1. Religious Issues

2. Secularism and Theocracy
Movement away from control of life by a religion
Secularists are often associated with being indifferent to religion or rejecting it all together
Many Western democracies have secular principles, formally declaring the separation of government and religion
Theocracy
Government run by a religion
Existed in the former government of Afghanistan
Run by the Taliban
Group of fundamentalist Muslim who controlled all aspects of life for the Afghani people
Today: Iran

4. Interfaith vs. Intrafaith boundaries
Interfaith boundaries
Divide space between two or more religions
Intrafaith boundaries
Divide space within one religion, often among denominations

5. Interfaith Conflict Place Interfaith boundary Conflict China (Tibet)
Tibetan Buddhism and Atheism
The atheist Chinese government is destroying Tibetan Buddhist monasteries. Trying to suppress the religion and assimilate the people
Nigeria
Islam and Christianity
Islam prevails in the northern region while Christianity and local religions prevail in South. Lead to power-based tensions for government control.
India
Hinduism and Sikhism
Sikhs in the NW state of Punjab demand autonomy from the Hindu-controlled government of India
India and Pakistan
Hinduism and Islam
Pakistan was established as a Muslim state in Pakistan and India are fighting over territory called Jammu and Kasmir
Former Yugoslavia
Christianity and Islam
In the Yugoslavian civil wars of the 1990s, Serb leader Slobadan Milosevic tried to kill or evict the Muslim population in Bosnia and other Serbian controlled lands in the region
Palestine
(Modern-day Israel)
Judaism and Islam
*Christians too
For centuries, Jews and Muslims have fought for control of Palestine. This fight intensified after the creation of Israel following World War II.

6. Intrafaith Conflict Place Intrafaith Boundary Conflict Iraq Islam:
Sunni Islam
Shiite Islam
After the fall of the largely Sunni government controlled by Saddam Hussein, both Sunnis and Shiites are warring for control of the newly forming political landscape
United States
Christian:
-fundamentalism
-moderate Christianity
Christians have conflicted in U.S. (and worldwide) over political-cultural issues such as homosexuality, evolution, and abortion. In some cases, violent tactics have been used.
Northern Ireland
-Protestant
-Catholic
British Colonialism deposited large numbers of Protestants in traditionally Catholic Northern Ireland. Has caused violent conflicts between the two groups in the regions.

7. Religion vs. Government Conflict
Religious groups may oppose government policies seen as promoting social change conflicting with traditional religious values
Islam has particularly been affected by a perceived conflict between religious values and modernization of the economy
Hinduism has also been forced to react to new non-religious ideas from the west
Buddhism, Christianity and Islam have all been challenged by Communist governments that diminish the importance of religion in society

8. Religion vs. Social Change
Taliban vs. Western Values
Taliban rose to power in Afghanistan in 1996
Taliban means “religious students”
Once in control of government, the Taliban imposed strict laws inspired by Islamic values as the Taliban interpreted them
Banned:
western “leisure activities”
TV and Internet
Homosexuals buried alive, prostitutes hung in public, stoning for adultery
Taliban believed they had been called by Allah to purge Afghanistan of sin and violence
Hinduism vs. Social Equality
Hinduism has been strongly challenged since the 1800s
English Colonization
Issue is caste system
Until recently castes and subcastes were part of rigid system
Lack of interaction
Problems
Neglect of untouchables
Economic system
Caste system has been considerably relaxed in recent years
Legally abolished “untouchable” caste
Consciousness persists

10. Religion vs. Communism Soviet Union Buddhism vs. SE Asian countries
Orthodox Church
Russian orthodox church of Russia since 1721 C.E.
Marxism the official “doctrine” with Bolshevik revolution in 1917
Religion an “opium of the people” – Karl Marx
Eliminated the official church 1918
Buildings nationalized
Beliefs persisted, although knowledge decreased
End of communism = revival of religion
Islam
Main religion in Central Asian countries
Also dominated by U.S.S.R.
Difficulties applying Islam to government
Buddhism vs. SE Asian countries
Buddhist hurt by the Vietnam War
Both sides destroyed and vandalized shrines
Many Buddhists immolated themselves to protest the policies of the South Vietnamese government
Current communist governments have discouraged religious activities and permitted monuments to decay
Angkor Wat – Cambodia

12. Religion vs. Religion
Rise of fundamentalism has led to more intense religious conflict
Def: literal interpretation and strict and intense adherence to basic principles of religion (or branch, denomination, or sect)
In a world increasingly dominated by a global culture and economy, religious fundamentalism is one of the most important ways a group can maintain a distinctive cultural identity
A group convinced that its religious view is THE correct view may spatially intrude upon the territory controlled by other religious groups
Sharia law- the main reason some Muslims oppose any government law is that it is not straight from the Quran.

