Religion and Conflict

By
Eric Brahm

November 2005
 

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, a casual glance at world affairs would suggest
that religion is at the core of much of the strife around the globe. Often, religion is a
contentious issue. Where eternal salvation is at stake, compromise can be difficult at or
even sinful. Religion is also important because, as a central part of many individuals'
identity, any threat to one's beliefs is a threat to one's very being. This is a primary
motivation for ethno-religious nationalists.

However, the relationship between religion and conflict is, in fact, a complex one.
Religiously-motivated peace builders have played important roles in addressing many
conflicts around the world. This aspect of religion and conflict is discussed in the parallel
essay on religion and peace. This essay considers some of the means through which
religion can be a source of conflict.

Religion and Conflict

Although not necessarily so, there are some aspects of religion that make it susceptible
to being a latent source of conflict. All religions have their accepted dogma, or articles of
belief, that followers must accept without question. This can lead to inflexibility and
intolerance in the face of other beliefs. After all, if it is the word of God, how can one
compromise it? At the same time, scripture and dogma are often vague and open to
interpretation. Therefore, conflict can arise over whose interpretation is the correct one,
a conflict that ultimately cannot be solved because there is no arbiter. The winner
generally is the interpretation that attracts the most followers. However, those followers
must also be motivated to action. Although, almost invariably, the majority of any faith
hold moderate views, they are often more complacent, whereas extremists are
motivated to bring their interpretation of God's will to fruition.

Religious extremists (Religious extremism is a radicalized and intolerant viewpoint

that typically sanctions the use of violence to promote a defined, religiously
motivated political agenda) can contribute to conflict escalation. They see radical
measures as necessary to fulfilling God's wishes. Fundamentalists of any religion tend
to take a Manichean view of the world. If the world is a struggle between good and evil,
it is hard to justify compromising with the devil. Any sign of moderation can be decried
as selling out, more importantly, of abandoning God's will.
Religion and Latent Conflict
In virtually every heterogeneous society, religious difference serves as a source of
potential conflict. Because individuals are often ignorant of other faiths, there is some
potential tension but it does not necessarily mean conflict will result. Religion is not
necessarily conflictual but, as with ethnicity or race, religion serves, as a way to
distinguish one's self and one's group from the other. Often, the group with less power,
be it political or economic, is more aware of the tension than the privileged. When the
privileged group is a minority, however, such as the Jews historically were in much of
Europe, they are often well aware of the latent conflict. There are steps that can be
taken at this stage to head off conflict. Interfaith dialogue, discussed further below, can
increase understanding. Intermediaries may help facilitate this.

Religion and Conflict Escalation

With religion a latent source of conflict, a triggering event can cause the conflict to
escalate. At this stage in a conflict, grievances, goals, and methods often change in
such a way so as to make the conflict more difficult to resolve. The momentum of the
conflict may give extremists the upper hand. In a crisis, group members may see
extremists as those that can produce what appear to be gains, at least in the short-term.
In such situations, group identities are even more firmly shaped in relation to the other
group, thereby reinforcing the message of extremists that one's religion is threatened by
another faith that is diametrically opposed. Often, historic grievances are recast as
being the responsibility of the current enemy. Because at this stage tactics often come
detached from goals, radical interpretations are increasingly favored. Once martyrs
have been sacrificed, it becomes increasingly difficult to compromise because their lives
will seem to have been lost in vain (see the essay on entrapment* for more on this
problem).

What is to Be Done
In the eyes of many, religion is inherently conflictual, but this is not necessarily so.
Therefore, in part, the solution is to promote a heightened awareness of the
positive peace building and reconciliatory role religion has played in many conflict
situations. More generally, fighting ignorance can go a long way. Interfaith dialogue
would be beneficial at all levels of religious hierarchies and across all segments of
religious communities. Where silence and misunderstanding are all too common,
learning about other religions would be a powerful step forward. Being educated about
other religions does not mean conversion but may facilitate understanding and respect
for other faiths. Communicating in a spirit of humility and engaging in self-criticism
would also be helpful.[4]

Source: https://www.beyondintractability.org/essay/religion_and_conflict%20

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/religious-conflicts
“When adherents of one faith take to the extreme and force their religious views
on those of other faiths, religious conflicts emerge”
It is evident that prejudices arising from adherence to religious forms and imitation
of ancestral beliefs  have hindered the progress of humanity thousands of years.
How many wars and battles have been fought, how much division , discord and
hatred have been caused by this form of prejudice.

