Around fifty years ago, Gamal Abdel Nasser swept inside the house of each Arab man with a ringing bell to awaken Arab pride and unity. His initial success in nationalizing the Suez Canal opened up the eyes and hopes for the average Arab man to stand on the same level as the foreign superpowers. It did not take long before the houses were quieted again and each Arab returned without a memory of the identity they were fighting for. Today, in the context of globalization and the vast popularity of the English language, the Arab heart has become a center of contradictions. You hear from almost any Arab that they strongly support the liberation of Palestine – an issue that is considered to be central to the Arab identity – yet of the 3,500 young adults polled for the Arab Youth Survey 2015, more than a third state that they use English more than Arabic on a daily basis. The past hopes and beliefs are still very much alive but are increasingly becoming overshadowed by the present times. For instance, it is with no doubt that if I were to…
