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Religion as a major cause of conflict
Religion as a major cause of conflict
Religion as a major cause of conflict
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The topic of peace has been on the mind of historians, political leaders, and the general public for as long as our history has been recorded. Will there ever be peace in the Middle East? Will the age old battles, both foreign and domestic ever end? This question, pondered on throughout decades of Western civilization, has both a simple answer and a complex reasoning. To even begin to uncover the answer, one must understand the conflict and its deeply rooted origins to even draw a hypothesis of the outcome. We must first venture into the guarded minds of radical Muslims, our coalition forces, and the minds of the non-violent Muslims who seek liberation from the grip of evil. We must delve into the history of the Islamic world, the tales of the Jihads, and attempt to understand the motivations beneath. In order to answer the question of peace, it is crucial to understand the history of Islam, and the founder Muhammad. According to the The World Almanac of the Middle East the prophet Muhammad was born in or around the year 570 (Downing, 1946). As a young child Muhammad lost both parents, and in turn was raised by his uncle. Growing up in the career of caravans, young Muhammad was a camel driver. At the age of 25 Muhammad worked for a woman named Khadija, (who was fifteen years his senior) who he later married. It is said that within his 30th year of life, Muhammad reporting experiencing visits from an angel that we now know by the name of Gabriel. Muhammad (naturally) thought he was going mad and looked for comfort with his wife Khadija. She assured him he was not mad and in turn, became Muhammad's first follower ("Life of the Prophet", 2010). It would be in his country of birth that Muhammad would face his first religious persec... ... middle of paper ... ...lies of any country that allows a different religion or believes in the freedoms we Americans hold so dearly. What they aim to do is to over throw governments across the world and install Islamic law, by any means necessary. They hold no reservations against killing their own people (or ours) over differences in opinion, claiming such actions are justified by Allah. They are not afraid of dying because they are in a Holy War and dying for Allah is a privilege and an honor that they seek. The radicals are an enemy , set upon any path, morally sound or not, that will allow them to accomplish their goal of total domination. As we have seen in our history books, no amount of persuasion, money or attempted liberation will stop them. Will there ever be peace in the Middle East? Shown through history, the answer is quite clearly: no. Works Cited History of the Middle East
The Middle East has since time immemorial been on the global scope because of its explosive disposition. The Arab Israeli conflict has not been an exception as it has stood out to be one of the major endless conflicts not only in the region but also in the world. Its impact continues to be felt all over the world while a satisfying solution still remains intangible. A lot has also been said and written on the conflict, both factual and fallacious with some allegations being obviously evocative. All these allegations offer an array of disparate views on the conflict. This essay presents an overview of some of the major literature on the controversial conflict by offering precise and clear insights into the cause, nature, evolution and future of the Israel Arab conflict.
According to Amin Maalouf, “It seems clear that the Arab East still sees the West as a natural enemy. Against that enemy, any hostile action-be it political, military, or based on oil-is considered no more than legitimate vengeance. And there can be no doubt that the schism between these two worlds dates from the Crusades, deeply felt by the Arabs, even today, as an act of rape” (Amin Maalouf). When reflecting on The Crusades Through Arab Eyes, this quote always sticks out as the most powerful piece of Maalouf’s work. As a growing college student this quote brings harsh reality to the world I live in. I believe as you grow through life, you become more and more aware of the world around you through education. In order to be aware you must be educated; The Crusades Through Arab Eyes has done just that by opening my eyes to a world and viewpoint I have never before considered.
Many centuries ago, a very significant event in the Muslim tradition occurred. More specifically, this occasion occurred in the later part of the mid sixth century. In about the year 570 AD, Muhammad ibn Abdullah was born in Mecca. Just six weeks before his birth, his father had passed away. He continued to live in Mecca where he was cared for by his foster mother; a Bedouin woman named Halimah. Unfortunately, she died when Muhammad was only six years old. He then went to live with his grandfather Abdul Muttalib, whom also died just two years later. Finally, he went to live with his uncle Abu Talib, a merchant. These tragic losses made him a very sensitive person who would always emphasize the need to be especially kind to orphans, women, and the weak in society. These are also a few of the basic building blocks of the Islamic faith, which would eventually become the second largest religion (in numbers of followers) due to its beliefs and its founder, Muhammad ibn Abdullah. This religion, although very popular and rapidly growing in size, would turn out to be forced on people more so than allowing them to adopt the beliefs for themselves.
The Religion of Islam views Muhammad as the last prophet. He proclaimed revelations that he understood to be from God. Muhammad believed that Gabriel was sent by God to deliver these revelations. His companions recorded those revelations and they are known as the Qur’an. After receiving the revelations, Muhammad shared the Qur’an with the people of Mecca. Muhammad tried to persuade people to abandon their polytheistic religions. (Hussain) Polytheism is a religion in which you worship multiple Gods. The local Meccan powers did not appreciate this and Muhammad and his early followers were persecuted. (Mazhar-ul)
Robinson, B.A. (2002, October 14). Islam: Is it a religion of violence or of peace.
