Patriotism versus Islam

Submitted by Jon, a Brit from Euroland (France), May 6, 2011 at 03:23

Perhaps a stone thrown into the pond for your consideration....

Arab leaders over the past 70 years have probably been concerned in large part by the survival of their states. Each has been aware of the fragility of the frontiers drawn by the end of Empires, and none had, in looking down on the maps of their territories the vision of frontiers firmed up by long established lines (with the notable exception of Egypt.)

Was the conflict with Israel a means to avoid generalised war among these new states ? A means to affirm some form of national existence which did not imply a testing of their own frontiers by the traditional means of establishing such : War ?

Is this still an essential dimension of the Israeli/Arab conflict ? or has this time spent in forgoing economic and national development in favour of a huge investment in the military sector to face the uncomfortable vision of a foreign "Sparta" in the Mid East finally paid off in the real nation building process, whereby Syrians feel Syrian, Jordanians feel Jordanian, and Lebanese feel Lebanese ?

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