Pan-Arabism: A Response to Division in the Post-Independence Arab World

posted on: Sep 24, 2025

By: Taim Al-Faraje / Arab America Contributing Writer

Between when the Arab’s got independence (1940s-1960s) and the 80s, the Arabs had been through what felt like hell and back numerous times. Disagreements on what ruling styles their governments should use and on who should run their governments constantly led to political parties and figures getting violent and trying to take over and coup ruling political parties; and at the end of it all, they had to string together whatever threads of cooperation they still had to fight Israel in the Arab Israeli Wars. These issues were known- they were the weakness of the Arabs. Prideful, smart, nationalistic; individually, each Arab citizen felt as if he could take over the world with his own two hands.

However, maybe this was the issue. If each man felt that they themselves could rule over all 120 million* Arabs, but not all of them agreed on how it would be done and who “deserved” to rule, differences were bound to manifest, and civil war was fate.

Different Arab rulers held their own opinions on how to fix these issues. Most monarchical Arab rulers, for instance, focused on other concerns and relied heavily on Western support to maintain power and protect their wealth, whether or not this benefited their people. However, other Arab rulers, particularly those of republican socialist countries, did try to relieve these issues- and the most powerful, potent, unifying way they did was by enacting policies of an idea called Pan-Arabism.

What is Pan Arabism?

Pan Arabism is the idea that all Arab states, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Arabian Gulf, should constitute one nation state. The nation, or waTan, would be directly based on the Arabism of all the states- their uniting factor. The idea was first brought about during Ottoman times by a thinker named Jurji Zaydan. Zaydan was a Christian journalist and writer active in the late 1800s. He produced numerous works on Arab history and affairs, and schools still use his textbooks today. Before Zaydan’s writings, religious scholars had almost exclusively recorded Arab history. This made Zaydans writings important as they became the first mass-produced Arab history books coming from an Arab who wasn’t Muslim or looking at history from the viewpoint of the Muslims- he was looking through a secular standpoint.

His ideas of Arab Nationalism influenced later Arab thinkers such as Michel Aflaq. Although Christian, he believed Islam was inherently apart of Arab identity. Aflaq was likely the most influential writer in this space due to his help in creating multiple political parties and holding high governmental positions in Syria and Iraq up until his death.

Strength in Unity

One particular strength of this idea would be the advantageous result of a Pan-Arab state. The result of Pan-Arabism would be the perceived strength it would give the Arabs. At one point controlling the most powerful, technologically advanced, and philosophically advanced empire, the Arabs by the 20th century had become a group of colonized and behind states. Their division exacerbated after the enactment of the Sykes-Picot borders, splitting the previously-continuous Arab World into 22 different states, each with distinct governments and laws. This division made the people within these states feel disasdociated with their Arab brothers. Although still relatively connected through sub-regions such as Levantine Arabs, Gulf Arabs, and Northwest African Arabs, in their history, it had never been so easy to see their neighbor as so different. 

Benefits of Pan-Arabism

Combining the 22 Arab states would help alleviate these issues. Placing the Arabs under a single federal government with control of defense, currency, and foreign diplomacy, with delegation of other roles of government such as education to state governments would surely allow the 420 million** Arabs of today to advance to a position of dominance they haven’t seen in centuries. Arabs should preach and celebrate the idea that all 22 countries constitute a Nation. The 1900’s was the first period of time in history that we saw major separation of Arabs, and the proclaimed idea that Arabs from one side of Arab World are so different from another. Unknown to most, the West invented this divide between Arabs, and letting go of this divide would be optimal for Arab growth. Certain leaders throughout the 50’s and 60’s tried to enact Pan-Arab policies.

Attempts at Pan-Arabism

Leaders such as Jamal Abdel Nasser of Egypt, Abdul Salam Arif of Iraq, and Shukri al Quwatli of Syria tried to bring Pan-Arabism into effect. Two years were seen as closest to this dream, 1958 and 1966. In 1958, Shukri al Quwatli gave up his rule of Syria to Abdel Nasser in order for a union to ensue. Syria and Egypt formed a full union, with Syria referred to as the “Northern Province” and Egypt as the “Southern Province” of the United Arab Republic. Unfortunately, this ended in 1961 as a coup overthrew the rule of Syria, splitting Syria from the Union. This is why Egypt remained under the name “United Arab Republic” until 1970, changing their name back to Egypt with the death of Jamal Abdel Nasser.

In 1966, no union became truly manifest, but Iraq, Syria, and Egypt entered very serious talks. The people thought it would become true, and politicans prepared for union. In the end, the talks seemed never ending on certain policies, and they couldn’t come to full agreement on certain aspects. Nasser constantly criticized Syrian leaders on their inability to elaborate on ideas they preached, and Syria considered joining in a union with Iraq. This didnt work because both knew they would need Egypt to lead them as Egypt was considered the head of the Arab states at the time. A union missing Egypt would be seen as illegitimate to much of the Arab World.

Modern Times

In modern times, Pan-Arabism certainly isn’t dead in the minds of the people. People who were alive during periods of Arab strength, such as the 60’s and 70’s, reminsicnce about the Arabs power and independence. Arabs must come to their senses, let go of their perceived differences, and come together to see any sort of revival of the power they at one point held. Until then, expect no flaw in the Arab World to change.

This content is reflective of the author’s perspective and does not represent the views or mission of the Arab America Foundation

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