Religious conflict is caused by intolerance against another’s religious beliefs or

practices. Much war and death has emerged from these conflicts. Today we see
such intractable inter-religious wars between Muslims and Jews in Palestine, Hindus
and Muslims in south Asia and in many other places. Attempts to bring out peace
have failed again and again. Most religiously motivates hate crimes are acts of
vandalism. But personal attacks are not uncommon. Religious conflicts have
escalated dramatically since the onset of cold war. Throughout the1950- 1996
periods, religious conflicts constituted 33% or 47% of all conflicts.

The reason why there is so much of conflict and bloodshed is very simple. It’s the
fact that both the parties don’t understand the true essence of their faith. It is
about proving which religion or which faith is better and which is superior.

While a religion is often a significant generator of armed conflict both in the past
and in the present, the two principal causes of human warfare are in fact culture
and greed for territory, resources or power.   –  Meicpearse
There are a number of conflicts in the world, and religion has played a significant
role .

Australian conflicts :
The state government rules that the police in Australia have the power to demand a
Muslim woman to remove her face veil. The Australian government allows its
people to dress the way they want as long as it does not interfere  with the smooth
functioning and safety of society. According to a survey, there are more than
340,000 Muslims in Australia of whom 128,904 were born in the country. Australia
is along way from baning the burqa in public, unlike France where women can face
fines up  to 200$.

Europe conflicts:
Tensions and violence involving people from minority groups of Muslim culture are
perhaps the greatest source of societal tensions and violent conflicts in
contemporary Europe.
The Bosnian war:
In Bosnian war over 8000 unarmed Muslims were killed by the Serbian military
forces.  During this conflict Muslims seemed to pay the highest price. When  the
massacre  began in different cities of Bosnia, it was clear that the aim was to
cleanse the country from Muslim population. After years of bitter fighting between
Bosnia (Muslims), Serbians and Croats western  countries stepped in (backed by
NATO) and imposed a final cease-fire. The death toll of Bosnian war was 102,000.

Sudan genocide:
Complex ethic, racial, religious conflict in which Muslim regime committed
genocide  against Christians in the south of the country. For more than 2 decades
the Sudanese government has waged war against the Christians  in the state.

North American conflicts:

 58% of Americans believe Muslims face a lot of discrimination in the united states.
After September 11, a religious violence in the name of a holy cause has escalated.
A series of four attacks that were committed in the united states on September 11,
2001 suspicion fell on Al-Qaeda, and Osama bin Laden. The FBI reported increase in
anti- Muslim crimes nationwide during 2001, largely due to the 9/11 terrorist
attacks.

Israel and Palestine conflict:

The roots of the modern day Israel and Palestinian conflict can be traced back to
mass migration of Jewish people to Israel following the world war two. Both the
Muslims and the Jews regard Jerusalem as their Holy land and both have been
trying to occupy it completely.  Israel has fought many wars with the Arab
neighboring countries.

Hindu- Muslim conflict in India:

Two atrocities have been largely associated with religious unrest in India; the
burning of the Babri Masjid Mosque in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh in 1992, and the
2002 massacres in Gujarat. Both also sparked national protests and reprisals and
have played an important part in exacerbating violence among the Hindu and
Muslim community. The  key causes for religious violence in India are the
systematic incitement of religious hate for political purposes.

Religions are meant to create peace and unity among people but they begin to
cause conflicts. There can be no single causal source of religious conflicts here.
Nonetheless, if we are to see what causes religious strife, it is ignorance. In order to
fulfill their fixed agenda, some people ride in the ignorance of the majority to whip
religious sentiments.

