Pan-Islamism

In the second chapter of the book, Shakib Arslan presents the idea of the "Islamic union" (al-jami'a al-islamiyya) as a religious-political movement built on a shared feeling among Muslims in the face of European expansion. This is a presentation of the author's conception, not a neutral assessment of the movement. ¹

Arslan traces its origins to the Wahhabi call and to the call of Jamal al-Din al-Afghani, and mentions advocates such as Ali Pasha. He describes the cooperation of religious movements in India, Central Asia, East Asia, and North Africa. He presents the effect of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904 in the rejoicing at Japan's victory. ¹

He holds that it rests on a social and moral bond more than on religion alone, and he counts the press and communications among its instruments. ¹

Arslan acknowledges that the movement took multiple and conflicting courses, and that its influence declined when nationalism advanced. ¹

A further source is needed: each campaign he mentions needs its own source, and the words of Ali Pasha and the Japanese episode are reported second-hand.