Week 6 Part 1

Gale Virtual Library Reference:  I chose: Middle East Conflict Reference Library, 2006, Competing Visions: Zionism, Nationalism, Pan-Arabism, and Islamis.
    The history of this area goes back to the earliest known civilizations.  It is the area of the three largest monotheistic (one God) religions.  The area became the crossroads of the known world between Africa, Asia, Europe, and Middle East.
  Zionism.  It stated that Zionism started in Eastern Europe in the nineteenth century.  It was a movement by Jewish people to establish a home land.  Because Jews were a minority in European Countries, they had very little power.  After world war II, the Jews received sympathy and a homeland was established in Palestine called Israel.
  I found it interesting that there was no mention of the claim by the Jewish people that Israel had been their original homeland before diaspora.  But then, Zionism, I believe is the name given to the "movement."
  Nationalism.  Zionism was considered a form of Nationalism.  The core idea behind nationalism is that people with a shared ethnic, cultural, and/or religious background had the right to form a country of their own.  After world war I, Great Britain divided up the middle east to meet their needs.  There was little regard for differing cultures and religions.  I read somewhere that it was Winston Churchill who did the dividing with a straight ruler and did not know the difference between Shiite and Suni muslims.  I believe it is Nationalism that is driving the terrorist effort against Russia from Uzbekastan(?) who want their own country.
  Pan-Arabism.  It is the opposition to nationalism of independent Arab states.  It is the unification of Arab states.  An Arab League was formed in 1945.  Pan-Arabism became more popular in the 1950s and 60s.  They were united against Israel, but with their own poor performance in trying to destroy Israel, there have been Coups and uprisings in their own countries.
  This information is from 2006, so the current "New Spring" uprisings across the middle east including the one in Syria, are not mentioned.  Pan-Arabism is now considered to be a failure and individual countries are going it alone against Israel.
   Islamism:  A possible return to Muslim unity.  Many of the problems in the Muslim world were/are blamed on western influence.  The Muslim Brotherhood was formed after world war I because muslims saw western influences (dress, alcohol, movie theaters, etc.) changing the muslim youth.  We hear a lot about the muslim brotherhood today.  There is conflict between them, who want strict Islamic law, and moderate muslims who enjoy many of the benefits found in westernization.  With the extreme wealth brought by oil production, elimination of western influence seems highly unlikely.  However, the brotherhood is gaining more and more support from muslims who see no future for them in the current situation.  (It's gonna be bad)