The middle east is a land stained with the blood of innocence and plagued with instability. Most history books will claim that the instability has been growing since the late 1970’s and some state its stemmed from bad blood between tribes that has been cultivating for thousands of years. But could the foundations on which the house of history stands be built upon grains of sand? Have western nations played a larger part in the rapid growth of conflict in the middle east? “Christianity and western civilisation, what countless crimes have been committed in thy name?” - Ngugi Wa Thiong’o
Many of the current conflicts are the cause of territorial dispute which can be directly linked to the resolution of WW1. “Everything changed with the
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This incited a mass body count between both Palestinians and the people of the newly formed Israel. Through the unthoughtful declaration of invasion and redistribution of land it's undeniable that western states have played a role in causing much of the distrust and civil unrest we see in the middle east today.
Fast forwarding from the Sykes-Picot to the period after the Second World War. The West had imposed not only fake borders on the region, but also brought various leaders, such as King King Faisal in Iraq, Farouk in Egypt, and the Shah of Iran. As Tarek Fatah (Pakistani born writer currently living in Canada) noted, the CIA coup in Iran added gasoline to an already out of control fire that is extreme Islamism and brought about a new breed of terrorism. The West single handedly created the Saudi state while the Brits also supported its nascent rulers. One author states “support for these family regimes has been a part of US policy for decades.” The West also played a part in establishing all the Gulf Monarchies. As Owen Jones notes in The Guardian “the west’s relationship with Middle Eastern dictatorships that have played a pernicious role in the rise of Islamist fundamentalist terrorism. And no wonder: the west is militarily, economically and diplomatically allied with these often brutal regimes, and our media all too often reflects the foreign policy objectives of our government's.” Every regime in the Middle East is a creature
The role of the Middle East has been very crucial to the United States, especially after WWII. The U.S. had three strategic goals in the Middle East and consistently followed them throughout various events that unfolded in the region. First, with the emergence of the cold war between the Soviet Union and the U.S., policymakers began to recognize the importance of the Middle East as a strategic area in containing Soviet influence. This also coincides with the U.S. becoming increasingly wary of Arab nationalism and the threat it posed to U.S. influence. Secondly, the emergence of the new Israeli state in 1948 further deepened U.S. policy and involvement in the region while also creating friction between the U.S. and Arab states which were
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
Throughout American history wars have played a huge part. From the start of the country to the present wars have played a lagrge part in shaping America into the national power that it is today. Not only is America the most pwerful nation in thwe world but it is also the policeman for the entire world, making and checking up on the world and all the interactions of foreign countries worldwide. Being born in born in the early eighties prohibitied me from experiencing many of the Americas war firsthand. This however changed early in the 1990's.
Edmund Burke once said “Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.” Unfortunately, it seems that many people who have impacted the world have had a bad history teacher, as history continues to repeat itself to this day. One of the most prime examples of this is seen in the Middle East; where the Palestinian people are fighting against the Israelis over territory in which they both believe belongs to them. It has been a dispute which has resulted in loss of homes, loss of life and loss of money. However, this is nothing new. Eugene O’Neill’s statement, “There is no present and no future, only the past happening over and over again, now” applies strongly to the situation of the past 70 years in the
The Gulf War was much more than a fight to liberate Kuwait. It was the first non-conventional war; in which new, fairly new, or even experimental weapons were used. The Gulf War displayed much new technology that you will learn lots about in this paper. This paper may sound very technical, but that is what it is about, the new weapon technology vs. the conventional types of weapons used in previous wars. This paper is about the advancement of weapon technology, and how the military changed the tactics used before.
