first blog post

The overarching connection that can be made between these three readings is that the current problem of termism has deep roots starting as far back as ancient history. The problems being faced today are rooted in complicated religious ideas and rivalries. The Arab Muslims and the Jews both battled over the same holy land for years. After ruthless persecution the Jews desired their own independent state and once they received it they defended it ruthlessly. However, the giving of such religiously important land was determined by the Western powers after WWII who had no rights to divide up such land. The Jews and Arabs desire the land for religious purposes but the Western powers such as the US desire control of the land for oil purposes. The abuse of this land contributed to the unrest in the Middle East. Continued interference by the US has caused distain for the United States in the area. American foreign policy has largely ignored the fundamental religious concerns of Muslims in the area. It was stated that “in Islam the legislative power and competence to establish laws belongs exclusively to God Almighty.” (Westad, 291) the importance and connection between religion and government was not considered in American foreign policy at the time. It was clear that President Carter did not have significant enough background in foreign policy or history to make the proper choices when it came to Iran. Then in more recent time the US too sides in the Israeli Palestine debates and wars when it was not the place of the US to support either sides. The US was forced to invade Iraq because of their invasion of Kuwait. In order to protect the US oil ally Kuwait America became involved in the first golf war. The support of the rebels in Afghanistan was a prime example of the lack of understanding of the history in the area. Afghanistan became another war in which the Soviets and the United States could play out the tired trope of democracy vs communism. Bin Laden and his supporters considered the United States an unwelcomed intruder into this jihad for Muslim rights and land. Support from a Western secular state that also supported the “little Satan” of Israel was not supported by many fundamentalists. I think the most apparent issues that are addressed in all the readings are the lack of understanding of the importance of religion in all aspects of Middle Eastern life which lead to poor foreign policy choices and the misuse of the Middle East as a stage in which the United States and the Soviet Union can continue to play out their battle over communism.