With the current
conflicts in the Middle East, numerous people question why exactly this region
of the world is so volatile. The answer isn’t a simple one; with 18 conflicts
in the past 15 years there are numerous etiological factors at work. The Middle
East, as we know it in modern times, is actually the result of partitioning of
the defunct Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire existed up until 1922, after
defeat in World War One. While this event was nearly a century ago, it’s
important to consider because the Allied Powers were tasked with dividing up
the now defunct and incredibly vast empire into smaller states. Britain and
France were the two countries tasked with the complex assignment of creating
the borders for the new Middle East.
Unfortunately, they
completely butchered their task due to imperialistic values and a greed for
oil. Britain and France had very ethnocentric views on what a country should and
shouldn't be. That’s why they allowed themselves, without consulting the
locals, to decide how the new countries should be organized. Also, they sought
to have regions under their own influence and divided up countries accordingly.
The importance of oil sure does sound familiar doesn’t it? One modern country
which has undergone decades of instability and violence following that
partition is Iraq. Iraq, then known as Mesopotamia, was a country made with
complete disregard for tribal and ethnic separation. The citizens of this new
country had a new identity thrust upon themselves whom which numerous didn’t
want. It’s a lot more understandable after knowing this to understand why so
many Iraqi soldiers flee battle. Why would you risk your life defending a
country you don’t want, for people you don’t identify with. Citizens of the
Middle East have a lesser sense of nationalism not out of a lack of empathy,
but as a result of being forced to exist as part of a new county which
disregards thousands of years of separation.
Imagine if Canada was
forcibly merged with the United States by France. Then, an uprising starts in
Minnesota and as a member of the army, which you only joined to escape poverty,
are sent to suppress. Your morale and willingness to fight would be incredibly
low considering that this enemy force is probably more dedicated and suited to
their environment. In fact, you would probably sympathize with these rebels
more than your own army.
While it is very hard
to admit, Iraq was more stable as a country with Saddam Hussein in charge. Many
people view him as a necessary evil whom brought relative peace and security to
an ethnically divided country, crushing dissidence with brutal force. His elite
Revolutionary Guard became infamous throughout the country and instilled fear
in those seeking to oppose him. However, we mustn't overlook the numerous human
rights violations perpetrated by Iraq on its own citizens under his
dictatorship including genocides, the use of chemical weapons, torture,
executions of civilians, along with numerous other war crimes.
The improper partition
of the Ottoman Empire is one of many reasons for the instability currently
existing in the Middle East. Numerous others, such as improperly managed
military interventions, widespread corruption, and the rise of Islamist
extremist groups all have destabilized a very important region of the world. In
my second part in the series of The Middle East, Explained I will be
going into depth on the Syrian Civil War and why it has escalated to its
current level.
David is a second-year Criminology student who takes interest in sports, global issues and the news.
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