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I was born and raised in Africa, and at a very young age, I was exposed to conflict and civil war. My country had religious war in the first half of the 16th century, as I was told and read about it. Prophet Muhamad was born and raised in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, he was the leader and founder of the Islamic religion. When the Prophet Muhamad’s followers were persecuted by local authorities in the Middle East, they took refuge in my country, Ethiopia. Soon after, they became strong and developed many followers. They claimed Jihad (Islamic religious war) to end Christian power and take over my country, but they didn’t succeed. The battle was horrible that took place between Christians and Muslims. So many lives were lost on both sides. There are so many reasons for conflicts and violence in our world.
Does religion contribute to conflict? Nowadays, religious division and war become the main issue that creates global problems, in the world we are living in.
Religion is a powerful force in the world that we are living in. “The power and force of religion are beyond question” (Wellman, J. K., Jr., & Tokuno, K., 2004). Throughout history, people have fought one another over religion disputes. Religion is a powerful motivation for spiritual practice in love, peace, unity, as well as conflict. Religion has been a major global issue throughout history, and there is no specific religion that did not involve in a battle. Religion has always been a source of conflict within one religion and between different religious communities. One of the most notable religious conflicts took place on the 11th and 15th centuries, between European Christian and Middle Eastern Muslims. European fought for the control of the Holy Land, what is now Israel, which used to be Muslim-controlled territory at the time of the conflict.
The Thirty Years’ War is another example of religion, the war that happened between Catholics and Protestants. This war took so many lives, and the conflict broke out when the Catholics tried to force Roman Catholicism on everyone. The war took place between 1618 and 1648 on Germany soil, but so many European countries were involved in the war.
Most of today’s violent conflicts contain religious elements linked to culture, ethnic, politics, territory, economy, and other issues. Religious leaders are using religion, as well as politicians, and governmental organizations to pursue their interests.
My first argument is that some people think they are doing God’s work by creating religious conflicts and they will be rewarded for it, but how can you be doing God’s work while you are taking lives that God created himself. Religion doesn’t kill, people kill people. People use religion as excused to create conflicts.
My second argument: the use of religion for ethnic and political purposes. Religion is not the cause of conflict, but the relationship that religion has to culture and politics makes it a powerful weapon to be used to create conflict and war. “Many ethnic conflicts involving both religious differences and separatism have become well known. Both religion and separatism are believed to be among the major causes of violence in the modern era” (Fox, 2002). Religion is a personal and spiritual relationship that we have with God as individuals. When politicians and ethnic leaders try to change our religious ideology, it causes violence, which includes terrorism and open rebellion.
Religious conflicts are the main issue that we have as a global society. Still, we don’t know what the best solution that could be used to prevent religious conflicts and wars is. Tolerating one another and understanding, as well as using our critical thinking skills, can help people to understand better religions that are misinterpreted by people. The solution I think is that we must do something that has never been done before. We all must work together to eliminate religion extremists by creating a new understanding, and we all must change individually the way we approach other religions. Before categorizing and leveling people based on their religious choice, try to get to know them as a person. Also, pay attention to the relationship between religion and other political and social factors, and stop assuming that Islam is an inherently violent religion and that Buddhist monks are unproblematic.
In conclusion, religious conflicts and violence are affecting not only the countries involved in the war, but they are also affecting us all globally. When individuals become religious extremists, they do not pick and choose who to attack, and they focus on their purpose of making a point and getting attention. Religious conflicts are complicating life, and people cannot live a healthy life, raise their children, and provide for their families. Religious conflicts are affecting all of us. If we all work together, by accepting our differences, rebuilding peace among ourselves, we can resolve the dispute we have among our society and even globally.
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