STATE, NATIONAL IDENTITY AND COMMEMORATIONS

The historical and sociological evolution of territorial states and nations is a question ardently debated among scholars dealing with the phenomenon of nationalism. Anthony Smith, a leading scholar in this debate, listed four paradigms within this discourse: primordialism, perennialism, modernism and ethno-symbolism. Unfortunately, the debate to date has centered on the Western – particularly European – models of states and nations, while largely neglecting the colonial experiences in Asia and Africa. Therefore, applying the theoretical literature on the vast subject of nationalism to the Middle East region is a mission to be accomplished by historians and social scientists.

Historically, many of the political entities found in the Arab Middle East are modern. Their boundaries were carved out by both Britain and France in the aftermath of World War I, leading to the formation of new states often comprising disparate ethnic and religious communities. Here too it was, as we know, the European model of the nation-state that was imported, imitated and imposed on the local inhabitants; this had far-reaching consequences for the twin processes of nation building and state formation in the Arab Middle East.

Smith claims that two models of territorial nations emerged outside Europe in the age of colonialism. In the “dominant ethnie” model, the culture of the core ethnic community became the main pillar of the new national identity. This was particularly relevant when that culture had historical roots. In the Arab Middle East, Egypt is a classic example of this model.