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Arab fascism (Arabic: الفاشية العربية) is afar-right ideology combiningfascism withArab nationalism.
The ideology emerged shortly after theFirst World War and grew during theinterwar period. As the rise of Arab fascism was concurrent with the Arab independence from theOttoman Empire, Arab fascists were veryAnti-Turkish.[1] Arab fascism grew with support fromNazi Germany andFascist Italy, and Arab fascists became increasinglyantisemitic after theestablishment of Israel.[2][3][4][5] Arab fascism first grew in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine, and Egypt.[6][7][8][9] Some Arab fascists adhered toArab-Islamic nationalism, while the rest weresecular.[10][11]
Michel Aflaq had purchased a copy ofThe Myth of the Twentieth Century, a book aboutNazism.[12]Ba'athism was described by Cyprian Blamires as being inspired by Arab fascism, although with the addition ofsocialism.[13][14][15]Saddam Hussein was sometimes described as a fascist or being influenced by fascist ideology and state leaders likeAdolf Hitler.[16][17][18]In 1941, Arab fascists in Iraq committed theFarhud, an antisemitic pogrom.[19][20][21][22]
During the 1930s and subsequent decades, nationalist movements across the Arab world drew significant influence from European fascist ideologies, with this trend being actively promoted by both Italy and Germany. Mussolini strategically positioned himself as a promoter of Arab nationalism, particularly to expand Italian regional power. InItalian Libya, he was given titles such as "hero of Islam" and "defender of Islam," and Italian authorities established aparallel Libyan Arab Fascist organization.Throughout the 1930s, antisemitic sentiment grew in various Middle Eastern regions as fascist and Nazi ideologies gained appeal among Arab nationalist leaders. Representatives from Syria and Iraq participated in theNürnberg party congresses, andMein Kampf was translated into Arabic multiple times. Both German and Italian governments conducted extensive propaganda campaigns targeting Arab audiences, with particularly strong pro-German feelings developing in Egypt By 1939. Three organizations demonstrated the most direct influence from European fascism: theSyrian People's Party (also called the Syrian National Socialist Party), Iraq'sAl-Futuwwa youth organization, and Egypt'sYoung Egypt movement (known as the Green Shirts). These three shared common characteristics of anti-rationalism, anti-intellectualism, emotional appeal, and territorial expansionist goals. Sami Shawkat, who developed the ideological framework for the Futuwa movement, promoted a vision of a unified "Arab nation" with expansionist ambitions.[23]
