Globally, there has been a recent uptick in the resurgence of nationalism. In the Middle East, as conflicts between nations have grown more intense, this has only intensified the support for nationalist stances. Nationalism can be defined as identification with one’s own nation and support for its interests, especially to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations. In both Saudi Arabia and Yemen, nationalism has seemingly caught support. As Zakaria discusses, he sees the danger in the rise of nationalism because it tends to deter global collaboration, cooperation, and honest communication. It could be very dangerous if countries adopt the “every man for himself” mindset, especially when it comes to politics, foreign policy, and the global economy. Globalization may still be evident as things diffuse across borders, but this does not completely eliminate the nationalists’ desires to work in their own best interest, limiting global progress and complicating matters.
Looking at Saudi Arabia, there has been a recent shift to a “new nationalism.” In an article from the European Council on Foreign Affairs, Eman Alhussein talks about the recent developments in Saudi Arabia in regard to nationalism. Alhussein dives into the conflicts, primarily based on religion, that have persisted in Saudi Arabia. As mentioned in the article, Saudi Arabia is a vast country, home to a diverse population of tribal, sectarian, ethnic, and regional groups. These groups’ differing identities have always posed a challenge to central government attempts to form a unified sense of national belonging. In the past, the leadership has sought to use religion to this end (Alhussein, 2020). The new nationalist movement has sprung from King Abdullah’s reign when he “promoted a more overt form of nationalism to address its regional worries and to help justify economic measures designed to end the draining rentier social contract system” (Alhussein, 2020). After looking at the country’s history, leadership, and effects of the nationalist movement, Alhussein explains a bit of the impact, “Saudi Arabia’s new nationalism is visible in the country’s increasingly assertive foreign policy. This policy aims both to further cement the new leadership’s domestic position and to advance its bid to reshape the region in accordance with perceived Saudi interests” (Alhussein, 2020).
Yemen has taken a more violent stance to nationalism, after a civil war and other humanitarian conflicts have plagued the country for the past five years. The Council on Foreign Relations gave background for the conflict, ” Yemen’s civil war began in 2014 when Houthi insurgents—Shiite rebels with links to Iran and a history of rising up against the Sunni government—took control of Yemen’s capital and largest city, Sana’a, demanding lower fuel prices and a new government” (Council on Foreign Relations, 2020). This conflict has persistent, getting violently worse over time and impacting the nation as a whole.
When it comes to inequality, the Saudi Arabia and Yemen have consistently ranked at the bottom of equality lists. In terms of income inequality, Saudi Arabia had a GINI coefficient of 45.9. Yemen had one of 37.9; however both were fairly outdated numbers (Central Intelligence Agency). In other definitions of inequality, both Yemen and Saudi Arabia are some of the worse countries for women to live in. Both the Human Rights Watch and also the Minority Rights Group International provide data and first-hand accounts of the increasing inequality in these countries. In Saudi Arabia, there is a male guardian system that controls women from their birth to death (Human Rights Watch, 2020). Specifically, Yemen has ranked last on the Gender Gap Index for the last 13 years (Harb, 2019). Not only are there disparities between genders and income, but also when it comes to religion.
In both Saudi Arabia and Yemen, activists who speak out on behalf of minorities, indigenous people, or oppressed groups are treated brutally. In Saudi Arabia, women have been detained and tortured after pushing to give women the right to drive a car (al-Qadi, 2020). In Yemen, it is very extreme amidst the civil war. The Human Rights Watch talks includes information in their report, “Both sides have harassed, threatened, and attacked Yemeni activists and journalists. Houthi forces, government-affiliated forces, and the UAE and UAE-backed Yemeni forces have arbitrarily detained or forcibly disappeared scores. Houthi forces have taken hostages. Forces in Aden beat, raped, and tortured detained migrants. Houthi forces, the Yemeni government, and the UAE and UAE-backed Yemeni forces have arbitrarily detained people, including children, abused detainees and held them in poor conditions, and forcibly disappeared people perceived to be political opponents or security threats” (Human Rights Watch, 2019).
Nationalism, conflict, and inequality are all growing at increasingly high rates in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Although it is not proved that they are correlated, it is highly likely.
Bibliography
Al-Qadi, F. (2020, March 08). Do not forget the jailed Saudi women’s rights activists. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/forget-jailed-saudi-women-rights-activists-200305103951988.html
Alhussein, E. (2020, June 19). Saudi First: How hyper-nationalism is transforming Saudi Arabia. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://www.ecfr.eu/publications/summary/saudi_first_how_hyper_nationalism_is_transforming_saudi_arabia
Central Intelligence Agency. (n.d.). COUNTRY COMPARISON: DISTRIBUTION OF FAMILY INCOME – GINI INDEX. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2172rank.html
Council on Foreign Relations. (2020). War in Yemen | Global Conflict Tracker. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://www.cfr.org/global-conflict-tracker/conflict/war-yemen
Harb, T. (2019, December 19). Yemen: One of the Worst Places in the World to be a Woman. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2019/12/yemen-one-of-the-worst-places-in-the-world-to-be-a-woman/
Human Rights Watch. (2019, January 17). World Report 2019: Rights Trends in Yemen. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2019/country-chapters/yemen
Human Rights Watch. (2020, September 08). Saudi Arabia: 10 Reasons Why Women Flee. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://www.hrw.org/news/2019/01/30/saudi-arabia-10-reasons-why-women-flee
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