tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858950.post2737001519370144284..comments2023-05-31T14:16:36.022+03:00Comments on Otto's Random Thoughts: The Failure of Nationalism and the Rise of Political Islam in the Islamic WorldJ. Otto Pohlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07457089758142264049noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858950.post-36329872084674558782006-12-29T23:06:00.000+03:002006-12-29T23:06:00.000+03:00Thank you very much for your comment. I was not aw...Thank you very much for your comment. I was not aware that anybody outside my family and three other people read this blog. Your comment was thus quite a pleasant surprise. <br /><br />You are right I should have clarified that I meant secular nationalist groups were on the wane in the Islamic world. The term nationalist does not in itself contradict a religious orientation. I agree with you that there is a nationalist component to Hamas and Hizbollah. But, they are obviously groups that use religion in a way that the FLN in Algeria, Nasser in Egypt, the Baath parties in both Syria and Iraq and the PLO did not. These later organizations appealed to a sense of Arab nationalism that really downplayed the role of Islam. In part because at least in Syria, Iraq and Palestine there were number of prominent Christians in these organizations. So, yes I meant secular nationalists along the lines of the groups mentioned above.<br /><br />This post was really a first draft of these ideas so there is a lot in it that needs work. But, I wanted to throw it out to see if what my family and friends thought. Again, thank you for the constructive feed back. It is greatly appreciated.J. Otto Pohlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07457089758142264049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7858950.post-10934647443332784442006-12-29T22:08:00.000+03:002006-12-29T22:08:00.000+03:00Interesting post on an interesting topic. However...Interesting post on an interesting topic. However, I don't see why political Islam and nationalism should be separated. At least as cleanly as it appears in your post. Most political Islamic movements are still nationalist--Hezbollah and Hamas are two examples--, they just use religion as the ideology and language of nationalism (as opposed to secular nationalists who often spoke in liberal/socialist/communist idioms). <br /><br />As for more pan-Islamic or Islamic internationalist movements like Al-Qaeda, these are small in number. In fact, I wonder how much this is a real movement at all and more something local, nationalist movements adopt symbolically rather than part of their program. <br /><br />So I don't think nationalism and political Islam are contradictory here. Perhaps it is better to say that secular nationalism has failed and has been replaced with religious nationalism.Sean Guilloryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06994183550218306219noreply@blogger.com