Evening star., 1942-10-25
Rising Tide Of Arab
NotionoIism
Bv Frederic J. Hnskin.

In these times when numerous nations
are attempting to free themselves from
would-be masters and suppressed groups
everywhere are looking hopefully toward
liberation, the rising tide Of nationalism
among the Arabs is being overlooked.
| Their centuries-old dream of nationalism
| and unity had stirred this scattered race
| to new heights only a short time before
| the war started. Later came the Atlantic
| Charter with its hope for minority
| groups, and that, with the belief that a
new world order built on democratic
principles will evolve after the Axis pow
ers are defeated has given the Arabs
even greater hope that ultimately they
will become a united and independent
people.
| The background of this Arab nation
alism is deep-rooted. 1t dates back four
centuries and dreams of an independent
| state or federation embracing the whole
| Of the Arab lands in ASIA an area of
perhaps 1900 900 square miles, four-ffths
of it in Arabia proper. the rest in Iraq.
Syria, Palestine and Transjordan ARCH
ing like horseshoe over the Syrian Des-
ert.
Admittedly, the Arabs of today are
| newcomers to the family of nations.
They were submerged for 400 years un-
der the rule of the Turks. Yet tilcy
never lost the glamor of their tre-
mendous past. No other racial stock has
contributed three religions to the world.
The monuments of their art and learn
ing are scattered from BaGhdad to Ger
doba, while their coasts and rivers and
desert tracts have served as the meetina
place of East and West from time i'm.
memorial
The land of which the Arabs dream e.
some day being their own has tota.
population of about 100000 1t is a
land of violent contrasts, for its geog-
raphy includes every known type Of
desert, bitter world whipped by ex-
tremes of heat and cold and thinly
settled by wandering Bedouins and their
focks. Yet across the narrow neck of
one OF these blazing yellow deserts flow
the blue waters of the Suez Canal.
Two of the greatest river systems in
the world cross the Arab deserts on their
way to the sea, creating wealth which
supports large towns and settled popula-
tions. Harnessed' by British engineers,
the Nile creates wealth which was un-
dreamed of so years ago. Alexandria is
said to have more nlillionaires in pro-
portion to its population than any other
city in the world. The wealth of the
Ti2ris- -Euphrates basin, much of which
is now desert, was proverbial until the
Mongols devastated it 700 years ago.
The Arab dominion is split into score
of big and little states. In some the
Turks have been succeeded by the British
and French, while others enjoy varying
degrees of independence, ranging from
places where the petty shieks and sultans
of the Persian Gulf hold forth, to the
complete Independence of Saudi Arabia,
In them all, nationalism has stirred the
hope of unity.
Sandwiched between Egypt and Syria,
Palestine is the one important Arab
country in Asia in which the hope of
unity has long been blocked by the
British The allah akbars of the mosques
, are still chanted in Jerusalem to the ac-
compartment of the clangor of church
bells, but these are not the factors that
explain why British troops have been in
Palestine for many years, and why more
recently those forces have been increased.
, Palestine is an important military and
naval base next door to the Suez Canal.
So when the Arabs undertake to put
their dream of unity into action, it is
{ likely that their most difficult problem
} will be to bring about completely free
. Palestine.
pritjcl orOrooice of linn itnI
: freedom to the Arabs some years ago,
but because of changing conditions and
unforeseen circumstances, it was net
. carried out. This had several results,
' the most outstanding of which was the
spectacular penance of the late Col. T.
E. Lawrence who returned all his medcls
t to the King changed his name to T. E.
Shaw, joined the British Air Force as
a private soldier, and spent the re-
v aminder of his life turning out alrplane
. engines and reading Homer. Then, too,
, there were the little wars which the
British fought in Egypt and Iraq, and
r several uprisings because British prom
: ises were not kept
Yet, for better or worse Arab unity has
S made remarkable gains in recent years.
I Motor cars, airplanes, modern methods
l of communica ton, Arabic movies and
Arabic papers all have served to pull the
S scattered Arab countries together and
, to fill their leaders with ambitions for
f the revival and reform of their ancient
= lands.
E There are weird memories in the
sight of a street filled with slowly
e moving Arabs, with their learned elders
/. in snowy white turbans. their peasantry
e in less snowy headcloths, chatting in a
S deafening monotone, while one of their
D number is borne shoulder-high amid
2 the wooden lances, his sword flashing
= about the ears of his bearers, and all the
= neighboring shops locked and shuttered.
But beneath all the sound and fury OF
] which the Arabs are capable when they
t are aroused, beneath the jealousies Of
e regional nationalism and the chickering's
= of their leaders, there is passionate
v belief that the destiny of the Arab
y world is that of an inseparable whole.
In that belief economic ties are being
Il forged and common Arabic culture
a is stressed.
e The old religious divisions are dis-
t appearing, and even the Caliphate has
e ceased to be living subject. All is
). quiet now, largely because of the war.