- The dream of an Arab-Muslim state stretching across the Middle East has never been realized
- British promises to help establish one were broken with the Sykes-Picot Agreement
- However, the deal did allow for the creation of Arab states that could have modernized
- Nationalism and radical jihadism have generated instability that continues to this day
May 2016 marked 100 years since the signing of the controversial Sykes-Picot Agreement, which divided up spheres of influence in the Middle East between France and the United Kingdom. Some argue that the colonial powers duped a helpless and naive Arab world, leading to the region’s chronic instability. However, over the past century Arab countries have constantly been torn between nationalism and Islamism – something that has made it difficult for them to become modern democratic states.