Strategic, cooperative relationships between states in the Middle East have tended to be inconsistent and volatile - examples being the alliance between Egypt and Syria that coalesced into the short-lived United Arab Republic in 1958 and the shifting relationships between Saudi Arabia and Iraq . In fact, in Walt’s list of eighteen Middle Eastern regional alliances formed between 1955 and 1979, none lasted for longer than five years (Walt, 1987, p.150). In light of this heritage, it is therefore particularly remarkable that the most persistent regional arrangement to-date has been between Syria, a secular, Arab and predominantly Sunni state and Iran, a Persian, Shia theocracy.
And the relationship has certainly been persistent, with the
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President al-Assad of Syria and his inner circle are Alawites; a religious sect that broke from mainstream Shi’ism in the 9th century. As a member of a Shia minority running an otherwise predominantly Sunni state , it would seem natural to look to Iran for support. From Iran’s perspective too, when viewed though this sectarian prism, it would seem to be expedient to support a nominally Shia regime in order to prevent Syria becoming another member of the regional ‘Sunni camp’. In support of this analysis, Agha and Khalidi claim that “the Shiite-Alawite connection did play an important part in the development of Syrian-Iranian relations and may in fact be seen as one of the main motors of the of the emerging alliance between the two countries” (Agha and Khalidi, 1995, p.4). Others extend this idea of a ‘sectarian allegiance’ further, describing it as part of a ‘Shia Crescent’ that encompasses not only Iran and Syria but also post-war Iraq and the increasingly significant Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. This approach clearly sees religion as a ‘key binding agent’ in this regional configuration.
So is this a persuasive analysis? Certainly, sectarianism has played a significant role in the domestic political history of both nations. In Syria, as Horowitz explains “ethnic politics is defined in confessional terms” (Horowitz, 2001, p.492) with the Ba’athist coup of 1963 being followed by purges of Sunnis from the military and civil services until by 1969 “the Alawi were left
For the United States, the Gulf region remains one of the most geo-strategically important locations in the world for diplomatic, intelligence cooperation, and business opportunities such as hydrocarbons and arms. This strategic cooperation has provided the region some stability, particularly with the rise of Iran and the Shi’a crescent and the chaotic outcome of the war in Iraq. The council members have also relied on the United State to fend off some of the domestic challenges to the existing regimes that are both internally and regionally rooted.
Baxter, K. and Akbarzadeh, Shahram, _US foreign policy in the Middle East_, Routledge, London, 2008.
In document B it is stated that “ with a Sunni-dominated opposition facing off against an Alawite heavy regime… Sunnis and Alawites increasingly hold one another collectively responsible for violations real and percieved. This… has given rise to a grim, self-perpetuating cycle of sectarian violence.” In document C it is stated that “ Most of the shabiha are Alawites, and resentment against them run high: many people accuse them of killing thousands of unarmed civilians.” Sunnis being the majority of Syria, shows that in the end having a minority rule a majority leads to nothing good. This violence stretches to before the civil war, but continues to be a constant fuel for the civil war, as tensions between the two ethnic and religious groups never seems to lessen. Whether or not either side is right or wrong is not the point, as long as this conflict continues between the groups and the alawites stay in power, there will always be rebellion, which will always lead to harsh response. Overall, the tension and violence not only provided one of many catalysts for the civil war, but also a fuel source for
The author achieves his goal but also fails in certain aspects. Sahner prefaces the book with the statement that he will provide an understanding to the rich history of Syria and the multiple sects that proliferate its landscape. What he fails to do is provide an encompassing view to this landscape but instead undertakes the executive decision to focus on specific snapshots of Syria’s history. Consequently, he skips almost entirely the later parts of the Islamic Caliphate and subsequent Ottoman rule that dominated a large part of Syria’s history in the second millennium A.D. Overall, the author weaves a tale that is well written but could have expounded more upon the certain epochs in Syria’s history. Nonetheless, it overwhelmingly succeeds in personifying a culture and country often dismissed and simplified as “just another tragic, religious conflict”.
