Causes of Unrest in the Middle East Essay - 1145 Words

The Causes of Unrest in the Middle East The causes of unrest in the Middle East are historical, religious, economic and geo-political. Ancient history and ancient civilizations can serve as a framework for understanding some of the existing enmity. For example, the Persians (Iranians) and the Babylonians (Iraqis) have been fighting for more than 3,000 years. However, the current unrest in the Middle East is the result of Western ethno-centrism and colonialism (covert and overt), combined with religious and sectarian conflicts. The impact of Western (Europe and the USA.) interference in the Middle East cannot be overstated. Indeed, the term â€Å"Middle East† is an artificial term that has no meaning except in the context of its†¦show more content†¦Each time a country tried to become a democracy, the implied threat of the possibility of oil being withheld from the military machines of the Western powers led to the destruction of the democratic elements and to the installation of kings and dictators tha t served the interests of Great Britain, France and the USA. Iran is an example of the destruction of democracy to preserve the supply of oil to the West. Iran, which was a functioning democracy during the early-1950s, attempted to nationalize their oil industry. The word â€Å"nationalization† has a negative connotation, but actually means using a nation’s resources for the nation rather than for the benefit of a colonial or external power. Great Britain, with the support of the US and other Western nations, embargoed Iranian oil exports causing great damage to the Iranian people and economy, but failed to break the will and spirit of the Iranians (Bostock). Eventually, the CIA engineered a coup which overthrew Mossadegh, the elected prime minister of Iran, and installed Shah Reza Pahlavi, one of the most vile, cruel and inhumane dictators of the modern era (Bostock). In 1978 the Shah was overthrown by Islamists, who are in power today as a result of the excesses of the Shah, and who are now attempting to develop nuclear we apons to prevent the USA from overthrowing them (Bostock). We call it terror; they call it self-preservation. Add-in the US support forShow MoreRelatedEssay about Increasing Oil and Gasoline Prices 1030 Words   |  5 PagesThis leads to a particular, why is the price of oil and gasoline increasing at such a rapid rate? Three possible reasons for this could be: the unrest in the Middle East, speculation and risky trading on futures, or a simple difference in supply and demand. The unrest in the Middle East would be a valid disruption in normality of prices if the Middle East were exporting less oil than it did before the many revolutions. However, Saudi Arabia has said it will make up the difference in the supply ifRead MorePolitical uprisings in the Middle East, especially in Muslim nation states have placed Arabian700 Words   |  3 PagesPolitical 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 precariousRead MoreRadical Islam vs. Islam Essay1313 Words   |  6 PagesEven before the tragic day of September 11th, 2001 a n important question lingered on the minds of political powers around the world. Will the Middle East (the perceived homeland of all that is civil and governmental unrest) ever experience peace within their own country? Will they ever be able to experience the sense of unity that comes with maintaining a collaborative relationship with the outside world? Or are they destined to remain a picturesque version of all that is wrong with the world, feedingRead MoreU.s. Relations With Arab Nations Essay1554 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction U.S. relations with countries in the Middle East remain to be a point of great interest due to the geopolitical atmosphere and security. The vast number of resources both in the Middle East and the United States provide a point of common ground to build peaceful relations through trade. International trade is an extremely important tool within the global community as it helps to build relations. In order to aid in building trust with Arab Nations, the United States must rely on moreRead MoreThe Health Of American Politics Essay1053 Words   |  5 Pagescountry policy, the United States has made many decisions that took negative effect on the country’s security and its relations with other countries. The reason behind these negative effect is the United States foreign policies especially toward the Middle East. These policies are greatly affected by the Israeli lobby in the United States. As John J. Mearsheimer, a professor of Political Science and the co-director of the Pro gram on International Security Policy at the University of Chicago and StephenRead MoreUs Support And Agendas Within The Middle East1396 Words   |  6 PagesUS support and agendas within the Middle East have been extremely complicated in the last century. Starting with the backing of the Shah of Iran in the early 1950s to the present-day conflict in Syria, there appears to be no decision without adverse secondary and tertiary effects. Since the Persian Gulf War, US policy has been fully supportive of the Arabs and Turks while limiting official support for the Kurds in Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. Nevertheless, unofficially, the US has fully supportedRead MoreThe Arab Spring Revolution is a Failure1303 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"Bombing in Libya kills 20 in the proximity of a ration distribution unit†. These were the kind of news headlines the modern world was bombarded with when the riots in the Middle East were instigated. Moreover they were the root cause on the basis of which the Arab spring revolution has been deemed a failure. In 2010 the Middle East experienced a disturbing series of protests and riots against the government. The term Arab Spring was coined as an allusion for the 1848 revolutions that rocked the ArabRead MoreThe Arab Spring1265 Words   |  6 Pagesby an unsolicited foreign intervention. The extensive consequences, I will argue, require cautious attention and careful management from international communities as well as the Arab human rights committee. This paper seeks to explore the profound causes that prompted the so called â€Å"Arab awakening† and the covert hidden agenda behind the sudden pro democratic tumult. . The â€Å"War on terror† was the ideal scheme since Islam was branded as the enemy, and 9/11, it couldn’t have been more convenientRead MoreHuman Rights are a Source of Conflict in the World Essay854 Words   |  4 PagesIn the present day global atmosphere it is understood that human rights are a source of conflict. It is understood that the policy of non- intervention in states causes problems in retrospect to colonialism, and in addition to understanding that human rights are a source of conflict as they impede upon the rights of women and undermine a large proportion of the worlds population causing conflict between genders and in the state itself. In supplementation to this, human rights and state security comeRead MoreThe Middle East Essay1021 Words   |  5 PagesThe 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? â€Å"Christianity and western