James Baquet

It is a mistake to assume that “Muslim” equals “Arab” (or vice versa). While it’s true that Muhammad was an Arab, and the holy book “The Quran” is in Arabic, many members of the world’s second-largest religion do not even speak Arabic: Persians speak Persian, Turks speak Turkish, and so on.

The world’s largest-ever Muslim Empire, the Ottoman, was not an Arabic empire. This fact comes to the fore when we examine the Great Arab Revolt, when Arab forces rose up against the Ottoman Empire during World War I. The rebels had been promised that if they could successfully unite the Arab world from Syria to Yemen in opposition to the Turks, the British Empire would recognize its legitimacy.

Thus, on June 10, 1916, Hussein bin Ali, the Sharif of Mecca, initiated the revolt at Mecca. While the revolt went on for over two years — Hussein’s son Faisal was briefly made monarch of Damascus — it did not have the outcome the Arabs had hoped for. After the First World War, France and England divided the region between them, and the British were accused of reneging on their promise to the Arabs.

Into the revolt rode a figure so dashing that he has become the stuff of legends. Along with several other official military men — Colonel This and Lieutenant-Colonel That — came Captain T. E. Lawrence, best known in history as “Lawrence of Arabia.” Lawrence’s close friendship with Hussein’s son Faisal enabled him to influence the Arab’s strategy in a way that contributed to Britain’s goals as well; as long as the rebels complied, Britain extended support.

Another very unofficial English person credited with influencing these affairs was the writer, traveler and archaeologist Gertrude Bell, subject of the 2015 biopic “Queen of the Desert” and the 2016 documentary “Letters From Baghdad.” Bell’s extensive travel in the region since 1888, and the contacts she made, helped her develop a crucial mass of information used by Lawrence and his colleagues.

The Arab revolt was the first instance of pan-Arab nationalism. The various independence movements that have found success since all stem from the lessons learned in this conflict.

Vocabulary:

Which word above means:

1. becomes important

2. romantically impressive

3. film about someone’s life

4. come from

5. went along with something

6. going back on

7. the opposite

8. what something is made from

9. right to exist

10. prefix meaning “all”