Syria’s civil war is the worst humanitarian crisis of modern time. The “Syrian Civil war Began in March of 2011, between rebel brigades and government force; economy and infrastructure is destroyed” (Library, 2016). “Divisions between secular and religious fighters, and between ethnic groups, continue to complicate the politics of the conflict” (Corps, 2016). Additionally, the Syrian civil war has taken a significant
In this day and age, we find ourselves at odds with our “identity” as we find that not only are we representing ourselves, but we also have ties to religion, sect, tribe, and family (Angrist). This shows that despite the cohesiveness and threads that attach us, it has the power to pull people, families, and in some cases countries apart. This conflict comes to a head when religion and ethnicity are interwoven. Hence when divisions occur, this can lead to violent wars that destroy trust between individuals. This can ingrain a sense of uneasiness and distrust that plagues people’s ideas and leaves a country divided. This is particularly evident in Lebanon. Ethnic and religious division led to the festering of feelings of marginalization and discrimination, which boiled over into the Lebanese civil war, a war that claimed the lives of 150,000 people (Szekely). The anger and frustration birthed from this to chaos, and conflict has in turn increased the division between ethnic and religious factions and led to the crumbling of Lebanese nationalism. This essay is specifically aimed at assessing the relationships between ethnic and religious divisions in Lebanon and explores how it contributed to the civil war. This is done by identifying and analyzing the main actors and makes an explanation of the historical divisions stemming from the National Pact, branching out to include the consequences of the civil war on the political structures and the identities of the
America is a country with many beliefs that seem to be hypocritical, for they appear to not be followed by it’s citizens and government. It is common to hear about this country being a place where everyone is respected and has their own rights. The National Anthem of the United States of America proclaims this country as “The land of the free and the home of the brave.” But it is questionable whether this line is true or not in terms of it’s significance. Much oppression, injustice, and prejudice can be found today towards non-white people and those who are socially “inferior.” By the looks of things, it seems that America has not reached it’s goal of achieving true racial and social equality. There are many realistic examples of the modern United States that show that the country will never achieve such goal. Indeed, one can see these events and conclude that America is not the land of the free, for other groups of people are mistreated for being of another race, or simply for being “inferior” to the eyes of society. Even some famous writings by authors prove that the U.S. will never achieve true racial and social equality. Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird is an example of such proof. In the plotline, a girl named Scout watches how her attorney-father tries to defend a black man against the prejudice of her hometown of Maycomb, Alabama. With this information, one can see how even a fictional story can present the prejudice and injustice
Syria is currently all over the news regarding what many have to come to see as a civil war. A term like civil war needs to identify the players and the reasons for the war. In this case the players are being identified as pro government or antigovernment with a Sunni or Shia overtone. Sunni and Shia are the two major sects of Islam and both have a historical based conflict going back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad and how Muslims should be governed. This conflict has caused tensions and violence to flare up throughout Islamic history. This conflict has carried into modern times and has becoming a rallying point for Muslim people calling for change with their government and across the Middle Eastern region. The
Conflict over energy resources—and the wealth and power they create—has become an increasingly prominent feature for geopolitics particularly in the Middle East . The discovery of oil in the late nineteenth century added a dimension to the region as major outside states powers employed military force to protect their newly acquired interests in the Middle East. The U.S.’s efforts to secure the flow of oil have led to ever increasing involvement in the Middle East region’s political affairs and ongoing power struggles. By the end of the twentieth century, safeguarding the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf had become one of the most important functions of the U.S. military establishment. The close relationship between the United States and the Saudi royal family was formed in the final months of World War II, when U.S. leaders sought to ensure preferential access to Saudi petroleum. The U.S. link with Saudi Arabia and other countries in the region has demonstrated to be greatly beneficial to both parties, yet it has also led to ever deepening U.S. involvement in regional politics.
While the aftermath of World War II is often referred to as one of the primary creators of deep rooted turmoil in the Middle East region, the effects of the Cold War and the United States often over-zealous battle against communism is just as much a contributor if not more. The Arab world and the Middle East region were clearly going through quite an extraordinary period throughout World War II and its conclusion, primarily with the creation of most of the states we recognize today and struggling with the continuation of colonialism. These factors set the stage for the emergence of strong nationalist sentiments and Pan-Arab movements across the Middle East. Unfortunately, and much to the detriment of the region, the leaders of these young
By definition, Islam is a religion of those who obey the doctrines of the Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad, who in the 7th century lived in Arabia, initiated a religious movement that throughout the Middle East was supported by the Arabs. Today, not only in Middle East origins, Islam has adherents, where it is the dominant religion in all countries (Non-Arab, and Arab), but also in other parts of Africa, Asia and, of course, as well as in the United States. Those who are loyal to Islam are called Muslims. The Sunni, Shiite conflict in Iraq started long before the ruling of Saddam Hussein, but when Hussein became Prime Minister of the country the conflict between the two religious sects was taken to a new level. Right when Hussein gained full power, under his control, began years of persecution of the Shiite Muslims in the country. But, before this happened, the conflict was based upon Muhammad and who was to rule after he had died. When Muhammad had died there were many disputes on who should succeed the Prophet Muhammad after his death in 632. Shiites believed that the prophet’s son-in-law, Ali, was to be the successor. Both consider the Koran the word of God. But, devoutness and religious practice distinguish between the two sects. However, Islam teaches that all Islam is equal so Sunni and Shiite sects fight with each other not only because of “hatred” but, also because of religious
Many qualities are extremely necessary to be an effective honors student. The need for academic talents, effort, as well as past achievements. I think the main qualities that I control are top notch study skills, great will to learn more, and superb intelligence. I possess great study skills to pull me through difficult classes. I study a lot for every test I take, to ensure the best grade possible.
that religion and politics have a long history in the Middle East does not mean that religion is always, or even most of the time, a crucial factor driving political conflicts. Most of the politics of the Middle East have been viewed by those inside and outside the region as driven by religious difference. From the Arab-Israeli conflict to the Iranian revolution to the emergence of
the conflict in the middle east between 1948-1973 was not purely fuelled by the interest and concerns of the superpowers but rather of a series of conflictual incidents, aswell as the main wars that took place from the years from 1948-1967 such as the: 1948 War, The Six Day War of 1967 and the Yom Kippur war of 1973. But although the conflict was not fuelled by the superpowers, the influence of the superpowers and the reach of the superpowers into the Middle East was evident in the years both prior and following 1978. But even despite the influence and interests of the superpowers between and including 1948-1967 being undeniably evident, the extent of this influence cannot be said to have “fuelled the conflict”.
If you manage, run or won an office, you know how hectic the cleanliness and maintenance of the spaces in the building can be. Unless you rent or own the entire building, the landlord will expect you as the tenant to clean up and maintain your rented office space. On their part, your landlord will clean the common areas like the public rest rooms, hallways elevators and lobbies. As a manger or business owner needing to keep the office clean, there are two option: hire in-house staff or hire an office cleaner. Depending on your needs, you can find persons to employ or contract out the cleaning functions of the office. The following are the pros and cons of hiring of hiring an office cleaner.