The middle east - a hotbed of conflict - Essay Example

Why is the Middle East such a hotbed of conflict? The Middle East has remained within political and social turmoil for quite a significant while now. This is because the different countries within the Gulf and the northern part of Africa have indulged in associated trade links with one another. This trade has been manifested with the assistance of oil, which indeed is the most prized possession within the entire Middle East. Conflict has arisen ever since the Middle East started exporting oil to the different nations of the world, most importantly the superpower nation of the world – the United States of America. It is surely a matter of extreme dislike within the Middle East that Saudi Arabia and other countries of this region have been associated with the provision of oil and its related products far and wide. The manner in which the conflict has arisen is demonstrated by the amount of tension that exists within the very region. Two wars are rampant at the moment and one could easily expect another one to start anytime soon. The issue of Palestine and Israel has always lingered on the minds of the people who have studied the Middle East region for a long period of time now. In essence, Middle East has offered more problems than solutions to the world, and it is about time that some rectifications are made towards the whole fabric of this region once and for all1. The Middle East is believed to be a safe haven for the extremists; however it is a fact that nothing has been proven as yet. It is a concern for the world’s top governments to sit down together and discuss the aspects related with the peace and unity of the nations that lie within the Middle East region. This will ensure quite a lot of stability in different regions of the world. Speaking from a truly global standpoint, Middle East has proven to be a linchpin as far as having a clear cut understanding of the Arab nations is concerned. This is because the entire Arab region is linked with severe problems left, right and center. These problems have taken place due to lack of cultural adherences, an improper infrastructure within the different nations that exist within the Middle East region, and an overall mistrust in each other’s issues and undertakings. It would be appropriate to state that the Middle East has become a hotbed for conflict to arise sooner rather than later. The same happens on a very proactive basis whenever the world’s stock prices fluctuate and whenever there are financial issues arising in the wake of the economic aspects taking place. The Middle East has been a conflict hotbed because the people, who matter the most, i.e. the governmental top heads and the like, have paid less heed towards the domains of their own people. All they have focused on is to exponentially increase their respective capitals and to double their relevant investment regimes2. They have not emphasized on how bad the economic domains of their countries are or how they are coping up with the other countries within the region. A lack of a coherent strategy within the entire Middle East lays the basis for serious conflict to arise, and this is a very grave anomaly indeed. The Arab world has been concentrating on its own strengths and selling it to the world as and when it feels like3. The laidback attitude of the Middle East region has not helped anyone at all. The Palestine conflict is similarly a very serious threat towards the stability of the whole region but the countries located within this region seldom pay heed4. All the countries require is an economic foothold and quite a strong one at that. Since most of these countries are self-sufficient in oil, they really do not care about the different issues that are plaguing the whole region, as well as the world, as their own strengths are filling their stomachs in an abundant capacity. This is the height of laziness as one could easily put it in the same vein. The Middle East has been time and again criticized for its inaptness to follow up with the problems which have hugely been the bane for a long period of time now. The Middle East really has not cared much due to its attitudinal problem. The aspect of ‘I don’t care’ exists in entirety within the region, and since such a feeling could lead towards absolute disaster, the same has happened essentially within its domains. Some of the Middle East bodies and organizations that have been formed up are deemed as failures right from the inception of such basis. This is because the entire cause of founding these bodies and organizations is to do the required thing, without actually focusing on the task at hand – to ensure the stability within the whole region as well as to look after the needs and requirements of the poorest of nations within the Middle East. Sadly this has not come about due to a host of factors which have already been touched upon. However one could hope for the best in the coming times5. For a layman, this appears like a grim situation in the times to come because the Middle East is essentially a hotbed for conflicts to arise every now and so often. What this has meant is the fact that the countries which have huge economic prosperity domains within their folds have largely ruled the roost, which is a very destructive aspect within the stability and security of the entire region. This could essentially kill the very basis of having a region that is geared towards ensuring peace and friendship amongst the comity of nations, within the Middle East itself. The bodies and organizations formed under the charter of the Middle East must be made to do their relevant work, because it is important to have these bodies accountable on a proactive and consistent basis. This will help solve quite a few problems within the related scheme of things6. Most of the Middle East nations are Muslim countries. All of these nations have been following the Muslim dictum of peace and brotherhood but what has come about in the present times as well as in the recent past is a totally different perspective altogether. The whole region seems to be caught in a cross-fire of America and its allies. The nations located within the region are usually bearing the brunt for the lack of stability and oneness within the Middle East region. The governments have usually cared less for having a regime which takes care of the underlying aspects which have marred the very basis of peace within the region. It would