Islamist movements and concepts of national identity were under discussion at Georgetown University in Qatar’s Center for International and Regional Studies (CIRS) recently, as the research institute hosted a lecture by Professor Abdullah Al Arian. Al Arian, a CIRS faculty fellow, shared details of his new book, tentatively titled Brothers Behind Borders: Islamism and Nationalism in the Middle East, which focuses on the historical role of Islamic social movements in the Arab world.
Speaking to an audience of students, staff, faculty, and guests at the University’s Education City campus, Al Arian laid out some of the findings and initial conclusions from his research. The history scholar visited ten countries in the Middle East while working on the book, conducting fieldwork on the various Islamic groups operating there.
In his lecture, Al Arian warned against the tendency to paint all Islamic groups with the same brush, highlighting the difference between violent groups and the peaceful organisations involved in social issues and charitable acts.
Al Arian explained how, in the early 20th century, Middle Eastern national identities tended to exclude religious groups, as countries in the region (many of whom were under colonial rule) focused on modernising their political systems to be in line with more secular countries.
