Free Custom «Modern Era in the Middle East» Essay Paper

The Middle East has been a subject of controversy for centuries. The religious and political atmosphere in the region has always beentense. The religious and cultural differences of the inhabitants of the Middle East have led to theformationofnumerousfactions. The political atmosphere of the Middle Easthas been factorizedby a civil strife for generations. In an attempt to understand the complexities of the modern era in the Middle East, it isessentialto address the factors that have contributed to the currentatmosphereand politics in the Middle East. The most significant contributors to the complexities in the Middle East are religion and natural resources.

The Middle Eastis attributedto theinceptionandthe growthof the world’s first civilization. Therefore, the mostdominantreligions of Islam and Christianity originate from the Middle East. Both religions being subscribers of the same religious origin struggle to gain control of the Middle East as their stronghold. The Jewish believers and Christians believe that the Middle East encompasses their founding fathershomeland. Christians and the Jewsalso believethat the Middle East is the Promised Land given by God.

 

Type of service

Type of assignment

Title of your paper *

Academic level

Pages

Timeframe

Spacing

Currency

  Order now

However, the Arab community, which preaches Islam, has never agreed to this line of thought and arguments. Theirpositionis that the Middle East is theirnativehomeland and the Jewish migration to the region has culminated to aninvasionto their land. The Israeli Arab conflict issignificantlypremised on religious beliefs. The affiliation of Christian nations to Israel and the Islamic communities to the Arab community in the Middle East caused the division of opinions across the world. The dispute concerning the rightful occupants of the Middle East has been a controversy for decades. The complexity of the Middle Easthas been significantly influenced by religious affiliations and beliefs.

According to the article “Middle East”, the land problem in the Middle East has been a thorn in the flesh for Middle Eastern countries. The creation of the Israelnationsignificantly contributed to the land disputes and controversies in the region. The colonialist British government made apromiseto the Arab leaders in the region that they would help with the creation of an Arab state. However, this was on condition that they would topple and overthrow the governingregimeof that time. The reasons behind the scheme were that at that time the prevailing Ottoman Empire supported Germany in its world war campaigns. However, the British government failed to honor itsagreementof establishing an Arab state in the region on the basis of the Balfour declaration (Shah). The declaration stated that the British government supported the creation of the Israeli nation.

The vote by the United Nations general assembly tocreatethe Jewish state of Israel did not helpto mitigatethe existing landproblem. TherecommendationtodividePalestine into Israel and Arabstatewas notwelcomedby the Arab leaders of the region. The allocation of a bigger portion of the disputed land to the Jews, which were a minority, served as an indicator of the favoritism of the United Nations General Assembly. Thisdecisionwas supportedby the United States of America, which promised to be impartial to the land problem in the Middle East. The rationale of the members of the United Nations General Assembly to align with Israelwas motivatedby their religious beliefs andalliance with the Jewish community.

Thecreationanddeclarationof the Israelnationin 1948was denouncedby the Arab community. The division of Palestinewas objected resulting in the denial of Israel’s existence by the Arab community (Kamrava 83). Israelwas facedwith a threat of invasion, when Arab countries in the Middle East combinedforcesagainst the Jewish nation. However, their combined efforts to destroy the Jewish state and to claim back the land were not successful. Complicatedretaliatory relationships commenced between Israel and her neighbors. Themodernpolitical atmosphere in the Middle Eastis significantly influencedby the events of the establishment of the Jewish nation.

Stay Connected

Live Chat Order now

The land problem is acriticalfactor in the political andreligiousaspects of Palestine and neighboring regions of the Middle East. However, the land problem escalates across the Middle East. The countries of the Middle East are characterizedbyinternalfactions, whichcontrolthe given sector of the region. The availability of oil in the region motivates the rise of groups with anobjectivetocontroloil fields. These have led to the complexity in the region resulting from the competition for control over the oil fields. The world economies are extensivelydependenton oil derived from the Middle East. The struggle to control thisinvaluablenatural resource leads to a division among leaders and a manipulation by vested parties.

