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Source: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=13229
A New "White Arabism" Would Help Generate Liberal Societies
(Daily Star-Lebanon) Chibli Malla - The Arab nationalism that has prevailed since the Nasser revolution is increasingly being dubbed "black Arabism" by those of us who do not want to abandon a yearning for closer integration between societies separated by arguably artificial colonial borders. Black Arabism, in this perception, is characteristically fascist, and is epitomized by the former Baath system in Iraq and the present one in Syria. Against it we propose "White Arabism," which harks back to such figures as Saad Zaghlul in Egypt, Kamel Chadirchi in Iraq, and Kamal Jumblatt in Lebanon. At the core of the message is the need for democratic, non-violent change at the top in the Middle East, with Arabism read as a liberal call that unifies people irrespective of their religion or sect. The writer is European Union Jean Monnet Law Professor at St. Joseph's University in Beirut.