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
The United States has had some international issues with Middle Eastern countries in the past. It goes without saying; the most recent is the current gulf war led by George W. Bush and of course the previous gulf war led by his father George H.W. Bush. With neighboring Iran, there have been quarrels such as the Iran-Contra affair. This involved a political scandal in which Ronald Reagan's administration sold military arms to Iran. At this time they were in the midst of the Iran-Iraq War, while the United States had hostages held in Lebanon by Hezbollah. The United States hoped that Iran would influence Hezbollah to release the American hostages, but didn't. Finally, with Saudi Arabia also part of the Middle East, the United States
The region of the Middle East and its inhabitants have always been a wonder to the Europeans, dating back to the years before the advent of Islam and the years following the Arab conquest. Today, the Islamic world spreads from the corners of the Philippines to the far edges of Spain and Central Africa. Various cultures have adopted the Islamic faith, and this blending of many different cultures has strengthened the universal Islamic culture. The religion of Islam has provided a new meaning to the lives of many people around the world. In the Islamic world, the religion defines and enriches culture and as a result the culture gives meaning to the individual. Islam is not only a religion, it is in its own way a culture. It may be this very
Historians, specifically American historians of the 21st century have demonstrated an interest in the Middle East in Islam, due to Americans frequent contact with the Middle East in the early 1960s. Islam and the Middle East have played a remarkable role in Americans discussion and reaction to the events that took place on September 11th, 2001. During this time Americans were beginning to regard the Middle East, Muslims, and Islam as one entity. Americans and the world regarded the Middle East as Islam and Islam as the Middle East. Thus, this correlation between the two made Muslims say Muslim Americans and Muslims in America as less western and more of another, but they were also seen as untrustworthy individuals. Additionally, prior to the September 11th, attacks and an after effect of September 11, was that Muslim men were violent and Muslim women as oppressed individuals. Thus, the perception of Islamophobia and the threat it brings to western society has impacted the discussion of Islamophobia in America.
Many of the problems in the Middle East today are a direct result of actions undertaken in the region 's colonial past. I will argue that both imperialist ineptitude, deliberate meddling and outright deceit by colonial powers have sown seeds of distrust that linger in the Middle East today towards the West. I will claim that artificial boundaries, government structures and societal schisms created in colonial times have entrenched animosities and created internal structural instabilities in the area that are still being resolved. The imposition of Israel into Palestine, I will argue, remains an unresolved product of colonial rule. I will discuss how the discovery of oil and the regions importance as a trade route caused the World Powers to remain engaged in the area and oppressive in their demeanour. Finally I will argue that perhaps the greatest ongoing legacy of colonialism in the Middle east is an imperialist attitude by the west which continues to this day.
The prince is responsible for selling natural gas drilling rights to the Chinese, thus angering the Americans. Furthermore, the Prince’s father, the emir, has good relations with America and allows them to keep military personal in his country. The allowance of US troops is of specific value in comparison, notably, with Saudi Arabia. This is a major sore spot for many fundamentalists as it is viewed as a military occupation of holy grounds. Osama bin-Laden is known for brandishing this point as a major reason for hating America (Zeiden 2001). It also angers Prince Nasir, who believes in reforms to move his country away from dependence on oil and foreign nations. This is noticeably in opposition to American oil interests, so they subsequently bomb the Prince as he attempts to secure the throne away from his brother (emir content with continuing former policies). US interference in Middle Easter politics is extremely common. America, and other European nations, has supported both oppressive regimes and military coups to secure oil interests (Zunes; Pitz, Lecture Modern Iran). In doing so, they have blocked the path to democracy and self-determination for many nations.
In Araby, by James Joyce, the story is told by a young boy who has his heart on a girl. The boy’s name is never mentioned in the story and neither is the girls’. Since the narrator is the young boy, his name is never mentioned. In the story, the girl is only mentioned as Mangan’s sister. The point of view, plot, and setting all help make up this story. The narrator in this story is the young boy and he tells the story through his point of view.
The Arab-Israeli Conflict The Arab Israeli conflict has gone on for many years. There have been many wars, terrorist attacks and peace treaties between Israel and the Arab countries. Through war and Treaties Israel has gained and lost alot of land. There have been 4 major wars between Israel and The Arab countries, as well as terrorist attacks.
Ethnic conflicts are well rooted in the world's history and perhaps inherent in human nature. This type of conflict is difficult to resolve as is evident in the situation in the Middle East. The ethnic conflict theory explains that it is not territory, politics, or economics that prevents the achievement of peace between the Israeli and Palestinian peoples, instead, it is a deep-seated hatred of one another that neither group can overcome. The Camp David Summit in July 2000, the most recent attempt at fostering a lasting peace is a clear example of how ethnocentrism can prevents success.
were chosen by God to set up a state of Israel where they could not be