- Islam and Nationalism [Electronic resources] نسخه متنی

Chapter 1
Part
One: A Survey of the History of Nationalism

1. Rise of
nationalism as a creedWhile some of
the characteristics of nationalism may be witnessed in the tribal system of the
Greek city-state many thousand years ago [1] nationalism as a political, social
and ideological school of thought took birth in the West following the French
Revolution.

Jean-Jacques
Rousseau was one of the greatest advocates of this creed. He emphasized the
unity, solidarity and the group spirit of the masses and insisted that one
should have the highest attachment to one's home and country where one has been
brought up. He believed the fatherland to be the core and center of a person's
and a group's love and loyalty. He elevated this belief to a sacred religious
duty, and severely condemned the idea of mankind's collective attachment or a
religious societal order.

The main fabric
of the school of nationalism was laid by the French Revolution, where it was
first put to practice. It was then that the stimulation of emotions towards the
flag and country, the glorification and worship of national heroes, the
composition of the national anthem, the emphasis on the sanctity of the French
language and race, the creation of great national festivals and ceremonies in
the style of religious rites, a pride in the history of France and a belief in
the great mission of the French nation, emerged and displayed themselves one
after another in the course of the Revolution. But with the rise of the
Jacobins to power and the disasters which followed the Revolution, the evils of
nationalism evinced themselves from the very beginning. For the Jacobins,
nationalism became the means to toy with the masses feelings, general
mobilization, aggression upon neighboring countries, expansionism, massacre,
corruption, suppression and self-interest, showing that nationalistic sentiments
always result in aggression and imperialism. To the Jacobins, French interests
were their basis for decisions.

With the
progressive influence of the French Revolution in the West, the concept of
nationalism rapidly gained popularity [2] leavening behind the notions of
freedom and democracy. The rise of Napoleon Bonaparte quickened its pace in the
West. Napoleon was a staunch believer in the creed of nationalism and, as we
shall see, he was the first to scatter its seed in the Islamic world. His strong
sense of nationalism laid the grounds for its expansionistic and aggressive
policies, his wars and massacres had encouraged a spirit of domination in the
French nation, and soon, other nations were contaminated with nationalistic
sentiments. In Gem1anyandltaly, this spirit rose rapidly, and in the name of
nationalism, horrible crimes were committed and a desperate fight for power was
started.

The 19th century
is called 'the golden age' of nationalism [3]. It was in that century that
Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine set up the foundations for American
nationalism. In England, Jeremy Bentham gave nationalism a new
scope. With William Gladstone, British nationalism reached its height.
Nationalism spread as an intellectual movement and school in the whole of central
and Western Europe. Mazzini, who rose in Italy is regarded as one of the greatest theoreticians of the
school of nationalism of the 19th century. Other great propounders
and banner-bearers of nationalism in that century were Guiseppo Garibaldi in Italy, Victor Hugo in France and Otto Bismarck in Germany.

Nationalism made
history in that century, bringing about some of the greatest events. Belgium secured its independence, while in South and Central America, the colonies of Portugal and Spain declared their independence under the
leadership of Simon Bolivar and Jose Martin. But the strongest sentiments of
nationalism were roused by Western governments in the European colonies of the Ottoman Empire. Greece, Bulgaria, Hungary, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Croatia were tempted into claiming independence.

Of course, these
events were trivial as compared to the unprecedented expansion of imperialism
in the Third World, and the political clashes and conflicts
of Western governments. History has shown that nationalism has been far more
destructive than constructive. British, French colonialist policies and
aggressions, and the expansionism of Napoleon III and Bismarck, proved that the
deceptive slogans of Western nationalism and liberalism were empty covers and excuses
for enslaving oppressed nations.

2. Creed of
nationalism, a result of the West's ideological vacuum.

Nationalism is a
creed, a school and a pseudo-religion which the West created to fill an
ideological vacuum.

Man cannot live
without a faith, an ideology, to which he can show affection and love. In the
Middle Ages in the West, this faith, ideology, were found in Christianity and
the religion of the Church. But Christianity was an unrealistic, imperfect and
one dimensional religion, and since it had an unscientific and
anti-intellectual basis, it could not last as a permanent and universal
religion and ideology.

The Renaissance
and subsequent changes dealt the church a heavy blow, and Christianity could no
longer make its presence felt as a living faith in Europe, and soon became a dead creed. As we said, Christianity,
from the beginning, lacked the dynamism which provides the people with zeal,
frenzy, fanaticism and solidarity. After the Renaissance, it retired completely
from the political, social, intellectual and emotional life of the people and
western ideology was left with an intense vacuum. In the absence of an
inspiring force that would revive them, the westerners were left in the dark.
Christianity was dead. Since man cannot live in a vacuum (of belief) and needs
an ideology to follow and love, Azar, the idol-maker' of Western ideas hewed
the idol of nationalism, and offered it to the West as anew religion and anew
god that was welcomed by thirsty devotees. This vacuum was later on filled by
Marxism, and both these schools owed their creation to the weakness and failure
of Christianity in satisfying the religious longing of Westerners.

