Why Do Territorial Conflicts Arise Among Religions? Chapter 6 key issue 4 Why Do Territorial Conflicts Arise Among Religions?

As the 20th century drew to a close, the end of the COLD WAR meant that the world no longer stood on the brink of THERMONUCLEAR WAR between countries.

The world is no longer led by men with their ‘finger on the button’ (Though NK’s Kim Jong Un might disagree)

CONFLICT HAS NOT DISAPPEARED, however. Its nature has simply changed.

Though the threat of global conflict between STATES has decreased, conflict in areas with HIGH DIVERSITY has increased.

An element of cultural diversity which has become a central node of conflict since the Cold War has been religion.

FUNDAMENTALISM is a literal interpretation of a religion coupled with intense, unwavering adherence to a set of tenets. Fundamentalist expression is driving many of the religious conflicts in the world today.

RELIGION VERSUS GOVERNMENT

Conflict may arise when government policies come into conflict with traditional religious values.

The TALIBAN Versus WESTERN VALUES

In the 1980s, the SOVIET UNION was mired in a bloody conflict in Afghanistan against Islamic resistance to its ally- the communist Afghan government.

The full force of the Red Army was moved against Islamic rebels in Afghanistan.

The United States supplied BILLIONS of dollars in weaponry to the Islamic Afghan resistance to use against the Soviets.

After the Soviets pulled out in 1989, Afghanistan fell into disarray. In 1996, the Taliban used their American-made weapons to take control of the country.

Once in power, the Taliban attacked everything they regarded as immoral and contrary to their fundamentalist vision of Islam.

TALIBAN ACTIONS Western symbols banned- TV, Music, clothing, even kites. Most sports were banned. Men beaten or imprisoned for shaving. Homosexuals killed, buried alive; adulterers stoned to death. Thieves had hands cut off; women wearing nail polish lost fingers.

Symbols of all religions were desecrated by the Taliban- including ‘incorrect’ Islamic artifacts.

Though a US-led coalition forced the Taliban from power in 2001, they have remained a potent part of Afghan tribal life, maintaining control in many regions.

HINDUISM vs. SOCIAL EQUALITY in INDIA

In India, the hereditary Hindu CASTE SYSTEM has come into conflict with the equalizing aims of the government.

Despite efforts by the gov’t to create a more equal society, the caste system persists. One good indication of this are Indian ‘personals’ ads, which publish the caste of the advertiser, and the castes they are willing to consider for a spouse.

RELIGION VERSUS COMMUNISM

Soviet Propaganda Poster The SOVIET UNION versus RELIGION Soviet Propaganda Poster

The father of Communism, Karl Marx, once famously stated that religion was the “OPIATE OF THE MASSES,” a source of false hope that kept the working class enslaved.

Soviet campaigns sought to eradicate religion and to replace it with Communist fervor.

Soviet propaganda associated religion with the past and socialism with the future.

The Soviets destroyed the greatest symbol of religion in Russia- the Orthodox Church of the Savior- and attempted to replace it with the ultimate symbol of communism.

Palace of the Soviets

Though not as antagonistic as the Soviet Union, many modern communist countries have a difficult relationship with religious adherents within their borders.

In Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam, all nominally Communist, observant Buddhists are persecuted and their religious sites are neglected- even though they form the majority in all three countries.

Buddhist temples in ruins (Cambodia)

During the Vietnam war, thousands of Buddhists were killed by both sides. Many monks immolated (burned) themselves to protest the brutality of the US-backed South Vietnamese regime.

RELIGION VERSUS RELIGION

RELIGIOUS CONFLICT In NORTHERN IRELAND

Though England is one of the centers of Protestant life in Europe, most of Ireland has remained staunchly Catholic. Because England conquered and controlled Ireland for hundreds of years, religion there has become intertwined with the struggle for freedom.

Today, most of Ireland is an independent country that is 87% Catholic.

Northern Ireland, however, remains part of the UK, and is 40% Catholic / 46% Protestant. Religious conflict is strong there.

Catholics rebels and Protestant authorities fought a 30-year war called The Troubles from the 1970s until 1998, when a peace accord was signed. Suicide bombings and urban pacification campaigns marked this dark era, when thousands were killed.

Each side formed armed factions. Catholic rebels were represented by the IRA – Irish Republican Army- while Protestant loyalists were represented by the UDF, Ulster Defense Forces.

For decades, BELFAST became site of intense fighting between IRA, UDC and British forces. Neighborhoods in the city became strictly segregated by religion.

Though The Troubles have ended, antagonism between Catholics and Protestants in Belfast remains, and the city is still deeply segregated.

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