How religious violence can be reduced :

Religious violence can be cured by deeper understanding of religion. An

international campaign must be launched to teach people to respect other
religions. If our children are being taught that Christians are disbelievers, Muslims
are terrorist, Hindus are extremist. Then what could we expect?  We are pouring
hate in them and we will get hate out of them. We must teach them the simplest
rule that is  tit-for-tat. When you act towards others, so others act towards you. If
you are wanting respect, then you must give respect . You must show empathy if
you ask for empathy. If you do not want to be insulted, you have to make sure that
you do not insult others.  We must teach them to respect other religions, despite
the differences. It doesn’t matter if there god is different from ours, we must be
tolerant towards others. We must be open and we must be broadminded to accept
the similarities and respect the differences.

“The more people come together, the more borders will be opened and people
and opinions get together, the more tolerance will be a fundamental part of our
social life. Without tolerance there is no religious liberty, no freedom of
conscience and no freedom of thought.”~ Thomas Klestil

Source: https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2020/10/15/religious-conflicts-around-the-globe-and-a-solution/
RELIGIOUS CONFLICT
Human beings have struggled against one another for a variety of reasons. Religious
disagreements can be particularly intense. Sectarian violence involves differences
based on interpretations of religious doctrine or practice. The struggles between the
Catholic and Orthodox churches, or the wars associated with the Protestant
Reformation and Counter Reformation, are examples of this form of conflict. The
current violence seen between Sunni and Shia Muslims is also in this category.
Closely associated with this kind of conflict is religious fundamentalism. Religious
fundamentalism rests on a literal interpretation and strict and intense adherence to the
basic principles of a religion. The conflict arises when religious fundamentalists see
their coreligionists as being insufficiently pious. Extremism is the idea that the end of
a religious goal can be justified by almost any means. Some groups that are convinced
that they have divine blessing have few limits to their behavior, including resorting to
violence.

Another form of religious violence is between completely different religions. Wars

between Muslims and Christians or Hindus and Buddhists have been framed as wars
for the benefit or detriment of particular religions. What is described as religious
strife, however, is often not. Although some religions are fighting over doctrinal
differences, most conflict stems from more secular causes- a desire for political
power, a struggle for resources, ethnic rivalries, and economic competition.

The Israel/Palestine conflict is a struggle over territory, resources, and political

recognition. The Rohingya crisis in Myanmar has less to do with religion and more to
do with differences in ethnicity, national origin, and post-colonial identity. Massacres
in Sahelian Africa are better framed as farmers versus herders. The long running
violence between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland is better framed as a
violent dispute between one group who holds allegiance with the Republic of Ireland
and the other who holds allegiance with the United Kingdom.

This is not to say that religious violence does not exist. It does. The most obvious
example of this in recent years has been the emergence of Islamic State. This
organization carries all the worst examples of religious extremism- sectarianism
toward other Muslims (the Shi’a), attempted genocide of religious minorities (Yazidis
and Christians), and brutal repression through the apparatus of the state.

Source: https://opentext.wsu.edu/introtohumangeography/chapter/6-4-religious-conflict/

https://medium.com/@justjanani/how-religion-causes-conflict-9c53cdf80471
http://encyclopedia.uia.org/en/problem/142081

Religious conflict
Experimental visualization of narrower problems

NATURE:
Religious conflict includes intolerance of other religions and discrimination against members
of other religions, religious war, intellectual conflict and conflict between church and state.
Such conflict is harmful to the overall credibility of religion and may cause religious apathy or
disintegration. It may arise in the attempt to religiously convert tribal society and may result
in ethnic disintegration and loss of cultural heritage. Religious conflict can ensue from
political conflict.

INCIDENCE:
Religious intolerance and discrimination exist on a worldwide scale. Conflict between church
and state or other conflict occurs in the Middle East and in Northern Ireland and Cyprus.
Competition and rivalry between religions also accounts for conflict. Islam and Christianity
are competing for converts in parts of black Africa. Christian missionaries have made inroads
into indigenous cultures, particularly in Latin America where native populations have been
reduced to a state of poverty and dependency and in many cases are dying out. On the Indian
sub-continent, where the Sikhs, Hindus and Moslems are involved in fratricidal blood-shed,
the governments have not been able to mount a bulwark between rival religions and sects to
prevent such conflict. In Southeast Asia and the Pacific tensions of greater or lesser religious
nature are increasing in New Caledonia Fiji, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka,
Australia and New Zealand.