[Zzlist-deux] The Shame of Iraq

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A new posting -
The Shame of Iraq
<http://zzs-blg.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-shame-of-iraq.html>   - from
Zoltan Zigedy is available at:
http://zzs-blg.blogspot.com/


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The close of the Second World War saw the rise of Arab nationalism, a
movement that promised to unite much of the Middle East around independence
and social advancement. The imposition of a Jewish theocratic state in the
midst of Arab homelands no doubt accelerated this movement, as did later
imperialist meddling such as the Suez intervention of 1956.
 Both Nasserism and the Ba'ath Party were early vehicles of a growing
nationalism centered on an Arab identity. Nasser's engagement with
non-alignment in the Cold War, his secularism, his advocacy of land reform
and Egyptian socialism resonated with the Arab masses. Similarly, the
pan-Arab Ba'ath Party organized around unity, independence, and socialism--
all with a decidedly secular tone. Islam, rather than the basis for
identity, was second to ethic national identities that proudly offered
Islam to the world as a gift from the Middle Eastern peoples. This secular
trend grew rapidly, resulting in a unified United Arab Republic in 1958, a
development that was soon terminated by a coup in Syria.
 Of course there were counter trends, reactionary trends in the Arab world
that worked against the progressive, secular movement. Centered on the
oil-driven dynasties, these forces, frightened by Arab nationalism, aligned
themselves with the imperialists, and were vigorously anti-socialist. They
offered an ideology counter posing rigid Islamic fundamentalism to secular
nationalism. Of course their Western partners shared their hostility and
were eager to exploit their influence and resources against Arab
nationalism... *To read the rest of the article, please go to: *
http://zzs-blg.blogspot.com/
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