Phoenicianism

Phoenicianism is a form of Lebanese nationalism that promotes the controversial belief that Lebanese people are not ethnically Arabs. Supporters maintain that Lebanese are descended from Phoenician origins, and are not Arab.

History

Phoenicianism has been said to have began in the 1980s, during the Lebanese Civil War. During this time, members of Lebanese Christian right-wing groups (mainly Maronite Catholics) sought additional ways to distinguish themselves from Pan-Arab factions.

Many Phoenicianism followers claim that they are of Phoenician descent so they can distinguish themselves from Palestinians and Syrians, and other pan-Arabists. However, history shows that Phoenicia only comprised a small strip of present-day Lebanon. Phoenicians were essentially sea-faring Canaanites from the land of Canaan, which is present-day Israel and Palestine. They had colonies along the entire Mediterranean, one of the most important being present-day Tunisia, where the Phoenician city of Carthage was established.

Phoenician lands (in blue)

Modern DNA analysis shows that Lebanese are no less Arab than Syrians and Palestinians. In fact, Lebanese Maronite Catholics are said to have originated in Syria, and are originally of Syrian stock. Many groups in Lebanon, such as the Druze and other Christian groups may have ancestry from Yemen and other parts of the Arabian Penninsula.

Phoenicianism is seen by some as a radical reactionary movement to Pan-Arabism. Followers of Phoenicianism refuse to acknowledge any Arab ancestry and claim to be Phoenician, even though Lebanon became Arabized in the 7th century. Lebanon is part of the Arab League and their official language is Arabic.

See Also

• Ethnic nationalism
• Irredentism
• Jewish state
• Kahanism
• Greater Israel
• Levant
• Phoenicianism
• Canaanites (movement)
• Assyrian independence
• Greater Syria
• Berberism
• Lebensraum

External links

• Encyclopedia Phoeniciana

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