13. Religion vs. Religion Northern Ireland Conflict
Most troublesome religious boundary (intrafaith) in Western Europe is in Ireland
Republic of Ireland is 87% Roman Catholic
Became independent in 1937
North Ireland is part of United Kingdom and is 46% Protestant and 40% Roman Catholic
Voted to stay in the United Kingdom
Protestantism a BIG reason
Conflict
Catholics have been victimized by discriminatory practices, such as exclusion from better jobs and better schools/
Demonstrations began in 1968
Since then 3000 have been killed on both sides
A small # of Roman Catholics joined the IRA (Irish Republican Army)
Militant organization dedicated to achieving Irish national unity by any means
A small group of protestants joined the UDF (Ulster Defense Force)
Most are willingly to live peacefully, extremists are the issue

15. Religious Wars in Middle East
Conflict in the Middle East is among the world’s longest standing and most intractable
Jews, Christians, and Muslims have fought for 2,000 years to control Jerusalem and the region around it.
Claims
Jews
“promised land”
Major events of development
Forced to leave, Diaspora
Christians
Consider it “Holy land”
Major events of Jesus' life, death and resurrection
Most inhabitants accepted Christianity during Roman Occupation
Muslims
Widely practiced in region after 7th century
Jerusalem is 3rd holiest city
Where Muhammad ascended into heaven

16. Crusades 7th century C.E. Muslims captured most of Middle East
Arab army moved west into North Africa and eventually invaded Europe at Gibraltar in 711 C.E.
Conquered Iberian peninsula
Stopped in France by Charles Martel and Battle of Tours 732 C.E.
To the east, Ottoman Turks captured Eastern Orthodox territory and Constantinople in C.E.
Advanced into Southeast Europe
Into present day Bosnia and Herzegovina
European Christians launched Crusades as an effort to “recapture” the Holy Land from Muslims
150 year period
First crusade captured land
Second crusade lost land
Sixth crusade peace treaty
Seventh crusade lost land

17. Palestine Ottoman Empire controlled Palestine for four centuries
After WWI, Ottoman Empire dismantled and Britain took over Palestine
1947
After WWII, the United Nations voted to partition Palestine into two independent states
One Jewish, one Muslim
British withdrew in 1948
Next day, Arab neighbors declared war on Israel
Armistice signed 1949 that divided control of Jerusalem
Old city part of Jordan (Muslim)
Newer part of city part of Israel
Not allowed to visit Shrines

18. Israel 1956, 1967, 1973 Three more wars with Arab neighbors
Most significant 1967 – six day war
Israel captured territory
West Bank (from Jordan)
Jerusalem
Golan Heights (from Syria)
Gaza strip and Sinai peninsula (from Egypt)
Israel returned Sinai to Egypt and Egypt “recognized” Israel’s right to exist
Peace treaty signed 1979
“Camp David Accords”
Egypt’s President assassinated by extremist Muslims
Successor carried out Treaty

19. Perspective: Palestinians
After 1973 Palestinians emerged as Israel’s prime “opponent”
Egypt and Jordan renounced claims to the Gaza strip and the West Bank and recognized Palestinians as legitimate rulers of these territories
Palestinians saw themselves as legitimate rulers of Israel
5 groups consider themselves Palestinians
People living in West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem in 1967
Citizens of Israel who are Muslim
People who fled from Israel after the war
People who fled from West Bank or Gaza after war
Citizens of other countries, especially Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia who identify themselves as Palestinians
After capturing West Bank in 1967 Israel permitted building of more than 100 settlements in the territory
10% of West Bank population
Palestinians regard this as a hostile act
To protect settlers, Israel has military control over most of the West Bank
PLO (Palestinian Liberation Org)
Coordinates fight for Palestinians
Led by Yassir Arafat until death in 2004
Palestinians not satisfied with territory or power they have received from Israel
Palestinian authority is a limited form of government allowed by Israel in West Bank and Gaza
Palestinians are denied rights
Palestinian divisions
The people have been divided by a struggle for power
Fatah party
Willing to recognize Israel in return for territory
Hamas party
Will not recognize Israel
Considered Terrorist organization

21. Perspective: Israelis
Israel sees itself as a very small country with a Jewish majority surrounded by a region of hostile Muslim Arabs
To deal with neighbors, two elements of landscape are especially meaningful
Country’s pop centers close to international borders making them vulnerable to attack
Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem
Other issue is landforms
Northern half of Israel is a strip of land 50 miles wide between Med. Sea and Jordan River
Three parallel regions
Coastal plain
Series of hills
Jordan River valley
After armistice in 1949, Israel was allocated most of Coastal Plain
Jordan took most of hills between plain and Jordan Valley
Called West Bank (of Jordan River)
Used as a defense position for attacks on Israel
Farther north Syria controlled highlands east of the Valley called Golan Heights
Israel captured territory in 1967 war to stop attacks on lowland population concentrations
Still has military control today
Attacks by Palestinians have continued
Division within Israelis
Some wish to make compromises with Palestinians
Some recently a majority have supported a construction of a barrier to deter Palestinian attacks