Can nationalism be seen as a modern, secular form of religion? In order to answer this question, it is necessary to understand the causes of nationalism and its apparent resurgence in the last part of the twentieth century. Nationalism contributed to violence in many areas of the world during the 1980s and 1990s, including nations that were formerly part of the Soviet Union and in the Middle East. The United States underwent a surge of nationalism following the attacks of September 11, and Israel's political strategy is based on strong nationalistic views. This research examines the history of nationalism in the Middle East, with a special emphasis on Egypt and Israel, and considers whether nationalism is a secular form of religion.
The Arab Middle East as we know it today came into being as a result of policies put into effect by the West following World War I. The French and the British divided the region according to their own plans and based on the emerging globalization of that time. Egypt, discussed in detail later in this research, had a much longer history as an independent country, but was still heavily influenced by the English. The monarchy set up by the colonial powers at the beginning of the twentieth century in Egypt was overthrown in the middle of that century as Egypt emerged as one of the first truly independent nations in the post-colonial era. Other countries, including Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq had a difficult time establishing their own nations following the fall of the Turkish Empire. Some countries remained as colonies, including Italian Libya, French Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria, and the protectorate of Kuwait. These nations eventually gained their independence, but only after World War II ("Kuwait" 1).
In this way, Middle Eastern states did not come forth from the Turkish Empire in control of their own destinies, but were divided by the French and the English. The international community ...