The Role of Religion in the Middle East Conflict
The conflict in the Middle East strongly depends on the religious aspects, which are brightly reflected in the Arab-Israel, intra-Arabic, and Islam-Christianity religious discrepancies. ISIS development also significantly influences the peace in the Middle East and Islamic religion issues. A deep intolerance of Islam in relation to other religions restricts the Middle East in an effective collaboration with other countries. A great role of religion in the Middle East conflict is reflected in the impact of different beliefs, which lead to the wars and negatively influence the economic prosper of the country and improvement of the social standards, which are restricted by the rigid religious issues.
An Impact of the Different Religions as a Significant Booster of the Middle East Conflict. Islamic people take care much about a purity of their religion and do not accept it’s merging with other religions. The Islam religion started with Mohammad in the 7th century and soon spread through all Middle East and Arab nations of North Africa. Today, Islamic countries are included to one empire, which extends across many nations. However, there are multiple Islamic groups which’s goal is reestablishment of the Muslim nation, which would be ruled by Islamic
The intolerance of Islamic-Arab against the non-Moslems concerns also Christians. Arabs persecuted them during many centuries. Great Christian communities in the Arab countries significantly decreased because of a pressure and mass emigration of Christians to the U.S. and Europe. Today, negative attitude to Christianity is reflected in the multiple aggressive actions like sending the suicide bombers for killing a peaceful people. A bright example is recent killing of 129 innocent people in France.
Jews as a religion group began to participate in the Middle East conflict more than 3000 years ago. Many experts argue that Arab-Israel Wars of the second part of the 20th century did not have religious ground and were caused by the deep genesis of the conflict. However, historians identified that conflict among these Semite neighbors is basing on the religious difference between Judaism and Islam. Judaism argues against the forced conquests the territories of other nations. Israel never searched for an expansion beyond its lands and withdrawn the army from the territories, which the country captured during the wars. However, the Judaism also states that when the enemies come to slay the nation, the nation has to slay them first. Islamic religion encourages the people never retreat, win respect, and protect their territory.
Islamists support suicide bombers and promise them a good life after death, what form a great gap between the beliefs of both religions. Such conviction of both sides supports a continuous conflict. The conflict of beliefs seems more important to the government than prosper of the countries and welfare of people. Great expenditures for support of military forces have negative effect on the economy of the country. Today, Israel represents both Western and the Middle East cultures, which aggravates the aggressive reaction of Islamists, who accept that as a challenge. It is pity to notice but Israel people begin to accept the brutal killings of civilians by the Islamic-Arab suicide bombers as a usual situation. There are many examples when Jewish/Islamic conflict reflects on the Western countries. The Islamist sending suicide bombers to the other countries with the aim to kill Jews do not think that such acts may cause injury the innocent people of other religions.
The Arab-Muslim religious philosophy of Jihad has also a violent reflection in the intra-Arabic conflict. The number of killed people because of the Arab-Muslim religious clash significantly exceeds number of killed people in the conflict with Israel. The quantity of people killed in Iran-Iraq war is approximately 1 500 000 people and the contradiction between Iraq and Kuwait caused a death of 100 000. The civil war between the different fractions of Iraq is a significant example of extreme violent acts, which caused daily suicide killings.
Analysis of ISIS Strategy and Its Religious Aspects. Previously the ISIS was not recognized as a new state. However, today it controls approximately ten million people in Syria and Iraq and also has some control in Nigerian and Libya. The strategy of ISIS is basing on the secure the territorial control of the Middle East and integration a new caliphate. ISIS strives to be acknowledged as a new form of military authority and a moral center of the Middle East. According to the ISIS convictions, the government should focus on the religious principles. However, its religious beliefs are more close to the principles developed in the seventh century Muslims world. Even though, real actions of ISIS represent some discrepancy with seventh century Muslims, which many specialists explain as a poor acknowledgment with the religious principles of that time. Besides, a morality of ISIS raises doubts because of their cruel actions like organization of severe air bombings. Many religious people have a critical attitude to the rigid ISIS actions and sincerely hope that soon it will move away from the genuine Islamic teachings.
Discussion the Influence of the Future changes on the Religious Aspects. Today, the Middle East represents a disorderly chaos with a great number of conflicts because of the religious argues, which also affect the tactic of the Western countries refer to its countries. For example, a significant goal of Obama is destroying of ISIS, which is also supported by Putin. Many Islamist supports such changes because that will reduce destroying affect of ISIS on the Islam. A strong connection of the Middle East with the European countries is evident because of the increasing role of Islamic Empire in the international affairs. The collaboration is basing on such factors as Islamic Empire expansion, strong Arab electorates in the European countries, and partnership with Arabs because of global prices control for petrol. A close cooperation may bring to the religion of the Middle East significant changes. Leaders of the Middle East are afraid that transformation of the traditional structure may cause a resurgence of a strong religious rebel. Today, Islam works for authorities’ favor and plays a great role in the development of their power. The leaders use it with the aim to strengthen their position. For example, Saddam induced depiction of the religious scripture to the national flag upon hearing the U.S. attacks because of his awareness that Iraqi people would definitely support a religious cause. Consequently, the leaders afraid that influence of new religion brought by the Western countries may negatively affect the authorities’ ability to keep their power.
The Middle East is a bright example when the conflict cannot be stopped because of the controversial religious issues. A rise of ISIS is an additional aspect, which encourages the conflict development. The Middle East spent much money for military forces support; in spite of invest them in the development of education and economy. A close collaboration of the Middle East with the Western countries may bring some religious changes, which significantly scare Islamic leaders. Islamists and especially radical Islamic fractions do not accept the Western cultures. The strategy of radical Islamic fractions is basing on a new religious philosophy, which supports destroying of the Western culture by suicide acts of terrorism.
