Research Paper On Saudi Arabia

The current relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia is contentious and competitive, however it can be said that it has improved since the twentieth century when the two countries engaged in direct conflict. The two countries have a very similar political agenda, which they use religion and faith to fulfill. They use the rally around the flag concept in order to strengthen their political agendas through their religious beliefs. The idea of a Sunni/Shitte divide is not as immense within the country, but there is one. Saudi Arabia is more of a

In the Middle East, each country has it’s own form of government. These forms of governments have been consistently changing throughout time. Throughout all the revolutions and overthrows, the national identity of the Middle East has slowly changed, some parts more than others. Over many years, overthrows in countries such as Egypt and Libya have led to a more democratic government. However, many other countries such as Iran and Iraq have remained more oppressive. The Middle East is still changing to this day. For example, Egypt recently overthrew their president Hosni Mubarak. There are also many protests currently going on in Libya.

“Believers have every right to build their politics on basic religious ideals such as truth, justice and the welfare of all people,” (Viewpoint, 10). They take teachings from the Qur’an and alienate them into radicalized ideas. One of the main branches of Islam, that they use, is Wahhabism. “The faith that drives Osama bin Laden and his followers is a particularly austere and conservative brand of Islam known as Wahhabism, which was instrumental in creating the Saudi monarchy, and if sufficiently alienated, could tear it down,” (Middle East, paragraph 1). They change the lessons into a much stronger and harsher version of what they actually are. “Saudi rulers essentially owe their power to the Wahhabis,” (Middle East, paragraph 15). “Wahhabis believe their faith should spread, not giving ground in any place they have conquered. Thus Saudi Arabia was a main financial backer of the mujahedeen fighting,” (Middle East, paragraph 5). Wahhabism originated from Saudi Arabia and Saudis have very strong beliefs about their faith. They try to expand their religion into other areas in the

As the Middle East developed over the years, the prominence and teachings of Islam sustained. Numerous aspects in the Middle Eastern Empire altered, but a key element in the

When people generally think of Middle East, they either picture newly developed Arab economies or Muslim dominated volatile regions. However, the Middle Eastern society mentioned in Taking sides is not limited to the few nations defined by geo political lines drawn in the map, rather it is a complexly mixed society of religious factions, different ethnic group and political ideologies, each separated within boundaries of nations. As modern history goes, these factions within the Middle Eastern nation has always contributed hostility to the entire region. Primarily, the faction between Sunni and Shiite fundamentalist can be traced as root cause of

Throughout Middle Eastern history there have been many great empires but two stand out, the Ottoman Empire and the Qajar Kingdom; both have had long-lasting effects on what the Middle East looks like today. When looking at the Islamic Republic today and their form of government it is important to understand how they reached this level through examining their history and the lingering effects that WWI and Western Imperialism have left behind. The Ottoman Empire which stretched as far as modern-day Austria were a great military power but just like the Qajars were brought down by a combination of force and economic troubles. In order to understand the modern Middle East, we must be able to understand its history and what brought down both the Ottoman Empire and the Qajar Dynasty.

In order to promote a peaceful global climate, global accountability from outside countries is necessary to keep Saudi Arabia from infringing on the rights of individuals both within and outside their borders. The overall sociopolitical ideology of Saudi Arabia, operating culturally under a patriarchal system of absolute power, is dangerous to the fabric of humanity. Militant intervention into the

The Middle East is far from monumental and homogenous. Its differences have been a source of both strength and inspiration. The most visible, most pervasive, and the least recognized aspects of

Furthermore, the West in general and the United States in particular, has been accused of, and rightly so, holding the Arab-Islamic world to a double standard. Historically and contemporarily the United States has supported repressive regimes such as those in Saudi Arabia, Iran under the Shah, and Pakistan under Zia ul-Haq, when doing so was in its political and military interests. Support of these repressive regimes was tendered while simultaneously speaking of freedom and “supporting” the democratization of the Muslim world. As a result, it is likely that cited incompatibilities are not between Islam and democracy per se, but rather between Islam and attempts at compelled democratization by

Over recent years, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been confronted with a great challenge: becoming a modernized country without rejecting its long-held culture and heritage. In many ways, the state has been a success story, having developed a profitable oil-based economy and considerable world influence. Less than one hundred years ago, Saudi Arabia had not yet been unified; today, it is a state with complex financial, legal, and political systems, with a culture marked by deep history and faith. Since the September 11, 2011 terrorist attacks, Saudi Arabia has continued to work on a reform agenda to promote greater participation by Saudi citizens, a vibrant economy, and a civil society. However, many

Political uprisings in the Middle East, especially in Muslim nation states have placed Arabian politics back on the focus point of international politics. Political events in certain Arab countries had an inordinate impact on the political development of other neighbor states. Anxieties and resistance within different Arab countries triggered unpredictable actions, sometimes sorely to observe and believe. Authoritarian governments of Arabian countries led from various dictators have created a precarious situation for their lifetime government, especially in providing national security and maintaining peace in the region. Jack Goldstone argues that the degree of a sultan’s weakness is often only visible in retrospect, due in part to the

As noted before, the Iranian aggressive policies date back to the 1979 revolution, after which the country has continued to instigate cases of sedition, unrest, and chaos among the countries in the Gulf region. This is thought to have been a long-term effort by Iran to undermine security and spread instability in the region completely disregarding the moral principles, international conventions, and treaties. However, despite the numerous consequences caused by continued Iranian interference, Saudi has maintained a policy of restraint to prevent any major outburst. The

Obama’s victory started a new era in dealing with the Middle East, despite the fact that U.S foreign policy remains tied to its interests in internal security, the economy, and welfare. The U.S policy is being dictated by its personal interests and political parties that stick to the same lines, but differ in some minor ways of implementation. The implementation of this policy serves pubic interest and employs strategy that ensures the best results for the ruling party. As a result of the Democratic Party holding the majority in the U.S government, Obama’s foreign policy is considered to be backed by a majority of Americans.

Then, in the mid 1700s, Saudi ruler Muhammad ibn Saud, from the Saud dynasty, forged an alliance with a religious reformer named Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab. Ibn Abd al-Wahhab was discontent with the growing disregard for Islamic teachings in Arabia. He taught that the people should return to strict observance and practice of Islamic laws. Adherents to this belief, called Wahhabis, were backed by the armies of the Saud dynasty, and together, these forces began a movement. Areas that converted to Wahhabi beliefs were taken over by the Saud family, thus increasing the size of the Saudi State. However, by 1891, most Saudi control of Arabia was taken by tribal chiefs and by the Ottoman Empire. Then, in 1902, a young Saudi leader named Abd al-Aziz ibn Saud began to reclaim land that his ancestors had lost. He also sought diligently to revive the Wahhabi movement, which heavily emphasized the Islamic beliefs and strict adherence to them. In 1932, Ibn Saud unified the regions he conquered into one state- an Islamic state that he dubbed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Over the last century, the Middle East has been the location of ethnic rivalry, political and economic instability, religious conflict, territorial dispute and war. Much of this tension in the Middle East comes from the various interpretations of Islam and how the religion should be applied to politics and society. Over the last ten years, the United States and their allies have pushed to promote democracy in the Middle East. However, they too have many obstacles they must overcome. They face problems such as the compatibility of Islamic law and democracy, the issue of women’s rights, and there is always the problem of how to go about implementing a democratic reform in these countries. Many initially would assume that it is only the