The thing that stopped the Arabism rhetoric in Syria was the Zionist-American attack on the Syrian Nussairy(Alewi) regime of course under the stupid pretext of democracy and the other stuff.

The Arabism crap was powerful in Syria because the Nussairy regime was a corrupt and dictatorial minority which ruled a Sunni majority and it was a way that the minority could use it to survive. Nussarism is part of Alewism which has got nothing to do with Islam or even Shiite Islam. Most of the Syrians are educated and devout sunni Moslems and they know that the Nussiaries has got nothing to do with Islam and they won power by killings, especially when they got rid of the Syrian Ikhwan movements by shelling their houses. The Nussairy regime used every sort of inhuman way to topple the opposition including Arabism. The evil regime used pan Arabism to hide the crimes it was practicing on the Syrian people.

The only place in which the phrase "the Arab home land" watan" "can be heard is in Syria.

However, the majority of the Sunni Syrians know that the Nussairies don't mean it when they talk about Arabism or the rights of the Palestinians and other stuff because they are as traitorous as other Arab regimes. They also know that the Nussairy regime and the filthy Syrian elite would sell their country for the cheapest of prices to their enemies.

So preaching Syrianism won't work because Syrians are devout Moslems who listen to the preaching of the words of Allah and not to the preaching of legalizing prostitution.

I smell shufenistic spirit in this article. Bilad-ul-Sham was the origin. Syria was a French creature.

It's nice to see someone proud of their country and their own national freedom. And it's useful to for readers to see and understand the history of an area through other's eyes.

but one thing I noted was the opening of the last paragraph where there was pride in the 'rejection' of every roadmap since 1948 (and probably earlier) was the fact there wasn't a legitimate option returned. The pride is in saying "NO" instead of saying "No, but...". It's not bad to be a country to reject having outside options forced on them but to be part of the world, you must work WITH the world - and that means compromise and providing reasonable, alternative solutions to a problem instead of just saying "No" or "My way or the highway".

It's nice to see someone proud of their country and their own national freedom. And it's useful to for readers to see and understand the history of an area through other's eyes.

but one thing I noted was the opening of the last paragraph where there was pride in the 'rejection' of every roadmap since 1948 (and probably earlier) was the fact there wasn't a legitimate option returned. The pride is in saying "NO" instead of saying "No, but...". It's not bad to be a country to reject having outside options forced on them but to be part of the world, you must work WITH the world - and that means compromise and providing reasonable, alternative solutions to a problem instead of just saying "No" or "My way or the highway".

Very interesting...

I couldn't agree less regarding your description to Nasser. Truely the vision he had was disastrous taking the role of god in dividing poeple's wealth. The policy he adopted was essential in building economies of others but the syrians'.

So the new positive vision for Syria - stand up for ourselves. Start by no longer being in Iran's back pocket. And not being the obstructionist in the Middle East for another 50 years.

I find it astonishing that you would compare the United Arab Republic to the Third Reich of Adolf Hitler, which also implies a direct comparison between Nasser and Hitler. This is going way too far.

Sami Moubayed, hit the nail right on the head; Syrianism is the word that discribe our feelings as "Brand Syrians", and Brand Syria (as Sami and I have suggested in the past) is defined by; the rejection of Israeli inspired US world hegemony.

It seems like a futile idea, yet-as Brands tend to do-it captures a symbolic and global trend. From Venezuela to Uzbekistan many are fed up with this-soon to be gone but never to be forgotten-bellicose US administration actions. None however were as effected by it than Arabs, more so, none no Arabs carry the rejection Brand as blatantly as we Syrians. Syria’s right wingers and Syria’s leftists, Syria’s religious and Syria’s atheists, all Syrians seem to agree on nothing else.

We Syrians Arabs have often been accused of being hypocritical, money-loving, exploitative of Palestinians, oppressive of Lebanese, dismissive of Jordanians, etc, etc, and it may be true. Yet all of us Syrians are in one camp on this issue. That's why Syria the Brand is under such attack by the global enemies of that ideology.

Syria's regime could do everything asked of it and the powers that be won’t be pleased, because the real target of the attack is not the Syrian regime, it is Syria’s no-compromise Brand.

Arabs (and Palestinian Arabs to be exact) often rightfully decry Syria’s appropriation of their struggle, but if you held a referendum today (in any Arab country including Palestine) whether to negotiate with Israel or continue to struggle, I’d bet you that only Syrians -who are after all less under the gun- would vote to struggle on indefinitely. Some, like my uncle Munah el Solh, say that Arabism-unlike any other Nationalism-is defined by one question; how do you feel about Israel and Palestine? If that’s true then Syria may be the last bastion of Arabism, a nationalism whose time may have come and gone*.

Syria’s Brand-not its Arabism- will always define its course; a course of conflict with Israel.

Ayman Hakki

* I was born and raised on Arabism but just ask a Kurd, a Nubian, or a Berber…then tell me what you think of Arab Nationalism. Syrianism embraces all its ethnic subdivisons with love and affection.

Dr. Sami, I can not but say " proud to be Syrian". Exceptional article !

Simply outstanding! - It is what one knows, feels and expresses personally but never seems to read or hear externally. It is the truth!