The Middle East Region and the Global Community - Essay Example

Issues in the Middle East Introduction Middle East is arguably one of the regions that have the lowest historical record of democracy. Since time immemorial, the rest of the global society in terms of democracy and political discourse has left behind this region. Although it may be argued that Middle East is a unique region with special societal and political needs, the global society is undergoing revolution in all aspects of the society thus necessitating the need of change of social, democratic, and political constructs in the Middle East to make it come to par with the rest of the world. Besides Israel, the rest of the Middle East countries have the lowest levels of democracy in the world with some having below two especially Iran as well as Saudi Arabia. Perhaps the main cause of disagreements in the Middle East is the integration of religion in politics and leadership. Middle East countries have leadership structures that are Islam supported. This makes it hard for the global community to have any meaningful interference or influence. This paper therefore discusses the dominant theme in the study of Middle East region and how the global community is likely to interact with this region in the future. Dominant Theme in the Study of Middle East Today and In The Future Then most dominant theme in the study of Middle East today and in the future is certainly the issue of democracy. Although this region has been on the global limelight for a lot of time, more pressure for realistic democracy among all communities of the world will continually push Middle East to the limits. Supporters of Middle East democratic status argue that Middle East culture is waterproof and external interference is very difficult if not impossible. This is probably true since politics and democracy are intertwined with the Islamic religion. Since the global society respects and upholds the authority of religion, then the power of influence becomes minute. Currently, Middle East has been observed to take baby steps towards democracy. For instance, United Arab Emirates have made it possible for women to drive cars. The Iranian presidential elections that were held in the year 2009 were disputed which implies the Middle East society is beginning to question the quality of their leadership. It can also be argued that the overwhelming political resistance in the Northern Africa Islamic countries that began in 2010 in Tunisia as well as Egypt will eventually find its way to the Middle East region. The American and the European regions have always demonstrated concerted efforts to influence the democratic status of Islamic region. This does not come by surprise since we have seen what has been done to Libya. We expect this within and without fight for democracy to continue and certainly increase in the future. Therefore, the theme of democracy in Middle East is here to stay within our realms of study. Middle East Will Continue Be On the United Stated Foreign Policy Agenda Certainly, the Middle East region has and will always be the number one agenda of the United States foreign policies. United States has arguably taken the role of the global “brother’s keeper.” This has been seen by its continued intervention and concerted influence on Islamic regions within and without Middle East region. A close look at the global political discourse indicates that the U.S foreign policy agenda gained heightened momentum after the September 11 attacks. The continued invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan serve as a good example of U.S efforts to influence the definition of democracy not only on the Middle East region but in other Islamic countries as well. Although there has been claims that effective and efficient democracy cannot be imposed by external influence, an appreciable development in democracy in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya has been observed. This development is likely to be one of the strongest points of argument for proponents of U.S foreign policy agendas in Middle East region. It can only be hoped that the agenda will be for good since the region seems to reflect democratic and societal changes albeit small. It is undeniable that the U.S will find it difficult to make appreciable interference in Middle East region especially for the countries, which have stable economy. For instance, it would be very difficult if the U.S foreign policy agenda focused its attention to an economically stable but democratically challenged country such as United Arab Emirates. Such policies will have to be addressed with utmost care and precaution in the future due to the increasing economic power in many Middle East countries. Some countries such as Palestine and Israel are arguably out of reach of these foreign policy agendas and the countries have almost been left alone to handle their issues together. European Union versus U.S. in Middle East region There is reason beyond any reasonable doubt that the European region has always and will always compete with U.S on making an influence on Middle East region. Currently, the EU has demonstrated its efforts to influence global politics just as U.S does. For instance, the European Union has openly demonstrated their efforts to make a meaningful positive change to Israeli-Palestinian crisis. It is claimed “The British diplomat has tried to reactivate the Middle East Quartet as a negotiating body, and has emphasized the EUs ability to be more flexible than U.S. mediators when it comes to persuading the two sides to resume peace talks” (Pawlak 1). It is also claimed that “Today, however, Europe appears to be making a comeback in the Middle East. The EU-3 (Britain,France, and Germany) have taken the diplomatic lead in seeking to convince Iran to give up its nuclear program” (Kupchan 1). It cannot be determined with absolute certainty the level of competition for influence on the Middle East region but evidence of competition is overwhelming and most likely to escalate. Perhaps the major question that needs to be asked is what are the primary objectives behind such quest for influence and interference in Middle East? Questions have always been raised against such interference with these regions with some claiming that oil in these regions is one of the hidden agendas. If these were some of the hidden agendas behind the heightened competition, then we expect the competition to increase since the Middle East regions will be core pillars of the global economy due to their important fuel reserves. Reasons to Welcome the Middle East Future It can be argued that there is a bright future for Middle East region. Revolution is underway and certainly, we cannot go back in time to the Stone Age. The efforts in the Middle East countries to support democratic and social construct needs to be appreciated although it is in the infancy stage. The changes are small but they will accumulate and be realistic in the future. Middle East politics need a lot of patience and resilience from the global community due to their sensitivity in nature. Thus we should not have any reason for fear but be flexible and patient enough to support the Middle East as it makes its baby steps towards globally acceptable democratic and social status. Conclusion The Middle East region has certainly been the point of focus for the global community for quite a long time. The theme of democracy seems to continually take the center stage among the learning community. The Middle East will continue be on the United Stated foreign policy agenda for good due to the prevailing global political weather. As U.S continues to promote its foreign policy agenda EU will continue competing against the role of the U.S. in the region. Nevertheless, we should be prepared to support this region and hope that the small democratic and social changes will be meaningful in the future. Works Cited Kupchan, Charles. Europe and America in the Middle East. Council on Foreign Relations. Web 8 December 2011< http://www.cfr.org/eu/europe-america-middle-east/p12761> Pawlak, Justyna. ANALYSIS - EU struggles to win influence in Middle East. Reuters. Web 8 December 2011< http://in.reuters.com/article/2011/08/05/idINIndia-58636720110805> Read More