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London School of Economics and Political Science Everyday Arabism: the daily reproduction of nationalism and supra- nationalism in contemporary Syria and Jordan Christopher Phillips A thesis submitted to the Department of International Relations of the London School of Economic for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, London, September 2010 1 UMI Number: U613454 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Dissertation Publishing UMI U613454 Published by ProQuest LLC 2014. Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. ProQuest LLC 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 Twesc-s p Library British Library of Political and Econorrw. Science Declaration I certify that the thesis I have presented for examination for the MPhil/PhD degree of the London School of Economics and Political Science is solely my own work other than where I have clearly indicated that it is the work of others (in which case the extent of any work carried out jointly by me and any other person is clearly identified in it). The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. Quotation from it is permitted, provided that full acknowledgement is made. This thesis may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of the author. I warrant that this authorization does not, to the best of my belief, infringe the rights of any third party. 2 Abstract This thesis considers how pan-Arab and state identity is reproduced in two ideologically different Arab regimes: Ba’athist Syria and Hashemite Jordan. There are three main contributions to the study of identity and the international relations of the Middle East. Firstly, the thesis re-defines Arabism as a swpra-nationalism distinct from Nasser’s Arab nationalism. This is reproduced alongside state identity by national governments and is now strengthened by the ‘New Arabism’ of transnational satellite television. Secondly, the lack of engagement with nationalist theory by scholars of the Middle East is addressed. Modernist theory is used to demonstrate how Syria and Jordan have utilised everyday symbols and mediations to build national communities. Thirdly Michael Billig’s Banal Nationalism is established as a key mode of analysis for identity in the Arab world. It contributes to the growing literature on the everyday features of nationalism. The thesis considers the history of nation building in Syria and Jordan before discussing three case studies of how identities are reproduced. First, public images of the leader are shown to be as unnoticed by Syrian and Jordanians as national flags in Western democracies. Alongside other mediations such as public speeches, these cults sustain an identity discourse that deliberately includes Arabism, framed to serve state interests. Second, state-run television in Syria and Jordan also uses nationalism and Arabism to frame its content, building citizens who are both Syrian or Jordanianand Arab. The third case examines satellite television, which is beyond the control of the state. Rather than challenging the regimes’ official identities, programming reinforces both Arabism and state identity. The final chapter expands on Billig’s methods to address how citizens consume their nationalist discourse, using ethnographic interviews with ‘everyday’ Jordanians and Syrians. The thesis concludes by considering how international relations might be affected by the continued reproduction of Arabism. 3 Contents Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................................6 Note on Transliteration and Translation..................................................................................... 8 Map of Syria and Jordan .............................................................................................................9 Introduction...............................................................................................................................10 1. Arabism and the state ...........................................................................................................18 1.1 Arabism Today: Contested Identity ........................................................................... 21 1.2 Arabism and State Nationalism: Syria and Jordan .................................................... 40 1.3 Everyday Arabism: Theory and Methodology .......................................................... 55 1.4 Conclusion..................................................................................................................63 2. Everyday Nationalism in the Arab World ......................................................................... 64 2.1 Layers of Identity ....................................................................................................... 67 2.2 Banal Nationalism Beyond the West......................................................................... 74 2.3 Banal and ‘Hot’ Nationalism in Non-Democratic States.......................................... 81 2.4 Expanding Billig: an Alternative Methodology ........................................................ 85 2.5 Conclusion..................................................................................................................88 3. Building a Nationalist Discourse in Syria and Jordan ......................................................89 3.1 Building Syria and Jordan .........................................................................................91 3.2 Leadership Cults ....................................................................................................... 100 3.3 Images and Speeches in Syria .................................................................................... 104 3.4 Images and Speeches in Jordan .................................................................................. 113 3.5 Conclusion.................................................................................................................120 4. Flagging the Discourse Daily: State Television..................................................................123 4.1 Television in Syria and Jordan ................................................................................. 125 4.2 A Week of Television: Methodology and News........................................................132 4.3 A Week of Television: Sport, Economics, Weather and Breaks...............................139 4.4 A Week of Television: Chat Shows,Musalsals and Islam .............. 148 4.5 Conclusion.................................................................................................................156 5. Challenging the Discourse? Transnational Arab television.............................................158 5.1 The Satellite TV Debate ............................................................................................. 161 5.2 Arabism and the News ................................................................................................166 5.3 Entertainment..............................................................................................................171 5.4 Sport: A Case Study ofAl-Jazeera’s 2008 Olympic Coverage.................................183 4 5.5 Conclusion................................................................................................................192 6. Receiving the Discourse: Everyday Arabs.........................................................................194 6.1 Methodology...............................................................................................................196 6.2 Arab, State and Religious Identity ............................................................................. 199 6.3 Images and Speeches ..................................................................................................210 6.4 State Television.......................................................................................................... 214 6.5 Transnational Arab Television...................................................................................219 6.6 Conclusion..................................................................................................................227 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................................230 Bibliography .................................................................................................................................237 Appendix I: Images of the leader in Syria and Jordan ................................................................ 250 Appendix H: Leaders’ speeches in Syria and Jordan .................................................................. 252 5 Acknowledgements I owe many thanks for all the financial, academic and personal support that I have received during the course of this thesis. Financially, the British Economic and Social Research Council kindly awarded me a full time studentship during the course of my research (studentship number PTA-031-2005-00219). Not only did this enable me to dedicate myself to