An Ideological Comparison: Rûm Alternatives to Arabism
by Elias Antonius
For decades now, Levantine-Rûm who rejected Arabism have
been left with only one valid ideological alternative, Pan-Syrianism. That is
until recently, with the emergence of Antiochenism. However, with the development
of this new alternative comes many questions. What are the ideological
differences between Pan-Syrianism and Antiochenism? Are there any similarities
between these two alternatives to Arabism?
These are just some of the many questions Arabized and
Arameanized Rûm may wonder at first glance of this new alternative ideology. It
my hope to answer some of these questions within our community as to the
ideological difference between Pan-Syrianism and Antiochenism. In order to lay
to rest prevailing doubts many may have within the greater Levantine-Rûm
community.
An overview of
Pan-Syrianism
In order to compare Pan-Syrianism and Antiochenism. We must
first define what Pan-Syrianism is, which can only be done by looking at the
only organization in the world which promotes it, the Syrian Social Nationalist
Party (or SSNP). The three main tenets of which are a Radical reform of Syrian
society along secular lines, a totalitarian-state ideology, and last a Greater
Syria.
Pan-Syrianism, however, is not a united school of thought,
but rather has two competing forms, which could be identified as pragmatic and
pure. These two approaches to Pan-Syrianism are divided on one single issue,
Arabism. The first accepts it, while the second rejects it [1].
For the Pragmatic Syrianist, Greater Syria is a part of a
much larger “Arab” nation, and thus Syrians are ethnically Arab. While for the
Pure Syrianist, Greater Syria is not part of a larger “Arab” nation, and thus
not ethnically Arab [1].
Traditionally, Pan-Syrianism has appealed to the region’s non-Sunni minorities
as a means of leveling the playing field, and erasing historic discrimination.
For non-Arabist Rûm, this has always been a clear ideological alternative since
it offers the possibility of a uniting all Rûm under one state [1].
The Syrian Nation
The Syrian Nation
The first, and most important ideological difference between
Pan-Syrianism and Antiochenism is their definition of the Syrian Nation.
Although both ideological schools of thought agree that the region’s people are
suffering from an identity crisis due to occupation, colonialism, and
sectarianism. They have two radically different interpretations on the Syrian
Nation.
For Syrianists, the Syrian nation constitutes as its own
ethnically homogeneous civilization, reaching back to the pre-Christian era all
the way to the present. It draws exclusively from the region’s Semitic heritage
[2]. This is
in contrast to Antiochenists, who view the Syrian nation as ethnically heterogenous,
a melting pot of peoples and identities which doesn’t draw exclusively on the
region’s Semitic heritage, but accepts and includes the region’s non-Semitic
heritage as well.
In the eyes of an indoctrinated Syrianist, Syria is an
exclusively Semitic land, in which the Syrian people evolved as a result of the
intermixing of ancient Canaanites (Phoenicians), Akkadians, Chaldeans, Assyrians,
Arameans, Hittites, and Mitanni [2] [3].
While for Antiochenists, Syria is a crossroads of
Indo-European and Semitic peoples, in which the Syrians are not a single
homogenous ethnicity, but a regional identity made up of multiple separate but
equal ethnicities such as the Rûm (Antiochenes), Syriacs/Assyrians/Chaldeans,
Armenians, and so on.
Antiochenists accept the Pan-Syrianist approach, but only as
the story of the ethnogenesis of the Syriac/Assyrian/Chaldean people. However, reject
it as an attempt to force this identity upon all Syrians in the same manner
that Arabism forces the Arab identity upon us all now. Furthermore, Antiochenists
would point out that the Syrianist ideological theory, which includes the
Hittites and Mitanni in the process of ethnogenesis is misleading.
Nowhere in Syrianist-propaganda is non-Semitic heritage
celebrated. Although the Hittites controlled portions of the Levant. They never
inhabited the land. It was the Luwians that populated Hittite-control portions
of the Levant. The very same people Antiochenists include in their ideological message
of the ethnogenesis of the Levantine-Rûm (Antiochenes). As for the so-called
acceptance of the Mitanni, Antiochenists would point out that if they are an
accepted part of the Syrian ethnogenesis than why do Syrianists view their
modern descendants, the Armenians, as immigrants [2] to Syria?
The next major ideological difference between Pan-Syrianism
and Antiochenism comes with their interpretation of just what is Natural Syria.
Both agree that it is the geographic environment in which they Syrian people
evolved, as well as the fact that it has distinct natural boundaries. The
difference arises on just what those natural boundaries are.
For the Syrianist, Natural Syria extends from “the Taurus
range in the northwest and the Zagros mountains in the northeast to the Suez
canal and the Red Sea in the south, and includes the Sinai peninsula and the
gulf of Aqaba, and from the Syrian sea in the West, including the island of
Cyprus, to the arch of the Arabian desert and the Persian gulf in the east [2]”. While for the
Antiochenist, Natural Syria extends from the Taurus range in the northwest, and
the Zagros Mountains in the northeast, to the Suez Canal and the Red Sea in the
South, including the Sinai Peninsula, and from the Sea of the Rûm in the West,
to the Syrian Desert in the east.
The difference in this interpretation is that Syrianist base
their concept of Natural Syria on the historical boundaries of the Neo-Assyrian
Empire, and thus further reinforce their Semiticentric ideology. While
Antiochenists base their interpretation on the historical boundaries of
Seleukeia and the Roman/Byzantine Empire of which the Levantine-Rûm
(Antiochenes) descend.
Cultural Hegemony
All Secular Middle Eastern socio-political ideologies,
including Pan-Syrianism, follow a tradition of forced cultural homogenization;
in a misguided attempt to eliminate negative and divisionist aspects within
Syrian society. Hence the Sixth Basic Principle of Pan-Syrianism, “The Syrian
nation is one society” [2].
A noble idea, as a means to end the persecution of minorities, however, with
Arabism it led to the forced Arabization of all. Pan-Syrianism is also guilty
of this tradition, however, in place of Arabization there is forced
Syriacization.
In Antiochenism, this tradition is rejected. Yes, the Syrian
nation is one society, but it mustn’t be forcefully homogenized in order to
achieve equality and justice for all. The Syrian nation is made up of many
ethnicities and cultural traditions which should be preserved and embraced. It
is Syria’s diversity which gives it strengthen, and it mustn’t be sacrificed.
Conclusion
In the end, the ideological differences between
Pan-Syrianism and Antiochenism are huge. On one side, you have another
Semiticentric ideology, which views our Greek and Roman ancestors as
“invaders”, deHellenizes the regions heritage, and which has merely replaced
Arabization with Syriacization. On the other hand is an ideology, which
embraces our unique identity that traces its roots back to the Sea Peoples and
Luwians of the Bronze Age. An ideology, which acknowledges its Hellenic
origins, and wants to see the cycle of forced cultural, linguistic, and
spiritual conversions end.
Antiochenism does not see Pan-Syrianism as an “enemy”, as it
does with Arabism. Instead, it views it as a purely Syriac-Nationalist
Ideology, and an appropriate alternative for Syriac/Assyrian/Chaldean peoples.
However, it does not accept it as a logical alternative for Levantine-Rûm.
Antiochenism is an entirely revolutionary way of thinking
for Levantine-Rûm. An ideology of cultural revival that taps into the regions
Greco-Roman legacy, and indigenous heritage. An Alternative ideology, which no
longer forces Rûm to adopt an alien identity in the name of acceptance and
survival. It is the first alternative
ideology, which is centered on a Romaic non-Semitic heritage, created for Rûm,
by Rûm.
