Pan-Islamism replacing Pan-Arabism?

Support for extremists Islamic groups has soared recently in the Arab world. Nationalist leaders, secularists and even Pan-Arabists failed miserably in so many fronts that it left a vacuum for Islamist parties to take over. The Islamists are providing social networks that help poor people and offer free medical care and schools to people that have been neglected by the ruling elites. But beyond this phenomenon in impoverished areas like Southern Lebanon and Gaza, Islamists are winning in countries like Jordan, Egypt and other parts of the Arab world where elections are allowed. Failure of secular nationalists to provide an alternative is why Islamists have been able to gain traction. What is also driving people to Islamists parties is this notion of being independent from American control and dictates. An Islamist Party leader is not going to care what Bush says or thinks and people respect that.


Having said all of that, why the Baathists, Pan-Arabists and secularists failed can be traced to the implosion of the Nasser revolution in Egypt. Syria and Iraq had too big of an egos with megalomaniacal leaders in Hafez Assad and Saddam Hussein to be able to provide a united front for a true Pan-Arabist secular agenda. It was because of such fascist minded leaders who put their humula (clan) before the common good that ultimately killed the Pan-Arabist movement. They didn't believe in anything but staying in power. They gave lip service to this Pan-Arabist vision.

I just wonder if we will ever see suicide bombers fighting for liberty, democracy and equality. The zeal and commitment Islamists have cannot be matched. The only way I see democracy taking root in any Arab country is to have a benign dictator rule in the model of South Korean and even Singapore. I believe a gradual shift to political reform only after economic liberation is achieved and once a strong national identity is established and implanted in the minds of the masses can a push for democracy even begin.

Democratic forces will not be able to take over any of the Arab regimes through non-violent means. The only ones willing to fight and die to purge the dictatorships and monarchs are the Islamists. It took Hamas to oust the entrenched Fatah and look at the bloodshed that followed. Democrats don't stand a chance in this rough and tough style of politics - my militia takes on your militia bullshit.

Here is a brief biography of a democrat in Syria and see the hell he had to endure. Stories such as this are common in the Arab world but you won't see it mentioned on any of the Arab channels.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riyad_al-Turk


Arab leadership failed to move their countries beyond the petty tribal reflex mindset. They remain stuck in a world order so archaic, so inefficient and so chaotic, being dysfunctional is the norm. These leaders are only good at breeding incompetencies into the system. Sadly, this dooms the fate of future generations of Arabs because the systems in place only perpetuates the inefficiencies and corruption. The current political order serves no one but the oligarchs, American oil interests and Israel.

There are two battles, one to establish secular democratic states - targeting current regimes and the other is to be truly independent of American grip. The conquer and divide strategy the Americans inherited from the imperial British and French has been preserved to date - and no measure was out of bound to maintain this Pax-Americana order - and we see the length the empire will go to maintain this control - from returning Emirs back to their thrown to removing regimes and hanging leaders who don't tow the dictates of Uncle Sam.

The only ones standing up to the empire are the Islamists. Democrats, as we saw recently in Egypt were harassed and their leaders arrested, prominent democrat was in a hunger strike in prison - similar situation as with Al Turk in Syria, but once again America is nowhere to be found on pushing for their release.

As I said, it's not just a matter of removing Abdullah or Mubarak, you have to get through the CIA protection shield and American political, financial and military might that is backing them up.

Today's Islamists are yesterday's Pan-Arabists and this shift was born out of necessity and desperation- and because no other group is challenging the status quo but the Islamist parties.

That's how the system was rigged. Mubarak will make some room for Islamists but completely shutdown democratic parties. He wants to present only two choices to the people and frighten his people with the Islamic bogeyman. The truth is, he and others like him in that region, fear democrats more than they fear Islamists.

With the Islamists being the only legitimate challenge to their power, they can continue to be as oppressive and tyrannical as they want to the point where it becomes the norm.

When you silence all the democratic voices, you insure tyranny in perpetuity.

The Islamists are offering their version of Pan-Arabism but not sure going back to 7 A.D. or returning the Calipha is the answer.