Summary: Reading Time: 3 minutesIf you ask the average person what the dominant belief system is in the Middle East is today they will likely suggest it is based upon Islam. They might believe that it Islam Extremism or they might not but Islam is usually rooted to the popular mindset of what the Middle Eats is all about. The reality is that until the late 1970s and the beginning of the 1980s this was nowhere near the active reality in the Middle East.<br> <a href="nasserism"></a><br> Islamic fundamentalism and extremism did not have a chance of growing in the Middle East for several decades after World War II. This is proven out because small and ineffective organizations tried to get it to grow during that time. These were the likes of the Muslim Brotherhood and others who were almost completely ineffective from World War II until 1979.<br> <br> Instead, the 1950s and 60s was a time of growing political thought and activity throughout the Middle East. A wide array of political ideologies and philosophies gained ground at different times throughout these decades.<br> I mentioned Nasserism in the last episode and post which was also linked closely to Pan Arabism. This was a belief that all the new Arab states of the Middle East should ban together and consolidate their global power and influence into voice in the global bodies such as the United Nations. This had varying degrees of success and failure during this time. In many ways it was a look back to the days of the Ottoman Empire when the Arab voice loomed large over world affairs. In the end Pan Arabism and Nasserism failed as too many leaders tried to leverage this strategy for their own gain.<br> <br> Ba’athism was another unique political doctrine that was rooted to the Middle East. Ba’athism was born in Syria and Iraq and its influence has stretched all the way to the last decade. People like the former leader of Iraq, Saddam Hussein adhered to the parties and basic philosophy of Ba’athism.<br> <br> A resurgence of Arab nationalism in general helped spark all sorts of activity throughout the Middle East and helped raise a new generation of Arab leaders and political thinkers. This was the era in which the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) was born and became actively involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Arab nationalism moved beyond merely Pan Arabism and Nasserism, and although closely linked to Ba’athism it centered its message into the heart of an Arab identity and voice.<br> <br> This period of history in the Middle East included socialists and democrats but their common denominator tended to be Arab nationalism. The Arabs did not need to be like Europe or Asia. They needed to be uniquely Arab and the world systems and powers should adapt to that. This was the ethos.<br> <br> This era of “isms” in the Middle East was brought to a crushing halt in the 1967 Six Days War which we will look at in the next part of this series. The political identity did not end here. It would still be some time before Arabs began to be seen or to see themselves as largely and uniquely Muslim.<br> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/theendofhistory/PHVq/~6/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><br> <a href="https://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/headlineanimator/install?id=nb64uri41haerm5fvtnnavfgjo&w=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">↑ Grab this Headline Animator</a><br> <br> If you have enjoyed this podcast episode on the history of the Middle East, you might enjoy the entire series. You can download/stream it <a href="https://soundcloud.com/the-end-of-history-podcast/sets/history-of-the-modern-middle-east">here at my SoundCloud page</a> or <a href="https://wp.me/p2iDfo-1tA">click here to see the entire series and posts here at the web site</a>. You might also enjoy my <a href="https://wp.me/p2iDfo-1ty">Guide to Understanding the Middle East</a>.<br>