The availability of oil in the Middle East has contributed to a significant civil strife in the region. The Western countries, including the United States and Europe, vested interests in the control of the oil industry. Theirinterestsmotivated the funding of factions totopplehard-lined administrations against the outside influence on their oil policies andindustry. The objective of western countries is to fund and control factions in the Middle East and to gain access and control of oil. However, these effortsare metwith resistance, which leads toa perpetualcivil strife in the region. Oil being a determinant of the world economies andthe wealthis a powerful tool.

The modern era in the Middle East remainscomplexbecause of the oil factor in the region. The attempts to dominate and exploit the Middle East have led to resentment of the Western world by the Middle Eastern communities. Theirviewis that the Western world iscapableand willing toplungethe region towardsan infinitecivil strife, as long as theyneedthe region's oilresource. The Middle Eastern problemsare significantly influencedbyexternalfactors andaggression. The world’s dependence on oil leaves the Middle East to beproneto political manipulations andunrest. The funding of factions within the Middle East has contributed to the regions complexity. The struggle to control the region’s resources has left the Middle East withindignity, negative publicity and demonizing of Islamic religious beliefs.

The attempts of the West to control the Middle East have failed tremendously. The involvement of the West in the invasion in the Middle Eastern countries has led to resentment andloathingby the Middle Eastern countries. The United States funds Middle Eastern administrations in thehopeof controlling themand their natural resources (Halliday 275). If a Middle Easternadministrationresists, it is branded as a terrorism-supportingadministration. The efforts of the United States to control the Middle East have led to itsinvasionin such countries as Iraq to look for weapons of mass destruction or terrorists. The reality is that its intention is to hoard oil for itself as spoils of war. The Western countries’invasionin the Middle Eastern without adequate evidence towarranttheir actions is critical. These actionsdemeanthe Middle Eastern countries’ sovereignty and ability to govern themselves without external influences. The Middle Eastern communities have become resentful of the Western countriesand especially ofthe United States of America. Thisis basedon the U. S. Policy of terror in the Muslim community painted as barbaric, cruel and abusive for the human rights. These observations have led to stereotyping the Middle East as thehubfor terrorists and extremist groups. Although, the Muslim community is not liable for the actions of a few misguided individuals which resort to violence against innocent civilians. It isessentialtoobservethat, the complexity of the relationships between the Western countries and the Middle East has been culminated by the Western countries’attemptto control and manipulate the Middle Eastern administrationsand its oil resources.

The Western countries campaigns to demonize the Islamiccommunityin the Middle East have led to retaliatory attacks by extremist groups. Thesegroups’ actionsare motivatedby the United States actions against the Muslim community and favoritism towards the Israeli nation. The events of the 9/11^th of September are anindicatorof these groups’ feelings towards the United States. The invasion in Iraq and the subsequent problems arising during and after the invasion issymbolicto the complex effects caused by the United States in the Middle East. The rise of factions fighting against each other for resources becameprevalentafter the United Statesinvasion, which failed to maintain law and order. The complexities of the modern erain the Middle East are caused by a singlefactor,but by many aspects of the region and itsadministration.

The significant influence of the Middle Eastis basedon the religious beliefs andavailablenatural resources. The Middle East divides the world into twoprincipalreligious groupings of Muslims and Christians. The natural resources in the region have led to a civil strife as a result of greedy factions fighting against each other for a control. These factions may be influenced by external orinternalfactors. However, it isconclusivetoacknowledgethat the availability of oil as a naturalresourcewill continue tocomplicatethe region’spoliticaland social atmosphere. The religious and cultural history of theregionhas prevailed in determining the politics of the region. Therefore, the complexities of the modern Middle East are a perpetuation of pre-existingproblemandconflict,whose solution has remained elusive up-to-date.