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The relationship betweenIslam and nationalism, from the beginnings ofIslam until today, has often been tense, with both Islam andnationalism generally opposing each other.
The 13th verse ofAl-Hujurat states: "O people, We have created you male and female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another [not to fight each other]. Verily, the most noble of you to Allah is the most righteous of you. Verily, Allah is knowing and aware."[1][2]
Some Muslims believe thatMuhammad condemned nationalism in manyahadith, stating "Whoever fights under a banner of foolishness [tribalism], supports tribalism, or gets angry for the sake of tribalism, he will die in a state ofignorance".[3] When asked about nationalism he answered by saying "Leave it, it is rotten".[4] Some Muslims believe that he declared nationalists as non-Muslims by saying "He is not one of us who calls to tribalism. He is not one of us who fights for the sake of tribalism. He is not one of us who dies following the way of tribalism".[5] He had travelled toMedina to solve the long and bloody conflict between theKhazraj andAws tribes. Eventually, both tribes converted to Islam and became theAnsar. Muhammad also said that theGhuraba will be "those who disassociated themselves from their tribes."[6]
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, various nationalist ideologies emerged from the Middle East, includingTurkish nationalism,Arab nationalism,Iranian nationalism, and all 3 of these ideologies paved way forKurdish nationalism, which started off as a defensive movement against them. This was also the period when theSalafi movement,Islamism, andPan-Islamism emerged, with the latter rejecting the concept of nations in favour of one Islamic nation.[7]
Jamal al-Din al-Afghani led an Internationalist and anti-nationalist movement and wanted unity amongMuslims. Afghani feared that nationalism would divide the Muslim world and believed that Muslim unity was more important than ethnic identity.[8]Muhammad Rashid Rida, a student of Afghani and of Afghani's discipleMuhammad Abduh, would continue this belief. Rida believed that the unification of the Islamic community would only be possible through the restoration of anIslamic caliphate which implements theSharia. Rida called on Arabs to make a pan-Islamist project aimed at the revival of the Islamic caliphate which incorporates all Muslim lands.[9] Rida also called upon Muslims to build a political system based on Islam; rather thannationalism, which he frequently condemned as a Western ideology.[10][11][12]
Around 1908 was when Turkish nationalism began significantly rising. Towards the end of theOttoman Empire, theTurkish National Movement led byMustafa Kemal Atatürk had made way for the ideology ofKemalism, which became the founding ideology of Turkey. The Kemalists aimed to Turkify and secularise and Turkey and went as far as banning the hijab and the adoption of theTurkish adhan.[13]Arab-Islamic nationalism emerged as an Islamist variant of Arab nationalism. In Turkey, the radical Kemalist reforms led to a birth of the ideology known as theKurdish-Islamic synthesis. Many decades later, during theCold War andOperation Gladio, theTurkish–Islamic synthesis emerged, whereAlparslan Türkeş, an advocate of the Turkish adhan, began openingGrey Wolves training camps with American support to train its members to fight againstleftists,Alevis,Kurds, as well asIslamists that did not accept Turkish nationalism.[14][15]
In 1925, with the rule of thePahlavi dynasty, Iran had also became a secular state with nationalist policies. Iran had been increasingly secularised and also Westernised until theIranian Revolution which made Islam the basis of Iranian politics.Ruhollah Khomeini also aimed for the unity of all Muslims under theGuardianship of the Islamic Jurist. Khomeini made many attempts to bridge the divide between Sunnis and Shias and also to eradicate nationalism in Iran.[16]
Arab nationalism emerged in the 1920s and became the leading ideology inthe mashriq. Its influence grew and Arab nationalists seized control of various Arab countries.Gamal Abdel Nasser later came and boosted Arab nationalism, and political parties like theBa'ath Party did as well. Islamism began challenging Arab nationalism and being its top political opponent.[17] Arab nationalism decreased due to lost morale after theSix-Day War.[18][19] TheMuslim Brotherhood then stepped up its actions against Arab nationalism, especially in Egypt and Syria, which were the leading places for Arab nationalism.[20] TheSyrian Ba'ath Party regularly attacked religion, and came into conflict with otherArab nationalist ideologies likeNasserism, which was accused by the Syrian Ba'athists of betraying socialist ideals.Nasser later accused the Ba'athists of beinganti-religion and promotingsectarianism among Arabs.[21][22] TheIraqi Ba'ath Party, especially during the rule ofSaddam Hussein, was a secular and socialist party just like the Syrian Ba'ath Party. However, the Iraqi Ba'ath Party had a much strongerAnti-Iranian sentiment[23][24] and only turned religious after theFaith Campaign after Iraq's defeat during theGulf War but kept the nationalism.[25]
Hizb ut-Tahrir is extremely opposed to nationalism.[26]
Despite the inconsistency of Islam and nationalism,Pakistani nationalism is religious rather than secular, with Islam being the center of it.[27]Hamas also mixesPalestinian nationalism withIslamism, which makes it have conflicts withISG and other Salafist organizations.Jaish ul-Adl mixesBaloch nationalism withIslamism,Ahrar al-Sham,Jaysh al-Islam and Other Rebel Groups mixSyrian nationalism withIslamism, TheTaliban's official ideology combines Islamism withPashtunwali andAfghan nationalism, also being one of the causes of theIslamic State–Taliban conflict.Al-Shabaab incorporates anAnti-Ethiopian sentiment, inspired bySomali nationalism, into its ideology.[28][29]
The Grey Wolves, the unofficial militant arm of the MHP, has been involved in street killings and gunbattles.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)The Grey Wolves – The most prominent organization of the violent right wing in Turkey is the Grey Wolves. The Grey Wolves are named for a mythical she-wolf who led ancient Turks to freedom. Its wolf's-head symbol is displayed by MHP members and other nationalists. The Grey Wolves have been implicated in many attacks against leftists, Kurds, Muslim activists, and student organizations. They have also been implicated in attacks supporting theTurkish occupation of Cyprus.Mehmet Ali Ağca, who was convicted ofshooting Pope John Paul II, was a former Grey Wolf.
Abdillah, a representative of Hizb ut Tahrir-Batam, confirmed that nationalism is dangerous for Muslim beliefs. Nationalism is a sense of identity with the nation.
Zia ul-Haq is often identified as the person most responsible for turning Pakistan into a global center for political Islam. ...
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