Clovis Maksoud and Arabism

Perhaps the recent death of Clovis Maksoud, a strong advocate of Arabism, sheds light on the fact that the concept of Arabism is fading away amid Islamist domination.

Even in countries where no Islamist revolution erupted, extremists have either invaded positions of authority via parliamentary elections, or gained popularity among the middle and working classes.

The problem is not with Islam, and we must not confuse Muslims with those who kill, rape and kidnap innocents, blow up places of worship and destroy ancient sites. Such people are an affront to humanity.

There is an urgent need to revive the concept of Arabism and include all sects, religions, parties, races and nationalities. Under this concept, the Arab world has progressed socially, politically and intellectually.

However, the enemies of the Arab world were quick to undermine this civilized concept and revive prejudices, tribal affiliations and sectarian loyalties in order to destroy what was achieved and thwart future progress.

We have lost a prominent and strong advocate of Arabism, and although I did not know Maksoud well, his reputation preceded him.

Given his death and that of many other thinkers from the Arab world, the challenge lies in maintaining this bright intellect and carrying it as a torch that lights the paths of a nation that is about to lose all it has.

This article was first published in an-Nahar on May 16, 2016.
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Nayla Tueni is one of the few elected female politicians in Lebanon and of the two youngest. She became a member of parliament in 2009 and following the assassination of her father, Gebran, she is currently a member of the board and Deputy General Manager of Lebanon’s leading daily, Annahar. Prior to her political career, Nayla had trained, written in and managed various sections of Annahar, where she currently has a regular column. She can be followed on Twitter @NaylaTueni