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Nasser |
Nasserism - Nasserism is a
Pan-Arab ideology based on the ideas of former Egyptian President
Gamal Abdel Nasser,
who died in 1970.
There are several surviving "Nasserist" parties, though Nasser himself died in
1970. In theory, it is hard to differentiate between their ideology and
that of the different Ba'ath
parties. They all claim to favor socialism, pan-Arabism, anti-imperialism,
anti-colonialism and anti-Zionism. Nasserist parties insist that they
favor democracy, though the regime of Gamal Abdel Nasser was not democratic.
Evidently, what really distinguishes Nasserists from adherents of the Iraqi or
Syrian Baath parties is that the Nasserist parties are based around the
personality cult of
Gamal Abdel Nasser,
Nasserism is a revolutionary Arab nationalist and pan-Arab ideology, combined
with variably defined and implemented socialist aspirations. It calls its brand
of socialism, "Arab Socialism." It has a complex relation with Islam, like Baath
ideology, since it is interested in leading the Islamic ouma, but at the same
time wishes to maintain separation of church and state, leading to conflicts
with
Islamism.
Nasserists, like Baathists, combat what they see as Western interference in Arab
affairs. Because of Nasser's leadership of the non-aligned world, Nasserists,
more than Baathists, are interested in promoting solidarity of the developing
and non-aligned world, presumably with themselves at the head of the movement.
As Nasser himself is still revered, Nasserism is still an ideological force
in the Arab world. It cannot be said to be a political force. The Egyptian
Arab Democratic Nasserist Party, theoretically the successor to Nasser's Arab
Socialist Union, is an opposition party in Egypt today. It failed to win
any seats in the Egyptian parliament, and
seems to have lost its
support.
Hugo Chavez, the Venezuelan radical president,
told Al--Jazeera in
2006:
Someone talked to me about his pessimism regarding the future of Arab
nationalism. I told him I was optimistic, because the ideas of Nasser are
still alive. Nasser was one of the greatest people of Arab history, to say
the least, a Nasserist, ever since I was a young soldier.
This profession may have been a device to ingratiate himself with Arab
audiences rather than a real ideological statement.
Ami Isseroff
October 14, 2008
Synonyms and alternate spellings:
Gamal Abd El Nasser, Gemal Abdul Nasser, Jamal Abdel Nassar...
Further Information:
History of Egypt
Brief History of Israel and
Palestine Ba'ath
Pan-Arabism Aflaq, Michel
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