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Reggie4Now

- 1 year ago

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What are the effects of religion on homeland security

Religion and the middle east?

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Complications, I am sure.

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Religion creates the problem and then installs the "solution".

It is all bloody circular.

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Its a little complicated. US policy in the middle east involves two large components- support for Isreal, and securing relations with the nations who we rely on for oil.

First, you need to look at the history of the region, which is one of the bloddiest since the start of recorded history. Its important to know about all the religious and ethnic factions and their conflicts to understand the region better. Skip ahaead to modern times. The creation of the Jewish state of Isreal was the product of two things- the growing Zionist movement to restore a Jewish state in what was once Judea, and a reaction to the atrocities of the holocoust. This immeadiately created conflict with the Palestinians and their Muslim neighbors. Isreal has been attacked several times by ,ultiple nations at once, and each time has sucessfully defended itself and even gained territory.

In the US, there has always been a large support for Isreal. This is because Isreal represents the closest thing to the US in the region. You also cannot downplay the role of religion in our policies towards Isreal and the region. Both American Jews and Evangelical Christians support the Jewish state, for different reasons. Jews obviously because of its hisory, and Christians for its history, and many Evangelical Christians believe the return of the Jewish people to Isreal is connected and prophisised to go along with the future return of Christ to earth.

What you have is a balancing act of supporting Isreal and keeping relations with the Muslim nations who control the bulk of imported oil.The Palestinians further difficulties with their conflict with the Isrealis; not that they don't desrve a state of their own, but the use of terror by groups like Hezzbollah and Hamas create problems that do not draw sympathy for their cause. Radical Wahabi Islam has thrown a another monkey wrench into the matter, as it's radical teachings have resulted in the formation of terrorist groups like al queda, which although based in Afgahanistan, has its roots in the Arabian Penninsula and Iran. Terror organizations like those mentioned wage unconventional war against the US for several reasons- Religious intoreance, US support of Isreal and socio-economic reasons.

Recently, relations have cooled between the Obama Administration and Isreal. Many Isrealis I've spoken to see this administration as the least friendly to Isreal they've ever seen. The "Arab Spring" has also had a huge impact on the region, and it really remains to be seen if the final outcome is democratic societies based on reason, or more theocratical forms of government, like those being pushed for by groups like the Muslim Brotherhood, who wish to govern using Sharia Law.

So what should our policy be in all of this? In my opinion, it is not for us to meddle in the affairs of foriegn nations. they have the right to choose the government they wish to have, and unless they are an immediate threat to our national security, who should stay out, especially militarily. I consider myself pro Isreal, and I think we should generally support them, while at the same time agknowledge the need for a Palestinian state. I agree with ron Paul that we shouldn't get to involved in the process. People on the right view his position of being somewhat nuetral towrds Isreal is dangerous. They don't see the other side of the coin. The only reason Isreal has not wiped out the Palestinian Authority or completely destroyed Iran's nuclear pogram is because of pressure from the US. We should pull back from the full on support of Isreal rhtoric, and at the same time allow them to act in their best intrests and defend themselves if necessary. Also, I cannot stress enough the need for us to become energy independant from the region. We need to tap into our own resources, look for new resorces and find better energy solutions and sources and we can free ourselves from the dependance on foriegn oil from nations that dom't have our best intests in mind.

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Apples and oranges?

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It can create dualism, us and them, when it should and could bring us all together.

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