No one argument for Arab nationalism exists. In the nexus of the Arab world, policies aimed at uniting Arab lands have changed at the same moments that history has shifted dramatically: The fall of the Ottoman Empire and dispersement of unified Arab lands into more divided colonial states; the further shirking of colonial oppression into a cohesive Arab identity, only to be foiled by the realization that Arab culture is not monolithic; bandwagoning against western and Jewish power in the region complicated by tense alliances and a spectrum of government structures ranging from tacit approval of western ideals to the embracing the notion of the "great Satan." The only real salient argument that remains - and remains poignant - is the removal of western influence into the economic and political variables that make up any nation state, MENA or otherwise. Multiple reasons exist for the decline in Arab nationalism and why the many Arab nations have failed to collectively create an Arab supranational identity.
The Egyptian led Arab coalition's failure against Israel after the Six Day War was a huge blow to Egypt's Nasser, seen at the time as the driving figure for Arab nationalism. Compounded by a weakened economic and military structure in Egypt, Nasser's nationalistic agendas became less important and set the stage for incoming Egyptian heads of state to reduce the view of the country as a leader of the Arab fatherland. The ideological fall of Egypt in this sense illustrates the fragility of the political structure that existed to hold up hopes for Arab nationalist reform.
The rise and fall of secularism, coinciding with an increased fervor for Islamic reform in many Arab nations has also caused a decline in nationalistic sentiment. Basic arguments aside from which sects carry which differences, the basis for what makes any Islamic Arab nation "Islamic" varies wildly. Some MENA countries have established Islamic government structures as a means of coalescing disparate tribes (see Saudi Arabia) while others may have embrace more Islamic structures at the same time it was convenient to be fearful of western influence in politics (see Iran). At the same time non governmental, yet political Islamic groups nonetheless, have stepped into the fold to fill the void left by the national government, such as the Islamic Brotherhood in Egypt and Hizbollah in Lebanon.
The failure of Arab nations to reconcile their political similarities and a disconnect of Islamic unity, furthered by regional hegemons constantly backing ideological allies, will continue to make the likelihood of an Arab multinational body in MENA unlikely. I see only under specific circumstances this trend reversing. Namely the rise of a more secular youth population that sees the previous regimes and political structures as lacking, and pushes for the needed reforms to dismantle these structures. However, being able to measure this impact will be a long way off as many of these movements are nascent and have encountered their own struggles as evidenced by the volatility of secular and Islamic power in just the last five years since many Arab spring struggles have ended hostilities.
Jared
The Egyptian led Arab coalition's failure against Israel after the Six Day War was a huge blow to Egypt's Nasser, seen at the time as the driving figure for Arab nationalism. Compounded by a weakened economic and military structure in Egypt, Nasser's nationalistic agendas became less important and set the stage for incoming Egyptian heads of state to reduce the view of the country as a leader of the Arab fatherland. The ideological fall of Egypt in this sense illustrates the fragility of the political structure that existed to hold up hopes for Arab nationalist reform.
The rise and fall of secularism, coinciding with an increased fervor for Islamic reform in many Arab nations has also caused a decline in nationalistic sentiment. Basic arguments aside from which sects carry which differences, the basis for what makes any Islamic Arab nation "Islamic" varies wildly. Some MENA countries have established Islamic government structures as a means of coalescing disparate tribes (see Saudi Arabia) while others may have embrace more Islamic structures at the same time it was convenient to be fearful of western influence in politics (see Iran). At the same time non governmental, yet political Islamic groups nonetheless, have stepped into the fold to fill the void left by the national government, such as the Islamic Brotherhood in Egypt and Hizbollah in Lebanon.
The failure of Arab nations to reconcile their political similarities and a disconnect of Islamic unity, furthered by regional hegemons constantly backing ideological allies, will continue to make the likelihood of an Arab multinational body in MENA unlikely. I see only under specific circumstances this trend reversing. Namely the rise of a more secular youth population that sees the previous regimes and political structures as lacking, and pushes for the needed reforms to dismantle these structures. However, being able to measure this impact will be a long way off as many of these movements are nascent and have encountered their own struggles as evidenced by the volatility of secular and Islamic power in just the last five years since many Arab spring struggles have ended hostilities.
Jared
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