(Japanese Version)

(Arabic Version)

 

(contents)

 

The Peace on The Horizon - 75 Years after The World War 2 in the Middle East(7)

 

Prologue (7)

 

007. Three identities in the Middle East (2/3)

 In modern society where urbanization has achieved as described "nuclear family", the blood relationship is limited in family members. "Clan" or "tribe" is almost an obsolete word. The word "ethnic group", which is the broadest concept of blood relationship, is still frequently used nowadays, but it is often used in a political slogan. In the Middle East especially among the Arabs, however, not only the top powerful politicians but also ordinary citizens use widely the word "blood".

 

The identity of "blood" is a native one inherited by DNA. On the other hand, the identity of "religion” or "ideology" is acquired after his berth.

 

Talking about the religion, Islam is overwhelming in the Middle East. Not only most of Arabs but also Turkish and Persian people are Muslim though there are a few of Coptic Christians in Egypt or Jewish in Israel.

 

Muslims, Christianity and Judaism are all monotheism. They are the same Abrahamic religion. But the same features between them brought antipathy and struggle. Especially the confrontation between the Islamic states and the Jewish state is unforeseeable in the future.

 

Islam itself has a confrontation between Sunni and Shiite sects. Even among Sunni sect there is a conflict between fundamentalist and moderate. In religion the conflict is common. Christianity had the religious war between Catholic and Protestant in Middle Ages. The modern Western civilization, however, has almost overcame the religious conflict. Nevertheless, in the Middle East they still have big problems. And the problems have even sharpened in the age of globalization that the Internet has developed.

 

(To be continued ----)

 

 

Areha Kazuya

(From an ordinary citizen in the cloud)