The news of people dying and suffering, killings of women and children, and bombings by terrorists and militaries, has undoubtedly grabbed the world’s attention towards the Israel-Palestine conflict. While Palestinian children scream for their dead parents, the world’s leaders and academics initiated a frantic debate, trying hard to point out the real cause and viable solutions for the current situation. This has led to many peace initiatives by the international community that were unfortunately a devastating failure. This deadlock had left leaders and supporters of both sides blaming each other for their stubbornness, in some cases elevating the unrest in Israel and Palestine (Reynolds). In this difficult condition, it is hard for us to determine what actually caused the failure of the peace talks without being biased towards one side. Therefore, my goal in this essay is to examine the cause of the peace talks’ failure objectively by observing the history of past peace talks, the reasons for disagreement that are given by Palestine and Israel and the key issues discussed in peace talks. Finally, I will conclude my research by developing my stand on the causes based on the research I have conducted.
Muhammad was a complex man who was driven by ideology and who often did things that puzzled his followers and convert...
There will never be peace in the Middle East. The idea of peace in a certain region is a silly notion. What region has truly ever known peace? Allow me to rephrase my thesis: There will never be peace in the Middle East as long as western powers intervene into Arab affairs. It is common knowledge that throughout history western powers have colonized, occupied, and exploited indigenous people in the name of national interest, national security, and manifest destiny. The Middle East is not exempt. It started with British intervention into Egyptian affairs, controlling the Suez Canal in the name of national interest, then the deposing of an elected government in Iran to stop the western-controlled oil companies from being nationalized, to the support of Israel and the presence of western troops in the land of the two holy places. The region is not destabilized because of radical Islam; it is destabilized because of western intervention, a denial by the western powers of Arab self-determination and sovereignty, and a profound misunderstanding of Arab culture. Blowback, or the unintended consequences of foreign intervention, is a relatively unknown concept yet, it applies directly to this topic.
Did you ever wonder about how the religion Muslim started? Muhammad was meditating in a cave in 610 AD, he was overcome by a powerful force and was instructed to recite. Attracted to Islam’s message of equality and social reform, people of different backgrounds converted and followed the Five Pillars of Islam: belief, prayer, fasting, alms-giving, and pilgrimage. After Muhammad died in 632, there was confusion over who should lead the Muslims. Muhammad was born in around 570 C.E. in Mecca, modern day Saudi Ar...
Without casting aspersions on the people and the culture of the region, we cannot deny that the Middle East is a hotbed of fanaticism. Thousands of militants have been indoctrinated by calls for the violent destruction of entire gr...
After ‘The Year of Sorrow’ in which both Muhammad’s uncle- Abu Talib and wife- Kadijah died Muhammad is warned by the angel Gabriel that the situation is getting too dangerous for him in Mecca. “Muhammad knew the faith must find expression in a community which would insure its external force and the opportunity to prevail against opposition” (Cragg). It is at this point that Muhammad is invited to become a leader in Medina (622ce).
Muhammad grew up in Arabia and knew other monotheistic communities, namely, Jews and Christians he rejected the idol worship of the majority of Arabs (LaGrone, 3). Muhammad was known for making spiritual retreats, spending much time in solidarity and reflection, which provided him the opportunity for contemplation away from the world (Fisher, 380). It was during one of those spiritual retreats during Ramadan, when he was forty years old that he began having revelations, and it was the angel Gabriel who came to him ...
The definition of peace means being free from disturbance. From a biblical perspective, the absence of conflict is only the beginning of peace. True peace includes personal wholeness, righteousness, political justice, and prosperity for all creation. That’s the way God intended things to be when he created his garden, his paradise. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives.” (John 14:27) The Islamic perspective is as well about peace and knowledge and true Muslims are peace-loving people. Peace is promoted as Allah (S.W.T) says in the Quran "God does not forbid you to be kind and equitable to those who have neither fought against your faith nor driven you out of your homes. In fact God loves the equitable." (Chapter 60, Verse 8). This tells Muslims that all people should be treated kindly and equally.
Muhammad was born in Mecca in 570 A.D. his father died 2 months before his birth and his mother died when he was six. His grandfather, who was his next guardian died soon as well. He grew up under the watch of his uncle Abu Talib. Despite his bad childhood Muhammad grew up to be a respectful and courteous man. He spoke the truth, helped other and was generous. People called him Al-Amin meaning "faithful." Muhammad grew up without parents and moved from relative to relative to live. He had to work very hard for a living and prided himself on being an honest, loyal faithful man. He never had an easy life and always had to work for what he had. They look up to the Prophet as a role model and do
During Muhammad’s time, he united many areas in Arabia and was able to establish a religious communi...