Arab nationalism in its traditional form was the way in which secular Arab Christians like Edward had found and kept a place for themselves, while simultaneously avoiding the charge of being too 'Western.' It was very noticeable among the Palestinians that the most demonstrably 'extreme' nationalists and Marxists were often from Christian backgrounds. George Habash and Nayef Hawatmeh used to be celebrated examples of this phenomenon, long before anyone had heard of the cadres of Hamas, or Islamic Jihad. There was an element of overcompensation involved, or so I came to suspect.

Summary

The quote suggests that traditional Arab nationalism offered a means for Arab Christians to maintain their identity without being perceived as too Western. It highlights the trend among Palestinian Christians where those who were most fervently nationalistic or socialist often came from Christian backgrounds. The examples of George Habash and Nayef Hawatmeh, who were celebrated for their extreme nationalist ideologies, are contrasted with the later emergence of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. The quote also suggests that this display of extreme nationalism may have been driven, in part, by a desire to compensate for perceived Western influences within Christianity.

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