PARALLELS BETWEEN THE FOREIGN POLICY TENDENCIES OF ARAB STATES AND THE CONTENTS OF THEIR NATIONAL ANTHEMS

Year 2021, Volume: 9 Issue: 26, 250 - 265, 17.03.2021

Burak Kürkçü

https://doi.org/10.33692/avrasyad.895683

Abstract

This paper investigates the parallels between the foreign policy aspirations of Arab
states and their national anthems by making the content analysis of their lyrics. The lyrics of
national anthems, as poetic declarations of the national feelings and the raison d’état of
independent states, present important clues about the national interest conceptualization and
foreign policy orientation. After the content analysis of the national anthems of Egypt, Iraq,
Libya, Saudi Arabia, Morocco and Jordan, this paper finds out that the lyrics of the anthems of
Arab republics include more patriotic words and stronger tone than those of the monarchies;
and their tones get stronger in times of conflict and war. Unlike republics, Arab monarchies
seem to prefer shorter lyrics and use their anthems even without lyrics for a long time.
Republics attach specific importance to the anthems in terms of promoting the national values
and expressing the feelings of their people about independence, and their anthems are mostly
selected by organizing national competitions. For Arab republics it would appear that the
changes in their anthems accompany the changes in their foreign policy. Whenever Arab
republics involve in more conflictual foreign policy, their anthems accompany with stronger lyrics
while their tones get softer in the times of peace.

Keywords

Anthem,, Foreign Policy,, Arab States,

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