyptian union and has branches in other Arab countries, devotes exactly three lines of his essay on "The Arab Socialist Movement" to the question of socialism...

...He insists that only a closer cooperation between the Western powers and "strengthening the forces in the Arab countries which are prepared to fight for liberty and democracy and social and economic evolution" can help turn the tide...

...As the editor of the collection points out, these currents—however much one may disagree with them--are significant and have to be taken into account...

...It presents a picture of the Egyptian middle class, of the differences in their make-up and relation to other classes compared to their Western counter-parts, of the weakness of the entrepreneurial class and the trophy of the bureaucratic-military-political group...

...Muhammed Kamil Ayyad, lecturer on philosophy in Damascus, presents the standard nationalist essay on "The Future of Arab Culture," which begins in a self-reproachful mood, passes over to bitter criticism of the West and self-pity and ends in a blaze of euphoric self-confidence...

...Thus, he explains why Arab society pours so much of its energy into politics, foreign affairs, "anti-imperialism" and army coups and so little into economic development Yet Berber ends his essay by expressing the hope that the new ruling class may decide to change if course and help to develop a healthier society though the essay itself shows society, though the essay itself no cause for optimism...

...Recent events, including the renewed opposition to Egyptian hegemony by the "revolutionary" Government in Iraq, have reinforced several of Dr...

...He easily disposes of the popular myth that only the Western powers or their "lackeys" prevent implementation of Arab peoples...

...Today a new revelation is springing in our hearts, in order that we should again lead mankind to its destiny...

...Drive out British, French and American influence from all of the Middle East impose a unified Arab empire on all areas claimed to be Arab lands including the territory which now constitutes the state of Israel) whether all desire it or not, and then we can start dealing not and then we can start dealing with other problems"-that seems to be the consensus...

...This near-paranoia, I am afraid, has become so characteristic of many Arab nationalist intellectuals that it is difficult to find a common language with them...

...In short, Arab but its positive aims emerge as little more than the concentration of power in the hands of officers and nationalist intellectuals...

...His contention that the Communists are working through the pan-Arab natio-socialist movement is documented several other essays in the book...

...They blame the West for everything...

...One could only wish that this symposium would be read by those in the West who identify themselves so easily with the "rising young forces" in the Middle East and so glibly call for an "understanding" with the "symbol of progress, Colonel Nasser...

...The Western and Arab contributions are on completely different levels...

...Right now, he complains, these forces feel themselves let down by the West...

...Majdalani goes so far as to assert that, important though Arab unity may be, any move toward such unity, if it might help the West (as m the case of Iraqi-Syrian unity proposals during the Baghdad Pact period), would be opposed by Arab socialists, who are actively supporting Nasser...

...As is inevitable in any such collection, there is duplication and there are gaps...

...Although there can be no dialogue in such a collection, several essays by Westerners constitute a proleptic criticism of these Arab views...

...Writers approach their subject from different points of view...

...and fostering the opinion that there is no hop of saving world civilization from decline and disaster the East...

...George Ketman, who evinces an obvious affection for Egypt and her intellectuals, gives a telling picture of the low level, the "basically emotional nature of their thinking," and of the frustrations and the desire for revenge which animate the intelligentsia...

...Thence arose the civilization of Islam which delivered the world from darkness and error ignorance and discord...

...Ayyad claims that their intention is to encourage Eastern peoples to "cling to their traditions, habits' and ways of thought...

...Laqueur has assembled 35 essays by various specialists on the area...

...Berger, for example, a Princeton sociologist whose recent study of Egyptian bureaucracy constitutes a real contribution to oriental studies, shows something of a split personality in his essay on "The Middle Class in the Arab World...

...How are relations between town and country, between the government and municipal private and peasant interests between consumption and investment to be regulated in countries on the Middle-Eastern development level...

...A serious article on Arab socialism would have to tackle many interesting questions: What does socialism mean in a region where the state has always been over-powerful in political and economic affairs...

...They include recognized experts in specific fields -like the economist Charles Issawi and sociologist Morrow Berger—as well as orientalists, historians and students of peripheral questions such as Soviet policies in Central Asia and the Middle East...

...and to dissuade them from adopting modern culture and thereby liberating themselves from Western domination...

...Tutsch, foreign editor of the Neue Zuercher Zeitung and author of several studies on Middle Eastern affairs, gives a penetrating analysis of the various factors working both for and against Arab unity...

...The Arab contributions—which, let me stress, are by recognized spokesmen of the Nationalist movement- show a marked resemblance to the Soviet articles...

...Reviewed by A. V Sherman In an endeavor to avoid the weakness of so many one-man books on the Middle East, Mr...

...As examples of this plot to prevent modernization of the East he quotes three incidents: A French orientalist who helped establish the College of Ancient Literature in Damascus in 1933 opposed the teaching of comparative literature, modern criticism or the art of the novel...

...They never define their terms, offer no factual evidence for their assertions and abound in stereotyped phrases...

...Tutsch see no hope in appeasing the pan-arab movement, whose demands are growing with each success...

...To prove this assertion-which is ludicrous to those who have experienced the characteristic of so Western orientalists — Dr...

...The first part of the essay marshals what statistical and other information is available in a masterly fashion...

...Perhaps, as a Swiss, he does not have the guilt feelings which make many intellectuals from the great powers, including some contributors to this book, lean over backward either to find excuses for Arab nationalist nihilism, or to jump to optimistic conclusions which are at variance with the facts and analyses they themselves produce...

...A substantial part of the essay, which was written especially for this book, is based on the contention that "most Western orientalists were and are still engaged in promoting imperialist designs...

...Tutsch's contentions...

...Socialism in this part of the world is merely a label covering all kinds of government intervention...

...The two articles by Soviet writers which help to round off the book are familiar enough to readers of the Soviet press (although the second contradicts the first, since they were written at different times...

...The rest is a tirade the West, making anti-Westernism the touchstone of as ipso facto imperialist...

...Madjalani's obsession with anti-Westernism-like that of his comrades-has effectively prevented him from tackling these problems or even acknowledging them...