Cultural Geography-1
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Cultural Geography: Religion and Conflict
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Cultural Geography: Religion and Conflict
If one were to examine world politics in the twenty-first century, they may conclude that
religion is mostly to blame for the conflicts that exist all throughout the world. Religion is
frequently a heated topic that comes when one's eternal salvation is on the line. As a significant
component of many people's identities, religion is also significant since any harm to one's beliefs
becomes a threat to one's basic existence. The link between conflict and religion is complicated,
though building peace with a religious motivation has been crucial in resolving several conflicts
around the world. This paper describes cultural geography associated with religion and conflict
and pinpoints some of the ways that religion can lead to conflicts.
Religious diversity is a potential cause of conflict in almost any varied community.
According to Smock (2019), there may be some conflict since people are frequently uninformed
of different faiths, but this does not always indicate that there will be conflict. Religion may not
always lead to conflict, but it can be used, like race or ethnicity, to set one's group apart from
others and to define one's identity. The group with less power, whether it is economic or political
often has a better understanding of the tension than those who have advantage (Smock, 2019).
However, when the favored group is a minority, as the Jews historically were throughout most of
Europe, they are frequently fully aware of the ethnic tension. There are several actions that can
be performed in government right now to prevent religious conflict.
A triggering incident might lead to the conflict's escalation since religion is a hidden
source of conflict. At this point of a disagreement Crenshaw (2017), documents that
various issues, strategies and objectives frequently alter the tension, making a resolution more
challenging. The conflict's momentum might give radicals the upper hand. Extremists may look
to group members to be able to deliver advantages in a crisis, at least temporarily. Frequently, old
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grudges are reframed as the fault of the current foe; this is dangerous in the growth of religious
conflict (Crenshaw, 2017). Radical interpretations are becoming more and more popular since at
this point techniques frequently get disconnected from aims. It is harder to compromise after
martyrs have been killed because it would look like their lives were wasted in vain.
Various facets of religion make it a hidden cause of conflict. Each and every religion has
some established articles of faith or dogmas that adherents have expected to embrace without
question (Crenshaw, 2017). This may result in rigidity and intolerance toward those who hold
different opinions. There is no one who can compromise the word of God as per the scripture in
every religion. Doctrine and scriptures are considered ambiguous by several people and can be
can be interpreted differently according to the understanding of an individual. As a result, there
are several disagreements about whose interpretation is proper; these disagreements, cannot be
settled because there is no neutral arbitrator. The interpretation that garners the greatest support
typically wins. But those admirers also need to be inspired to act (Little, 2018). Extremists are
driven to carry out their understanding of God's will, whereas moderates virtually always possess
moderate beliefs but are frequently more complacent.
Extremists from many religions may lead a conflict go worse. Scott (2016), pinpoints that
they believe that in order to achieve God's will, severe actions are required. For instance, any
religious fundamentalist has a tendency to have a Manichean worldview. Therefore, it is
challenging to defend making a deal with one who has evil traits, if there are great conflict
between evil and good (Scott, 2016). Therefore, any indication of moderation might be seen as a
sign of selling out and, more crucially, of giving up on God's plan.
Organizations like America's New Christian Right and Jama'at-i-Islami of Pakistan have
mostly operated within the bounds of the law while continuing to advocate intolerance. People
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may resort to radical interpretations for answers when moderate approaches to economic, social,
and political issues are deemed to have failed to deliver results (Wellman & Tokuno, 2018).
Without legal channels to voice their opinions, religious organizations could be more inclined to
use force or violence. For instance, although Hamas in Palestine and Hizbullah in Lebanon have
used violence, they have also won support by providing social services when it is seen that the
government is not doing enough for their citizens. According to Wellman & Tokuno (2018),
other instances of fundamentalist groups motivated by a perceived danger to the faith are radical
Sikh extremists in India, Hindu nationalists, and Jewish cells in Israel. Religious reformation is
effective in that it can give people a sense of purpose or pride, but it has also produced strong
forms of illiberal nationalism that have occasionally resulted in intolerance and discrimination in
places like Sudan and Sri Lanka. Moreover, Rowley (2017) indicates that various religious
organizations, like the Islamic Jihad in Egypt, Kahane Chai or Israeli Kach parties view violence
as a duty. Violence advocates believe that their actions are divinely mandated and that any
other roadblocks must be removed.
There is a great extent to which cultural and religious divide between the Democratic and
Republican have grown overtime (Jerryson, 2018). Similar to how modernist religious cleavage
affected party politics in the 1970s, it did so because it was linked to political issues that were
widely understood, appealed to the strategic motivations, reflected a long-standing social
conflict, and stirred up strong feelings in many people of particular groups of politicians within
both parties.
It might be unclear whether a terrorist organization has a religious, political, or dual
objective, however, there is a long history of religious strife, and it still exists in many cultures
today. The use of religious strife as a cover for a secret political objective is also possible
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(Jerryson, 2018). A current instance of religious and political conflict is the bloodshed between
Israelis and Palestinians; Arabs and Israeli neighbors have engaged in a number of wars.
Thus, due to Israeli military superiority over its Arab neighbors, they have taken Arabs territory
and use them for their economic and political gains (Little, 2018). The PLO, along with other
organizations, started a terrorism campaign after realizing that its Arab allies were powerless to
expel Israeli forces from territories they had occupied. Their goal was to overthrow Israel and
establish a Palestinian Arab state. Nevertheless, a political solution is gradually taking shape as
Israeli soldiers keep leaving the occupied territories.
