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Part Two
In the former Yugoslavia, three religions are fighting it out. Serbians (Orthodox Christians, under old patriarchate of Antioch) Bosnians (Moslem) and Croatians (Roman Catholic Christians). In India the Tamil's (Dravidian sect of mixed races) and the Sikhs (Hindu influenced by Islam) have been fueding for years, and recently it spilled over into London, where bombings took place.
In South Africa it is not just black against white but, Boers(mostly Reformed Dutch fundamentalists) against some Black African sects, and Anglicans (Church of England). In Ireland we have the Catholic IRA, and Protestant fundmentalists both fighting under the name of Christianity while both factions have totally disregarded God.
In Nagorno Karabakh we have Azerbaijani's (Moslem and sects)against Armenian Christians, fighting since the former Soviet Union left Azerbaijan. Since Israel acquired statehood in 1948, we know that there has been no real peace between the Jews and the Arabs, in one of the longest running bloodiest battles of all time.
When Iraq invaded Kuwait, it wasn't the first time, and I don't think it will be the last. In 1961-63 Iraq claimed the Kuwait area, and the British who were there (1899-1961) intervened and protected Kuwait until they were replaced by the Arab League. Saddam Hussein who took office in (1979) considers Kuwait a part of Iraq, and in fact his desires go far beyond Kuwait.
In Iran (1963-1978) Reza Shah Pahlavi modernized the country,but in the same year that Saddam Hussein came into power in Iraq, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeni, declared Iran an Islamic Republic, and it is to this day under a Faqih (supreme religious guide) and Iran too would like to expand its borders.
Iran and Iraq fought their war because they are religious enemies. Though both countries are Mostly Moslem Iraq's Sunnite sect is against Iran's Shi'ite sect. Even though it was a Soviet backed war, where land was involved, what made it possible was the bitter hatred between the two sects.
In Egypt there is a movement to elect an islamic fundamentalist, such as the (Ayatollah) of Iran, as the next president. There has even been talk of assasinating President Mubarek. Egyptis 90% Moslem. The unrest in all these countries certainly has political roots, but please do not underestimate the friction between the orthodox and breakaway sects that has caused such division among all the populations of the world in so many forms.
Fundamentalism has a good side to it, but too many who practice it do not. The Moslem Sunnites are orthodox, the Shia, Sufi, and Druse are not. Their schism is no different then the one between the Orthodox Catholic's, Roman Catholic's, and most of the Protestant's
of all denominations.
The problem is that those who beleive they hold the Orthodox position (Official, accepted standard ) insist that the other break-away sects are independent and heretical. This simplified expanation is what is at the heart of all the unfortunate bias between the denominations. When wars are fought, no matter where or when you can be sure religion plays a part in it.
That is why it is alarming to see the more radical sects of fundamentalists beginning to unite against what they beleive is a runaway lawless society, that has abandoned Godly principles. And for the most part they are right about a lawless society, in theory, but when radical elements take over they can be as deadly in action as any lawless group.
We can take prayer and religion out of the schools, we can seperate church and state, but we can't seperate God from life. There is one God, and then there are the rest of us. (His Creation) If we don't begin to respect that He is, Ne Plus Ultra, and we are equals only through Him, then we are doomed to failure.
Ps 33:8-12 Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the
inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. For He spoke and
it was done. He commanded, and it stood fast. The Lord brings
the counsel of the nations to nothing, He makes the plans of
the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lord stands
forever, the plans of His heart to all generations. Blessed is
the Nation whose God is the Lord."
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Here are the other excerpts I mentioned:
"What statistics surprised you?
The growth of the Islamic community. They see a growth to 6 million Muslims, 1,200 mosques, and a doubling of the mosque attendance rate. All of us have some sense there are more Muslims here than before, but the dimensions of this, that make the Islamic population virtually equal to the Jewish population in the United States, are arresting.
Zoning difficulties [between religious groups], hate crimes, the ways people in local communities become astounded and even frightened by the fact that there are new Islamic or Sikh communities in town.
Suddenly a Sikh gurdwara will apply for permission to build in a certain neighborhood, or a Vietnamese Buddhist home temple will suddenly be noticed by its neighborhood, and literally the first place they encounter one another as neighbors is in the courts and the zoning board."
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Eileen T. Waldron © 2001
I thought you may find it interesting that this was written pre: 9/11/01
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