A Hundred Years of Arab Nationalism:
Critical Assessment and Future Perspectives
4 & 5 June 2013
Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA), Paris
In Commemoration of the Centenary of the first Arab Congress, Paris, 17-24 June, 1913The Arab Congress of 1913 (also known as the "Arab National Congress," the "First Arab Congress, and the "Arab-Syrian Congress") met in a hall of the French Geographical Society from June 18–23 in Paris.This conference was held at a time of uncertainty and change in the Ottoman Empire in the years leading up to World War I, since the Empire had undergone a revolution led by the Committee of Union and Progress in 1908. This event had encouraged Arabs to claim their national rights as well as autonomy within the empire.It was a paradoxical historical moment, witnessing both the beginning of a fading empire and the emergence of early glimmers of Arab Nationalism, a movement composed of a number of dissident secret revolutionary and reform-oriented groups in Greater Syria, Palestine, Istanbul, and Egypt. Since Arab Provinces were being threatened by colonial expansion, while the Young Turks did not seem ready to warrant Arabs protection and autonomy, a group of Arab students living in Paris called for a Congress to be held in order to express their desire for autonomy and to discuss reforms in the Ottoman Empire.While the congress did not fulfill the promises of the young Arab nationalists, it reflected the political and social dynamics of the Arab World at the beginning of the twentieth century, the same dynamics that continued to play a determining role in the future of the various countries of the region.Many scholars place the origins of Arab nationalism during these crucial years that witnessed the demise of multi-national empires and a build-up of tension surrounding Zionist immigration to Palestine and the Arab reaction to it.This is why we have taken the initiative of calling for a conference in Paris in June 2013, in Commemoration of the Centenary of the Arab Congress of 1913, as a symbolic landmark for the emergence of the Arab National Movement.However, the relevance of the Conference transcends the question of historical commemoration, to cover an interdisciplinary and critical survey of the deep impact that the Arab national movement has had on the whole region, whether from an international relations viewpoint or in terms of geo-strategic alliances, as well as in the process of constructing legitimacy for national authorities and different modes of government, and in the transformation of the political cultures of Arab societies, leading to new definitions of citizenship and relationships between individuals while encouraging or discouraging varying conceptions of diversity and initiating new social patterns of inclusion and exclusion.
With the withering away of the "golden age of Arab nationalism," the "Arab Spring" has raised again the question of the coherence of the "Arab space," and of the bonds linking its parts, as well as the political expression of such links. It is therefore not logical – and probably false – to conclude, in view of recent developments, that since Arab nationalism had been embodied in authoritarian regimes, that it is now being replaced by pan-Islamism. This is why a thorough historical and theoretical reflection is required to assess the historical tortuous course of the Arab National Movement and its impact on Arab societies, while putting into question its continued relevance today.
Aims of the 2013 Conference:
- To commemorate this event and reaffirm its importance.
- To undertake a critical assessment of the history of Arab nationalism
- To analyze its impact on the political culture of Arab societies.
- To reflect on new perspectives offering a way out of the deadlock in which Arab societies find themselves.
- To review issues related to the historiography of the Arab Nationalist Movement.
Themes of the Conference: We propose to structure the conference around three main themes related to Arab nationalism.
- The local (country-specific) political dimensions of Arab Nationalism throughout its consecutive phases, including the different forms of political authority that it had engendered, as well as the characteristics pertaining to the various types of regimes and their role in the transformation of political culture.
- The social dimensions of the movement, including the redefinition of the identity of the nation, and the processes of inclusion and exclusion that evolved throughout the different phases in the evolution of Arab Nationalism.
- The geopolitical, strategic and international dimensions of the Arab National Movement in its various phases.
The conference will be held in Paris and will be inaugurated by leading historians and scholars in the field.Proposals should include a title, a 150-word abstract and a short biographical note that specifies your mailing address, your status and affiliation. All proposals must be received by 10 April 2013 at the latest, and be sent to:
- Dr. Noha Khalaf, Coordinator of the Scientific Committee at khalaf.noha@gmail.com
- with a copy to: congresarabe1913@gmail.com
You will be informed of the acceptance of your paper by 20 April 2013.Expenses for the stay in Paris (2 nights) will be covered for participants, whereas travel fees cannot be guaranteed due to a limited budget. Members of the Scientific Committee of the 2013 Conference: Chair: Rashid Khalidi, (Edward Said Chair, Columbia University).Members: Fathi Triki (Chaire de l’UNESCO de Philosophie du Monde Arabe), Fawwaz Traboulsi (Lebanese American University), Nelly Hanna (American University in Cairo), Rachad Antonius (UQAM, Montréal), Salim Tamari (Institute of Palestine Studies), Aissa Kadri (Institut Maghreb Europe, Université Paris 8), Sherene Seikaly (AUC), Fouad Moughrabi (University of Tennessee), Saleh Abdel Jawad (Bir Zeit University), Daho Djerbal (University of Algiers), Leyla Dakhli (IREMAM), Maher Charif (IFPO), Sabine Saliba (LEM,CNRS), Mohammad Tarbush (Economist, Geneva), Riad al Khoury (DEA Inc, Amman), Feriel Benmahmoud (Media), Coordinator of the Scientific Committee: Noha Khalaf