The Levant Reconciling a Century of Contradictions

Abstract

Although the revolution in Syria is unfolding within the country’s
modern political borders, what is going on can only be understood
by placing it in a larger historical context, which includes the adjacent
geographical areas of Bilad al-Sham. Without such a
broader view, the complexity of Syria’s current reality can neither
be appreciated, nor can its consequences be accounted for and its
future anticipated.
Probably in no country is the mess of a land’s colonial legacy
more visible than it is in Syria. This legacy’s pathway marks the
country’s future development, and its implications are facing the
revolution today with arduous challenges. The resulting complexity
extends beyond the political dimension, for a similar level of
complexity exists at the meta-cultural level as well. Furthermore,
the change in Syria has regional consequences: It will institutionalize
the Arab revolution as an unavoidable political force and energize
the process of cultural reformation and the recovery of a
civilizational Muslim identity.
This essay first examines the region’s historical background and
the consequences of the Ottoman order’s disintegration. Second,
it analyzes the national identity dilemmas faced by the Arab world
after colonialism, how non-Muslims reacted to them, and the two
political paths that those countries pursued. Third, the essay discusses
the formation of grievances among Syrian minorities in particular. Fourth, the politics of the post-independence era are
presented, highlighting the promise of the development upon
which Syria was embarking. The essay then investigates the politics
and social conditions that led to a dictatorship of three overlapping
types: ideological left, sectarian, and neoliberal. Before
focusing on the ongoing revolution, a note on Islamic activism is
presented due to the fact that Islamic meanings have always been
the impetus propelling the people’s resistance. The revolutionary
realities on the ground are then elaborated upon, emphasizing how
the regime’s extreme violence against peaceful protest intersects
with historical social alignments. Lastly, the essay discusses the
geopolitical context in which the Syrian revolution is taking place,
which at once makes it hard to prevail and makes any of its outcomes
highly consequential for the whole region.