Foreign Policies in the Middle East - 1750 - Research Paper Example

Foreign Policies in the Middle East - 1750 The Middle Eastern foreign policies are among the most complex policies found anywhere in the world. Policymakers in this region have much internal autonomy in policymaking. But, Middle East is a region which has been plagued quite often with issues like instability and terrorism. This is why many opinion that this region is crowded with unstable states each of which is encountered with different challenges. This turbulence or insecurity plays a big role in shaping foreign policies. Many different labels have been given to these policies over time in research literature from strictly Islamist to Western to secular. This research paper aims to label these foreign policies as appropriately and objectively as possible with the help of modern research. It also serves to explain why foreign policies in Middle East are so hugely affected by religion. Though there is a mix of factors which influences Middle East foreign policies, policymakers have never been able to ignore the factor of religion which is a very powerful means of controlling or shaping the image of Middle East. A growing body of research over past many years has scrutinized the relationship between Islam and regional politics of Middle Eastern states. But, this research can surely benefit from more illuminating concepts about how religious thought works to affect outcomes of these foreign policies of different Middle Eastern states. Following discussion aims to illustrate the reality of this claim that religion strongly influences the internal relations of Middle East. It also hopes to improve understanding of this relationship between the two entities. The countries covered in this discussion are Iraq, Kuwait, Egypt, and Syria. Some suggest that bringing religion into international relations is not a modern or thoughtful strategy, but the state in the region of Middle East is different. Here, religion is the dominant and most influential ideology on both social and political levels. In fact, religion is so deeply embedded in all policies that it is almost impossible to separate it from the politics of the region. It has always played a prominent role in Middle Eastern political life which distinguishes this region from many other countries where religion has just begun to play important role. Sectarian clashes form one example of how religious beliefs and concerns permeate Iraqi foreign policies. This is because international relations of Iraq with other Middle Eastern countries like Lebanon, Egypt, and Iran have always been strained due to division of followers into Sunni and Shia branches. Also, the closer policymakers happen to be to religion, the stricter their policies and international relations are for those countries which support or tolerate anti-Islam forces. For example, Israel is considered a strong adversary by all countries in the Middle East though Jordan has a tolerant approach to Israel’s actions and has more relaxed foreign policies. But, both Iraq and Lebanon refuse to recognize the state of Israel which indicates strong religious involvement in foreign affairs of these countries. This is because of Muslim brotherhood which is a very ancient and strong Islamic concept. Muslims during Muhammad’s era and later have been known to engage in historical wars to defend and support their weaker Muslim brothers. So, when Egyptian president Anwar Sadat showed interest in making peace initiatives with Israel in 1977, the pro-Palestinian country Iraq strongly criticized Egypt and relations between the two countries estranged. This is because of the role played by religion that foreign relation of Iraq with Egypt ruptured. In order to show concrete support for Palestinians and disapproval for Egypt’s relaxed policies, Iraq also held an Arab League summit in Baghdad in 1978 to banish Egypt for backing up Israel. In this summit, all Arab countries were urged by Iraq to shun Egypt in support of Palestinian Muslims. Foreign policy of Iraq in the 2006 Israel–Hezbollah War which is also called the 2006 Lebanon War also indicates how religion holds an important position in foreign affairs of the country. This is because Iraq openly supported Lebanon and condemned Israel in 2006. Israel was verbally accused by Iraqi officials for her actions which made Iraq grow very close with Lebanon. This shows that the relationship between foreign policy and religion happens to be quite direct in Middle East. Investigation into Syria’s foreign policy reveals that one of its main ambitions is to upgrade the country’s influence in the region among other Arab countries. This is because Syria is quite isolated in Middle East and faces many ongoing tensions with her neighbor Muslim countries. This isolation of Syria is not only true in context of Middle East, but the country has also been more isolated over time with the international community. This is because of the way the Syrian government handled nationwide protests made against the country’s president Bashar al-Assad since 2011. All countries of the Arab League have condemned Syria for the violent way by which the government dealt with the civil uprising. However, Iran has always been a traditional ally of Syria. This is because of the large Shia population of Iran and the fact that the Syrian President Assad himself hails from the Alawite branch of Shia sect. Despite unpopularity of the president in his own country, he has always been supported by Iran even when all other countries of the Arab League openly condemned Syria. Iran has also recently assisted Syria in upholding myriad industrial projects which include cement factories, construction companies, and power plants. Iran has not shown support for any other country in Middle East to this extent like it has for Syria. Billions of dollars continue to be invested in Syria by Iran to take the country out of economic contractions. In contrast to Iran, Syria has always been an outspoken critic of Israel in its foreign policy. President Assad’s anti-Israel stance is very prominent and steady because of his strong support for the ideology of Muslim brotherhood. Religious convictions and public concerns heavily permeate the country’s foreign policy. In one of his addresses, Assad said that despite economic problems, Syria is stable because the government’s foreign policy attempts to mirror the beliefs of the people (Issacharoff). Israel and America are not popular with the Syrian people. This is why the government is both anti-Israel and anti-West. However, the conservative political and social environment of Iran is approved by Syria because Syrian people share the same views. Syria supports Iran in times of pressure just as much as Iran supports Syria. Commenting on Iran’s influential importance both in Middle East and international community, Assad has claimed that Iran is a country which cannot be overlooked (Issacharoff). Works cited: 7 Read More