Can the Baathist party in Iraq & Syria claim roots from the Nazi party?

Question

Lunch discussion at work with someone who is pretty middle of the road politically. I was skeptical. Any credible links on the web?

Answer 1

Yes, actually.

Though I can't locate any websites that would be widely considered "non-biased" by both sides (big surprise there...), I do remember that there was a great show about this on PBS a couple months ago. I wish I had taped it.

Basic background is that leading up to WW2 the Nazis helped to bolster Arab nationalism, especially within the British (modern Iraq, Jordan, Israel, and the Palestinian Authority) and French (Syria and Lebanon) controlled areas, in order to be able to starve their WW1 enemies of much-needed oil once war broke out. During WW2 the Nazis even created a Muslim division of the SS, originally predominantly Bosnian Muslims but members were heavily recruited from the middle east as well. These SS members were trained in both military techniques and Nazi ideals.

After the end of WW2 the Arab states were granted independence and the members of this SS unit returned to their homelands. Many of them rose to positions of considerable power and prominence in the governmental and religious structures of their home countries.

The Baathist party in Iraq was not, so far as I can recall, formed directly from any of the members of the Arabs SS division, but some of the early leaders were heavily influenced by their teachings. I think that the Syrian Baathists were much more directly influenced by the members of the SS division, but I can't recall for certain (part of why I wish I had recorded the show).

Note however that not all anti-semitism in the middle east can be traced to this Nazi influence, though it certainly was greatly nurtured by them. Below you will see a reference to the Grand Mufti al-Husseini which if you read through it you will see his anti-semitic tendencies were in evidence well before the rise of the Nazis -- both were fed by the same pool of anti-semitic thought which was widespread at the time. I believe it was this Grand Mufti's teachings which the PBS program traced through the early Arab Nationalist leaders and eventually to the Baath Party and ultimately to Saddam Hussein.

Another great program recently on PBS showed the lives of the dwindling Jewish populations in Iraq and Iran, and this tied in with the question to some degree: Prior to the most recent few decades it was fairly common to find significant Jewish populations living in Arabic countries, just as they could be found living throughout the European countries. Even though they were generally not given the full rights that Arab citizens of the same countries were, they were traditionally fairly well treated. The Quran speaks well of "the people of the Book" meaning Jews and Christians, so it was not traditionally acceptable to badly mistreat them. The modern hatred is therefore a lot more understandable in the historical context of recent Nazi influence than it would be in the context of historical Muslim influence, and one would almost have to conclude that the islamist extremists of today owe much more of their ideology to Nazism than they do to the teachings of Islam.

Answer 2

If that is precise it's no specific than there being no Al-Qada presence in Iraq underneath Saddam. But on account that the removing of Saddam and invasion. Now Al-Quada has an excessively influential presence. Saddam additionally saved Iran in determine. And sure there's a Nazi occasion within the US. That's what the epidermis head and state armed forces activities are all approximately. Those equal activities that help the Republican occasion.

Answer 3

As the Baath party has been strongly associated with both nationalism and socialism, one could make the argument that that it is related to fascism. I don't see any evidence that it has any roots in the German Nazi party. Seems to be an indigenous Arab Nationalist movement -- with a strong element of authoritarianism.

Answer 4

Well, theres some similarites- such as Jews to Nazis would be similar to Kurds to Iraqis. Both had an effective and military style dictatorship. Both were based on terror, intimidation, and the law of one mans whims of what is right and what is wrong. Both had a program of genocide- Kurds/Iraqis compaired to Jews/Nazis

Answer 5

Considering their power was initially installed by the British government, no.

Answer 6

well there socailist and they both hate jews.