But in Islamic
East, there never existed such a vacuum. Here, Islam was already present as a
living, dynamic and universal ideology. It contained such dynamism that in the
first century after its advent, it unified all the lands stretching from North Africa to the farthest parts of Asia, and from Spain to Mongolia, and joined together peoples of
different races, languages and cultures as a single Ummah. Even now, Islam
still possesses in the Muslim world afar greater power of rousing revolutionary
zeal, devotion and solidarity than any other ideology. It can inspire its
followers to sacrifice their life and wealth in the way of the school, and for
that reason there is no need in the Islamic world to import nationalism as a
Western commodity which is produced in accordance with the peculiar conditions
of that region.

Nationalists and
Western intellectuals of the Islamic world ignore the facts of their own
country and its cultures and fancy that any experiment which has been
successful in the West, may be repeated in the East. But this is illusory
thinking. A blind imitation of such so-called intellectuals has left them no
power of discernment to realize that the West possessed special conditions
which differed from those of the world of Islam. The West was faced with a
decadent Christianity and church, whereas, here is a revolutionary and dynamic
Islam. It is unable to understand this reality that Islam and Christianity are
two wholly different phenomena.

While
Christianity is a collection of dogmas and religious rites of priests, Islam is
a living, comprehensive ideology containing intellectual and practical issues,
concerning both the individual and society.

3. Nationalism
and Colonization: Nationalism,
the root of Imperialism

Colonialism and
Capitalism were two other factors which encouraged the spread of nationalism.

In the 19th
century, the Westerners embarked on a fearful race for colonization and
plundering the Third World countries. They pounded upon Asian and
African nations like bloodthirsty wolves. With such actions, they badly needed
a strong ideology to justify their pillage and crimes, while, at the same time,
to provide a motive for further plunder and colonization. Thus, in the heat of
these attempts at colonization, nationalism rose as an ideology and a living
creed of the West.

The school of
nationalism in connection with colonization played three significant parts:

1- It was
firstly the source of colonization. Intense patriotic feelings, a belief in
national and racial superiority, a tribal pride and a glorification of one's
own history and culture, emerged from nationalism, providing the ground for
political expansionism and economic self-axism. Imperialism is the illegitimate
offspring of these same nationalistic inclinations.

2- Nationalism
was a means to justify colonization and the savage acts of Western colonizers
under the guise of "national exigencies" and «revival of the country's
greatness.

3- Thirdly, it
was the strong motive force which maintained the spirit of colonization. By
kindling intense nationalistic sentiments and a spirit of self-sacrifice for
the fatherland, the motive for colonization was set, giving fresh impetus to
English, French and Germans in their close and stubborn race for domination
over Asia and Africa.

Francis Cooker,
the well-known Western thinker writes: "In the 19th century, most nationalists
out of their fanatical nationalism were convinced and claimed that advanced
nations had a lofty history and culture, and a racial and national superiority;
therefore they were not justified in confining their talents to their own
borders. Their national and patriotic duty must not be summed up in their
defense and preservation of the independence and territorial integrity of their
own country. They have a universal mission to expand the radius of their political
and national cultural influence to all parts of the world in the interest of
mankind, and help to civilize retarded lands even by force and violence if
necessary."

The above view
which was the logical conclusion of nationalistic thought was the root of
colonization and a means of justifying savage plunder by imperialism.

A survey of the
words and writings of the founders of the nationalistic school in the 19th
century reveals how stubbornly they propagated this idea that our national duty
compels us not only to defend our frontiers, but also to engage in military and
political ventures even thousands of kilometers away from those frontiers for
the sake of the country's greatness.

Dr. Bridgehet a
national thinker of the 19th century writes: "Being pleased with our
territorial Integrity is not enough, since dropping behind in the
international, political and military race would mean neglecting our duty of
guarding the historical greatness of our country. If we abstain from
expansionism, our national pride will be damaged. It is only by being
adventurous and warlike that our national pride may be preserved." [4]

Nationalism also
extended Darwin's view about the survival of the fittest
to the social and political realms. Ernest Haeckel propagated it strongly in Germany, stating: "Only strong and powerful nations have the right
to live and to swallow weak and retarded nations". This may be called "the
collective cannibalism of modern civilization." Karl Pearson, another prominent
nationalist too, considers the survival of the fittest as «the natural law of
the relationship of nations."

