ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Islam and Nationalism Part Four: The Philosophy Refuting Nationalism The difference between Patriotism and Nationalism Patriotism and nationalism are two perfectly different concepts, the distinction between which is sometimes not understood. Patriotism is a natural and instinctive human feeling, whereas nationalism is not a sentiment, but an ideology.

The former is sentimental, whereas the latter is a pseudo-creed on which the instinct and sentiment are based. The school of nationalism is built upon two animal instincts of man which he has in common with other creatures, namely the 'group instinct' and the 'love of home'. Nationalism begins with these two instincts, eventually ending in a pseudo-religion which causes these relatively innocent sentiments to become dangerously fanatical.

Nationalism based on man’s animal instinct The group-feeling is a natural human instinct which has in common with some animals. Protozoa, ants, bees live in groups. When wild bulls sense danger, they push the cows and calves to the middle of the flock, and remain on the outskirts, ready for defense. When horses sense danger, they stand in a circle, face to face, pointing their heads to the center, and placing their rear legs outside the circle, ready for defense[^1].

An attachment to 'land' and 'home', too, is also an animal instinct, innate in man. Cats and dogs love the house they live in. A pigeon is so attached to its cot that wherever it goes, it finally returns back to it. Thus, the group feeling and attachment to the land are two of man's animal instincts. What is the basis of group unity in human society?

In the course of history, ever since man stepped beyond wilderness and turned instinctively towards civilization and group-life, he has always been preoccupied with the question regarding the basis on which he should build his collective life: whether it should be on the basis of territory, blood and language, or on the basis of idea, belief, meditation and intellect. Animals which act by instincts solely, base their collective life on blood or land.

Since the beginning of history, there have existed two parallel lines. One line was that prophets and great religions which has based unity on belief and faith, the height of which was attained by Islam in establishing a nation of conviction called the Islamic Ummah.