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| Arabia |
| Extremist ideologies bane for nation states |
| 2017-08-17 |
| [ENGLISH.ALARABIYA.NET] From the time of the creation of the modern nation state, history has taught us that only those societies survive and enjoy security, stability and tranquility, whose people have learnt to coexist with each other and forge cohesive bonds. When this feeling of shared identity is compromised, members of society drift apart on the basis of various sectarian and doctrinal differences. As a consequence, states begin to fail and implode leading to protracted civil wars that cause widespread bloodshed and mayhem. The dismal situation in Syria and Iraq is the consequence of sectarian strife. It is also a living example of the decline in civility and patriotism toward the homeland, which has been replaced by fanaticism towards a particular religious denomination or sect. It seems the Arab people have yet to grasp the importance of coexistence among citizens of a society, even if they differ on sectarian or doctrinal basis. Iraq, Syria and Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of. Except for a tiny handfull of Jews everthing there is very Islamic... are currently in the throes of civil wars that cease momentarily only to start again. Unfortunately, I don’t see them ending anytime soon. Medieval Europe and sectarian wars In Europe of the Middle Ages, sectarian and doctrinal wars were the main cause of death for millions of people. At that time, Catholics and Protestants were vying to obliterate each other through violent means. Decades of protracted wars later, they found out that the solution to their problem lay in overcoming differences and in developing the spirit of coexistence among different peoples, irrespective of the variance in their religious persuasions. This conviction led them to rebuild human society as we know now. They also believed that all those who indulged in sectarian violence should be condemned by law. This laid the foundations for a superior human civilization that the world enjoys today, with its benefits of progress, innovation and development in all spheres of life. Thus, the only way for establishing security, stability and tranquility lies in our taking lessons from these experiences. In order to get rid of fanaticism and animosity among sects and ideologies we have to replace them with values of loyalty and obedience toward the homeland, which should be a state that looks after all of its citizens regardless of their sectarian or doctrinal persuasion. Iran exploiting sectarianism By using sectarianism to achieve its expansionist ambitions, Iran has invaded its neighboring countries, stoked the flames of fanaticism in these societies, and targeted their stability and security by raking up Shiite fanaticism. It is a historical fact that before Khomeini’s revolution in Iran, Arab societies lived in peace and harmony. Since the advent of this holy manal regime, sectarian strife among members of the same religious community, both in the Arab and Islamic countries, has increased. The ongoing sectarian conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Yemen prove my statement. It is important for us in the Gulf to learn the lessons of the countries of the Arab North, and to refrain from sliding into those divisions that have the potential to obliterate all we cherish and cause enormous bloodshed. The ultimate losers in such wars will of course be citizens, regardless of their sectarian affiliations. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #11 I was going to say ethno-religious group. Religion is generally under-estimated as a binding force in creating nation states. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2017-08-17 17:20 |
| #10 so much wrong with the cargo cult first paragraph. A culture with High trust (lower population density and migration) and reciprocation build the wealth needed for civilisation. Subsidised migration of tribal cultures is an attempt to destroy both. |
| Posted by: Bright Pebbles 2017-08-17 12:15 |
| #9 Islam is a religion, or at least is not a race either: compare an Indonesian with a Moroccan. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2017-08-17 10:39 |
| #8 Muslim countries are pretend nation states. AKA Tribes with flags. One of the major problems caused by WWI was the Wilsonian ideal of "Self Determination". While it sounds great in theory it tends to crash on the shoals of "what defines a self". "Self" rapidly breaks down into my tribe or even family. This is what defines most of the Middle East and Africa today. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2017-08-17 09:20 |
| #7 p.s. phil_b, Hinduism is a religion not race - compare a Rajput and a Dravidian. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-08-17 07:48 |
| #6 #2Â Nation states require a dominant ethnic group, and other groups to be sufficiently small as to not threaten the dominant group. In the U.S. we have non-dominant groups that hold sway, i.e. all the "victim groups." These various non-dominant victim groups are cobbled together to obtain large voting blocs to win elections--at least that is the model of the Dems in the past. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2017-08-17 07:35 |
| #5 But what about all the castes? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-08-17 06:45 |
| #4 india is 80% Hindu. With Moslems most of the rest. Which keeps the Hindus reasonably united despite ethnic divisions. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2017-08-17 06:38 |
| #3 India? |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-08-17 05:58 |
| #2 Nation states require a dominant ethnic group, and other groups to be sufficiently small as to not threaten the dominant group. The only exception I can think of is the Austro-Hungarian empire. Which makes immigration into Anglophone countries particularly concerning. |
| Posted by: phil_b 2017-08-17 05:52 |
| #1 That's the reason, IMO, that all Muslim countries are pretend nation states. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2017-08-17 05:39 |