As a result of
such argumentation by the nationalists, at the end of the 19th century, a new
wave of aggressive expansionism was witnessed. British colonization led by Gladstone,
the English nationalist, made India and many other zones a part of the British Empire. Germany, under Bismarck, another nationalist
leader embarked on expansionism. France seized various parts of Africa and made of them its own colonies. England occupied the Suez zone and embarked on more imperialistic
adventures. Germany intended to create a wide Aryan Empire
from Berlin to Baghdad. Even the newly-risen America as a power, influenced by nationalism, entered the race for
colonization, occupying the Philippines and other areas of the Far East. The thirst for colonization led to disputes between France and Germany on the question of domination over Morocco, and a similar rivalry emerged between Russia and Britain to make Iran
their mandate. All these were the amazing results of nationalism.

Joseph Lighten,
the social historian [5] writes:

"The whole
history of the 19th century is based on an economic-political nationalism
resulting in clashes and colonization. Nationalism is the root of the
expansionism and friction of various governments." Some of the greatest
nationalists of the 19th century have been active agents for the expansion of
aggressive colonization and great criminals of history.

Gladstone, the highest banner-bearer of British
nationalism was the man who began a series of aggressive attacks upon the Third World forcing weak nations under his yoke.
Robert Clive was the principal agent of the expansion of colonization in India, the man who cruelly massacred the Indians in the Battle of
Pelassi. Cecil John Rhodes spread British colonization elsewhere. All these
people justified their savage and disgraceful aggressions in the name of
nationalism.

Thus, in the
19th century, the high pundits of colonization used nationalism as a motive and
a justification for their ventures. Nationalism was the creed of the
imperialists and not that of the opponents of colonization. Naturally the
establishment of capitalistic order was not without its influence on the
expansion of both nationalism and colonization, and there has always existed a
close bond of cause and effect between these three factors. Capitalism aided by
nationalism directed the national policy of the countries towards expansionism
to exhibit its power in all parts of the world so that it could secure new
markets where demand was high.

The East India
Company which enhanced British colonization in India in the name of 'national
greatness' and under the cover of nationalistic slogans, is one of the clearest
examples of the connection that exists between nationalism, imperialism and
capitalism, a subject which will be discussed in the following chapter.

4- The Bond
Between Nationalism and Capitalism:

Nationalism as a
tool in the hands of the world-devouring capitalism

Another factor
which was influential in the advance of 19th century nationalism was the
capitalistic order which took root in the West [6]. Nationalism had become a
tool in the hands of big capitalists and factory owners to preserve the home
market for their industrial products and rouse national feeling for the sole
consumption of local products on the one hand, and also to secure new markets
by leading nations and governments towards colonization in the name of national
interests. For this reason the school of nationalism flourished in the 19th
century after the growth of capitalism.

World-devouring
capitalism ripened following the industrial revolution. A series of discoveries
and inventions begun in 1732 by John Key set the wheel turning for the
industrial revolution. The discoveries and inventions of Thomas Savery, Thomas
Newcomen, James Watt, Richard Arkwright, Samuel Crompton, Abraham Derbys, Henry
Cort and Henry Bessemer resulted in the establishment of huge mechanized
factories, the rise of millionaire class and middle-class merchants and
culminating in the birth of a world-devouring capitalistic order.

This new class
of capitalists and merchants used nationalism as a tool for promoting and
preserving their wicked and inhuman goals. To the profiteering class whose
factories' production was far higher than the demand at home, securing markets
was what mattered the most. Employers and capitalists directed all efforts at selling
their products in their bid to win the race they were engaged in with the
capitalists and industrialists of other nations.

These two groups
had two objectives:

A) To secure new
markets in other parts of the world.

B) To monopolize
the home market and prevent the entry of imported goods.

World-devouring
capitalism fulfilled both objectives through the injection of nationalistic
sentiments which encouraged the masses to choose home made products, rather
than imported goods of better qualities. And also by encouraging nationalistic
prejudices, capitalism directed the countries' policy towards imperialism and
colonization which were considered necessary for securing new markets.

The capitalists
made use of nationalism to counter foreign capitalism, and the conflict
extended from the economic to the political field. They made use of limited
freedom of travel, restricted import and the language barrier to check the
entry of foreign goods in the home markets [7].

With this goal
in mind, the capitalists propagated the slogan of "homeland", calling their own
profits "national interests", and mobilizing their compatriots to defend the
"country's interests." Thus, with the rise of capitalism, nationalism became a
weapon in a combat between the capitalists of various countries, and in order
to monopolies world markets, it was placed wholly at the service of capitalism.
Moreover, plundering capitalists used the creed of nationalism for another evil
objective also which was to incite dispersion among oppressed classes.