be a significant point to understand that peace is linked with the unity of these nations and if these Middle East countries are not united in their existence and unwilling to stand with one another, there is very little that the Middle East bodies and organizations could do at the end of the day. Similarly it would be very difficult to take care of the failing standards of peace and friendship within the region if the leaders are not ready to step up on the crisis management aspects consistently. The roles of these nations should be understood in a proper manner so that any anomaly that exists within the entire region must be taken care of by having a ‘can do’ attitude. This is what Middle East requires in essence rather than false hopes and promises, which do little towards building peace and removing conflict from the domains of the entire region7. The Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC), hailed as the most significant body within the Muslim world, has failed to live up to its promise of building capacities for peace and friendship within the entire region. In fact this body has been time and again criticized for its very existence. Its sessions usually end without any fruitful results and the studies that have taken place within these regimes have more or less not borne any fruit at all. It is a very negative factor which is instigating hatred within the region for one another. The recent examples of Iraq and Afghanistan highlight the shortcomings on the part of the OIC. It is high time that either OIC gets disbanded or it gives the aegis of supreme authority within the Muslim world to a nation it deems as the best model for the proper propagation of Islam within the very region. However since things are known to be carried out in a very slow manner within the Middle East tenets, it would be wrong to predict that anything fruitful and productive will come about anytime soon. What one can expect though is that these nations live up to their promise of building a better tomorrow within their own entireties. The lack of proper leadership has basically played havoc with the entire Middle East region time and time again. This is because the leadership present within the region is usually deprived of its motivation that can set the world on fire, in a positive sense. The drive has been negative so to speak and this has essentially played a very wrong role towards destroying the fabric of oneness and unity within the entire region. One must understand that the Middle East peace could only be tied to a lack of cohesiveness within its domains more than anything else. However if a proper leadership understands this dictum, then quite a few issues could be solved in a quick way. Sadly this does not come about in the time and age of today, where the main emphasis is on having regimes that could extract the best possible opportunities for their own selves rather than for the people of the relevant state as well as the comity of nations under which the whole process of Middle East oneness started in the first place8. It is very rational to state here that Middle East lies solely on the shoulders of the leadership that manifests its very basis on a consistent basis, when one speaks exclusively of avoiding conflict and building on the long term stability and development of the entire region. No single body or organization could share the blame for the anomaly that exists within the Middle East region. In fact the blame must be paid towards the lack of sound values and cultural facets which have largely destructed the entire Middle East region, which is shame in the truest sense of the word. Much more goodness can come about when people look up to their top leadership for delivering on the premise of a better change for their own nation as well as the ones that exist in close vicinity of their own in essence. In the end, it would be proper to suggest that the Middle East could become a region of peace and friendship if the individual states realize where they have gone wrong9. This will essentially take care of nearly all the aspects that have marred the very basis of peace and brotherhood within the region. The stigma of being a hotbed of conflict is a very negative one and one must understand that this will lead the entire region towards absolute destruction than anything else discernible. The Middle East deserves more accolades for the strengths that exist within its folds, however what has come about with the passage of time is a totally different aspect altogether. The conflict needs to be ended and this can only happen when the nations which comprise of within the Middle East realize where they have gone wrong, and promise to take decisive steps to reach a meaningful conclusion10. All said and done, one could expect quite a lot of positives from the Middle East region in the times to come. As stated before, it really depends on the individual nations as to how badly they need peace within their surroundings and if they are dedicated enough to reach their end goals, no one can dare to stop them. Bibliography Ben-Dor, Gabriel. (1983). State and Conflict in the Middle East: Emergence of the Postcolonial State. Praeger Bromberg, Gidon. (2004). Water and Peace: For Clues to Resolving the Middle East Conflict, Consider the Case of the Embattled Dead Sea. World Watch, Vol. 17, July Butters, Patrick. (1999). Understanding the Middle East Conflict: 50 Years War Captivates, Educates. The Washington Times, January 24 Byman, Daniel. (2003). The Future Security Environment in the Middle East: Conflict, Stability, and Political Change. Rand Jonah, James. (2002). The Middle East Conflict: The Palestinian Dimension. Global Governance, Vol. 8 Kaye, Alan S. (2005). A War of Words: Language and Conflict in the Middle East. The Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 125 Kliot, Nurit. (1994). Water Resources and Conflict in the Middle East. Routledge Long, David E. (1993). Prospects for Armed Conflict in the Gulf in the 1990s: The Impact of the Gulf War. Middle East Policy, Vol. 2 Mattair, Thomas R. (1992). The Arab-Israeli Conflict: Bilateral Diplomacy, Regional Violence, and the Moscow Conference. Middle East Policy, Vol. 1 Pilger, John. (2002). If You Got Your News Only from the Television, You Would Have No Idea of the Roots of the Middle East Conflict, or That the Palestinians Are Victims of an Illegal Military Occupation. New Statesman, Vol. 131, July 1 Word Count: 2,031 Read More