Islam and Islamic Nation-States

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The modern world could be characterized by the tension in international relations and the great terrorist threat that comes from the Middle East region. The constant military conflicts and weakness of local governments turned this land into one of the main sources of instability that impacts the whole world and conditions the appearance of numerous concerns related to the regions future.

Besides, the majority of attempts to find an efficient policy or approach to stabilize the situation fail because of the complicated relations between states and nations residing on the territory. However, all these problems result from the unwise policy pursued in the region by colonial states like Britain and France and their attempts to create the new entities regardless of the local peculiarities.

Investigating the problem, the historical background should be provided as it serves as the basis for the existing problems. The fact is that the collapse of the Ottoman Empire that included these lands triggered the division of the Arab territories by the states that had a great influence at the international level (Piscatori 56). For these reasons, Britain and France obtained numerous colonial possessions that served as the raw materials and military base.

However, the further development of society, WWII, and numerous independence movements conditioned the weakening of the power of these colonial countries and their withdrawal from the region (Israpilov para. 2). Yet, the absence of certain states and boundaries introduced the necessity of the creation of a certain pattern according to which this region could be reorganized.

Unfortunately, the League of Nations and other influential powers chose the worst possible variant (Nasr para. 5). The new boundaries were drawn up with no consideration for the peculiarities of the region, its ethnic composition, and peoples wishes. The adherence to the given model planted a bomb for the further development of these newly formed states, their security, and prosperity. The complete disregard of the idea of nationhood and other cultural peculiarities conditioned the appearance of numerous states united only by the common religion, while numerous ethnic communities did not feel like the part of the whole. For this reason, there are very few nation-states that could be characterized by the homogeneous ethnic composition and common ideas of further evolution.

Thus, the creation of new political entities by colonial powers could not but impact the mentality of people and the state of the whole region. Being deprived of the feeling of nationhood, peoples residing on these territories started their own struggle to redraw the borderline and create new nation-states (The Role of Colonization on the Political System of the Muslim World para. 8). Yet, Britain and France managed to create the background favorable to the development of various separatist and terrorist movements.

This fact could be evidenced by the current situation in the region. Despite the great incomes conditioned by significant oil deposits, the Middle Eastern states remain the main source of instability with numerous national problems related to the question of national self-determination. Furthermore, the disregard of peoples needs promotes numerous skirmishes based on ethical and religious issues.

Nowadays, there are still numerous questions posed by the existing boundaries between the states. For instance, once united kurdish nation became separated between several countries that ignore its desire to reunite and obtain its independence. It results in labeling the Kurds as separatists and numerous military operations aimed at the repression of their manifestations and protests. The scale of the given problem is so significant that numerous organizations and activists try to highlight the necessity of immediate actions to stop the genocide of this nation (Ramli para. 5).

Additionally, the civil and terrorist wars in Syria could also be considered the result of the unwise approach used to create new political entities. Finally, the opposition between the Shias and Sunnis has always been an ongoing issue peculiar to the region. The disregard of this tensed relations resulted in numerous civil conflicts and causalities.

However, analyzing the current state of the region, it is possible to predict the further growth of instability and tension. There are several facts to prove this statement. First, the absence of the common idea and nationhood results in the growth of the gap between various ethnic communities. Furthermore, the desire to restore the historical borders of certain states and reunite nations will also promote the escalation of violence in the region. Finally, its great strategic importance obviously attracts the attention of the Western states that will try to impact the situation. All these factors could evidence the further deterioration of the situation and even the collapse or disappearance of several states.

Altogether, the British and French interference had the pernicious effect on the development of the region. Moreover, the creation of new political entities and disregard of local peculiarities conditioned the appearance of numerous problems related to the question of national self-determination. The current problems of the region prove the complexity of the situation and highlight the necessity of certain actions to mitigate the negative effects of colonial governance.

Analyzing the movie, Islam: Empire of Faith it should be said that it is one of the documentaries that provides the clear and fair image of Islam and depicts its aspects accurately. The film does not adhere to some biased approaches peculiar to the Western society and reveals the most important elements of this popular religion. It provides a viewer with the crucial information related to the formation of Islam, its main practices, and dogmas. The origins of the religion are presented in the clear and understandable way and promote the better understanding of the nature and character of Islam and people who belong to this religion.

Resting on these facts, everyone could be recommended to watch this documentary to get rid of numerous prejudices related to Islam and its nature. Especially topical it could be for the Western viewer who does not have its clear image and consider it to be violent and primitive religion. People who are skeptical of its great significance should obviously watch the given movie as it contributes to the better understanding of the main peculiarities of this religion and helps to allay concerns related to Islam and its main distinctive features.

However, accepting the films great value for people who do not have any idea of the peculiarities of the Eastern culture and Islam, I should also admit that it could hardly be useful for a person who already has the knowledge related to this sphere. The fact is that the given documentary presents the simplified version of the most important events supporting the evolution and formation of Islam. At the same time, there are numerous points and interesting aspects of the Muslim culture that were not mentioned in the movie. For these reasons, it is better to recommend it to people who have poor knowledge of this culture and religion.

Furthermore, while viewing the movie, some parallels between Christianity and Islam could be traced. For instance, the documentary presents Muhammad in the way which makes people think about Jesus as there are many coincidences in their lives and actions (Islam: Empire of Faith). Moreover, they both played the great role in the formation of religion and specific worldview. Besides, the film also provides the information about the Crusades and the opposition of two significant cultures. For these reasons, a viewer could compare two most significant world religions and make conclusions needed to promote their better understanding.

Continuing the cogitations about Islam and Western civilization, it is vital to admit several factors presented by the given film. Yet, one could realize the fact that the modern society could be considered multicultural and multiconfessional. It means that there are numerous religions that are respected by people all over the world. Moreover, the impact each other and promote the appearance of new cultural phenomena. The movie underlines the importance of these relations and highlights numerous spheres that benefit from the globalization and spread of Islam.

To summarize, the given documentary could be considered the informative source that provides a viewer with the credible information needed to improve the comprehending of the main peculiarities of Islam, its formation, and evolution. Being an interesting movie, it also helps to reconsider the existing approaches and get rid of biased attitude towards this ancient religion. It could be recommended for people who want to improve their competence in the given sphere.

Works Cited

Islam: Empire of Faith. Dir. Robert Gardner. Perf. Ben Kingsley. PBS, 2001. DVD.

Israpilov, Sergey. Failure of the Nation-States in Islamic World. n.d. Web.

Nasr, Serv. European Colonialism and the Emergence of Modern Muslim States. n.d. Web.

Piscatori, James. Islam in a world of Nation States. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1986. Print.

Ramli, Harith. How the political crises of the modern Muslim world created the climate for Islamic State. The Conversation. 2016. Web.

The Role of Colonization on the Political System of the Muslim World. n.d. Web.

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Islam and Islamic Nation-States

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