Power, Arabism and Islam in the Writings of Muhib al-Din al-Khatib in al-Fath

The writings of Muhib al-Din al-Khatib reveal a deep concern over Muslim weakness in the face of European domination in the interwar period. In his weekly newspaper al-Fath, al-Khatib confronted the issues which threatened to increase Muslim division following the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire. He considered Islam the common bond by which all Muslims could unite to resist the West. While Arabism could fit into and uphold this unity, separatist nationalisms threatened it and caused further divisions inspired by the West. In his editorial writing, al-Khatib suggested various reforms aimed at reviving Muslim control of their own lands.