In this episode, Bashir Amin interviews Dr. Khaldoun al-Nabwani about the roots of Syrian nationalism: how did it take shape historically, and has it now turned into an idea with fascist characteristics? Has the “nation-state” model failed in the Syrian context? Dr. al-Nabwani examines the philosophical and political frameworks of the concept of the state, distinguishing between the state as an inclusive social contract and authority as a repressive apparatus or a monopoly on force. He also discusses what it means for Syrians to be “Syrian nationalists” after the fall of the Assad regime, and the role of intellectuals and elites in redefining this sense of belonging. Drawing on the ideas of Thomas Hobbes, al-Nabwani offers a reading of the concept of the absolute state and a state of subjects, as opposed to a state of citizenship, seeking to unpack the transformations that have affected the discourse of Syrian nationalism over the decades.
