In our Arab world, we often view nationalism, triablism, and other similar forms that connect us to our identities as Arabs as being benevolent sources of our beings which drive us to be proud of them. But have we ever thought of the unintended (or even unexpected) consequences of these -isms?? Imagine this very familiar scene with me in one of the Arab countries:
A: I am escaping from someone and i seek God's protection and your protection as well, from him... (in Arabic: داخل على الله و عليك )
B: You have come to the right place, and I will sacrifice my neck and my blood for your sake, just because you sought my protection...
and the protection goes on, and wars and stories of vengeance and revenge emerge because all of these nonsensical, blind affection for protection... but have we ever thought of the consequences... have we ever thought that this guy might be a murderer seeking protection from a tribal leader??
Now, this little story, which is very familiar in our Arab societies, might not have anything to do with what I have previously said about the -isms, especially on a larger scale as regards the Arab identity and the Arab nationality. On the other hand, I see this story as one of the murderous -isms of our modern time. Why is that, you might wonder? because it is another starting point towards more sectarianism and more bloodshed and murders, including innocent people...
Our dilemma as Arabs is that we are emotional people who are constantly driven by what directly steps on our nerves. You might say this is a shocking generalization... well, hell it is... and i have seen it and lived it and was a part of it... and i am not even sure if I will still be a part of it.. hopefully not for a long time!!
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