The 19th century
witnessed the exploitation of the oppressed classes of society in the most
ruthless manner by capitalism. The industrial revolution and the appearance
machines turned commercial capitalism Into Industrial capitalism and resulted
in the concentration of capital and labor. With these conditions, the
exploitation of the labor force was multiplied a hundredfold, resulting in a
fearful social system where the worker's blood was cruelly sucked.

The inhuman
system of capitalism, in order to terrify the oppressed masses and check their
rebellion, compelling them to work day and night in pitiful conditions like
thoughtless mechanized beings, needed an effectively strong motive, and this
was found in nationalism. Thus through the slogan and cry of 'homeland',
capitalism attained its objective.

With
nationalistic sentiments, national zeal and frenzy reaching a crescendo, the
oppressed class of society forgot all about social injustice and instead turned
to national issues. Due to the national unity banner, they failed to realize
the lack of harmony between their interests and those of the arrogant in their
society.

Moreover, a
natural development of savage exploitation was that the workers' spirit of
rebellion and dissatisfaction gained in intensity day by day in other European
countries while raising the question of nationalism and kindling the flame of
nationalistic sentiments, making it impossible for the world oppressed to make
common cause against the arrogant. The oppressed of each nation, out of
nationalistic sentiments, allied themselves with the arrogant of that nation,
against the oppressed of another nation, thereby preventing an effective
alliance of world oppressed against the whole arrogant world. This was the old
policy of divide and rule' which had long been adopted by oppressors as far as
history goes.

5-
Nationalism in the 20th Century

The history of
nationalism in the 20th century can be divided into two periods:

A- Nationalism
in the first half of the 20th century.

B- Nationalism
in its second half.

In the first
half of the 20th century, up to the Second World War, the clearest
manifestation of nationalism was seen in Europe and Japan
resulting in a universal war. It revived in them the dream of colonizing the
whole world, and led them to start two calamitous wars. Most scholars admit
that the main cause for the First and Second World Wars was nationalistic
sentiments. In this period, the true off-springs of nationalism who elevated
this school to its highest position and gave it its severest form were
Mussolini in Italy, Hitler in Germany, Peron in Argentina, Franco in Spain and
Salazar in Portugal. This was the wicked product that nationalism gave to
mankind and this way is still continued. Nationalism is still looked upon as a
formal religion by international aggressors such as the U.S.

In the second
half of the century, nationalism made its appearance in the Third World. At first it looked like a movement
aimed at uprooting colonization, but a close analysis points to the contrary.
As the western culture and domination were not compatible with eastern
religion, culture, mentality and local traditions, rebellion against
colonization was inevitable in these eastern regions, whether nationalism
appeared as a motivating force or not. For the people, the motive of revolt was
religion and religious fanaticism, not nationalism and nationalistic
sentiments. But when the small enlightened group depending on the West realized
that the direct domination of colonization was no longer possible they directed
the movements in the name of nationalism, so that after the exit of
colonization, they would indirectly be able to preserve its values and methods
of domination.

In the
contemporary world, colonization having become a thing of the past, and the
colonies having secured their independence, nationalism has come to be used by
colonization and imperialism in another form, and its role is somewhat
changed.

Neo-colonization
uses nationalism to prevent the union of former colonies, so as to keep them
weak and dependent on stronger powers.

The imperialists
on realizing that they could no longer keep eastern nations under their direct
yoke, and that their union would be a serious threat to their interests,
started exporting nationalism to the East in a bid to weaken them and encourage
conflicts among the newly independent nations of Asia and
Africa. This way, they aimed at sowing the seed
of hostility and dispersion among them to check their unity and solidarity.
This is why we see that wherever colonization has made an exit, the rein of
affairs is held by a westernized educated minority, and nationalistic forces
are encouraged to stand against Islamic forces. The bond between nationalism
and colonization is preserved as before, and wherever nationalism raises its
head, its root is imperialism.

Notes:

[1] Some
researchers consider Reformation as the beginning of nationalism and others
suggest the Westphalia incident in 1648, but the majority of
the researchers regard the French Revolution to be a turning point in the
emergence of nationalism.

[2] Salow Baron:
Modern Nationalism, New York, 1927, p. 43.

[3] Hans Kohn: The Idea of Nationalism: A
study of it's origin and background, New
York, 1944, p. 116.

[4] Francis W.
Cooker: Recent Political Thought, New
York, 1934, p. 443-48.

[5] Joseph
Lighten: Social Philosophers in Conflict, New
York, 1937, p. 439.

[6] Hans Kohn:
The idea of Nationalism: A study in its origin and Background. p 79.

[7] Carlton Hays: The Historical Evaluation of Modern Nationalism, p.
129.