When the al-Qaida network portrays itself as engaged in a holy war and using religious
rhetoric to justify its terrorist assaults, religion and violence are on display. However, its political
objectives are to remove regimes that support the West and do not adhere to true Islam, compel
the U.S. troops to leave the Middle East, and work toward unifying all Muslims (Rowley, 2017)
Even though the majority of Muslims who reside in the West condemn terrorism, Al-Qaida
exploits the mosques and Muslim community activities, where they recruit, find support, and
carry out covert operations.
Significant evangelistic movements exist in many religions as well, and they can be
controversial. Wellman & Tokuno (2018) documents that it is the responsibility of believers to
multiply the flock and proclaim the word of God. For instance, one essential aspect of the
struggle surrounding European colonialism was the attempt to force Christianity on the
subordinate peoples. Similar to this, some individuals could want to prevent people from
practicing different religions, therefore, this is motivated by a desire to downplay ideas that the
dominant group perceives as being harmful or inferior (Wellman & Tokuno, 2018). The
persecution of Christianity in Sudan and China are just two examples from the modern era. In
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China, there is no religious rivalry; rather, the government sees religion as a deadly competitor
for the allegiances of its people. These instances shows lack of respect for other religions or
faiths.
Fundamentalists in religion tend to be anti-modern in nature. They take action to put faith
back in the spotlight because they see religion as being marginalized in contemporary culture
(Rowley, 2017). Fundamentalists believe that there has to be a purifying of the faith, where
cultural globalization is becoming a common term for this tendency. According to Rowley
(2017), the rise in gambling, drinking, and generally lax morality is sometimes attributed to the
spread of Western materialism. For instance, Al-Qaeda is driven by both the presence of neo-
imperialism and the western military forces in the Muslim holy places. The liberal foundation of
Western culture, which puts the individual above the public and questions the proper place of
women in society, also poses a danger to tradition.
Extremist attitude may also be generated by religious nationalists. Religious nationalists
frequently believe that because their religious practices are so intimately connected to their
homeland or country, any harm to either is a threat to their own survival (Rowley, 2017).
Therefore, in response to challenges to their religion, religious nationalists look for a
governmental system in which their religion is given preference over other faiths. It is also
possible that in these situations, religious symbols will start to be utilized to further nationalist or
racial goals (Rowley, 2017). This has been the case for Catholics in Northern Ireland, Serbian
Orthodox church in Milosevic's Yugoslavia and Hindu nationalists in India.
According to Little (2018), the relationship between religion and war has received much
coverage in the international media, but not how religion has contributed significantly to world
peace. Interfaith dread and animosity are fostered by the overemphasis on religion's negative
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aspects and the activities of religious fanatics. Furthermore, Little (2018) posits that media
representations of religious conflict have a tendency to confound rather than inform. By
misinterpreting the intentions and relationships between various groups, it exacerbates division.
The belief of several people that religion is divisive is always not true, since there are
several strategies that can be put in place to reduce religious conflicts. According to Little
(2018), fighting ignorance is one of the effective ways of understanding the constructive role that
religion has played in conflict resolution and peace building. Hence, learning about different
religions would be a significant step forward in a place where silence and misunderstanding
about religion do occur.
Conclusively, there are several ways that religion might cause conflict both in the
previous and current culture. Religion does not necessarily lead to conflict, but it can be used in
ethnicity or race to set one's group apart from others and to define one's identity. There are
various groups in religion who associate their beliefs with superiority and defy their
understanding and knowledge; this leads to conflicts of interest or terrorism. Various people have
diverged in learning about different religions, which help in comprehending and accepting other
beliefs. Therefore, culture geography is a normal experience that people should prepare for,
accept, and embrace positively.
References
Crenshaw, (2017). "Theories of terrorism: Instrumental and organizational approaches".
Journal
of Strategic Studies
, 10 (4): 13–31
8
Jerryson, M. (2018). "Buddhists and Violence: Historical Continuity/Academic Incongruity".
Religion Compass
, 9 (5): 141–150, 141
Little, D. (2015). "
Religious Militancy," in Managing Global Chaos
, eds, Chester A. Crocker,
Fen Osler Hampson, and Pamela Aall (Washington DC: USIP Press, 1996).
Little, D. (2018). "Belief, Ethnicity, and Nationalism."
Religion Peace.
Retrieved from
http://www.usip.org/religionpeace/rehr/belethnat.html
Rowley, M. (2017). "How Should We Respond to Religious Violence? Fifteen Ways to Critique
Our Own Thoughts".
Ethics in Brief,
21 (2)
Rowley, M. (2019). "What Causes Religious Violence?”
Journal of Religion and Violence
2 (3):
361–402.
Scott A. (2016). "
Religion, Conflict Transformation, and Peacebuilding," in Turbulent Peace:
The Challenges of Managing International Conflict,
eds, Chester A. Crocker, Fen Osler
Hampson, and Pamela Aall (Washington DC: USIP Press, 2001).
Smock, D. (2019). Building Interreligious Trust in a Climate of Fear: An Abrahamic Trialogue.
USIP.
Retrieved from http://www.usip.org/pubs/specialreports/sr99.pdf
Wellman, J., & Tokuno, K. (2018). "Is Religious Violence Inevitable?”
Journal for the Scientific
Study of Religion
43 (3): 291.