Religion : the disturbing factor in a Mediterranean peace process

Abstract

In recent years, there has been much comparative study on the role of religion in international affairs. It has by now become an accepted fact that our century, particularly this last decade or so, has once more seen the rise of religious movements. I particularly find the Mediterranean an interesting case-study in this respect: one cannot ignore the religious factor in conflicts such as the Arab-Israeli conflict and the situation in Lebanon, just to mention two prominent examples. The intense, and often disturbing, relationship between religion and politics is a characteristic in this part of the world. Even more interesting are the relations Judaism, Christianity and Islam have with each other. The three Abrahamitic religions, as they are often termed, have co-existed in this region for centuries, although the "co-existence" has many times degenerated into mere "tolerance" or even downright violence. In this study, therefore, I shall be looking at each of these religions in tum and at their place in the history of Mediterranean politics. From these, I have tried to extract values which can be translated into relevant and concrete policy action. Thus, in the first chapter, I have dealt with Judaism and its unique interpretation of the value of redemption, which is perhaps why Judaism has often been called the religion of hope. This is then followed by examples of events in the Mediterranean which have or have not lived up to this value. The second chapter deals with forgiveness as understood in Christian terms. Once again, this is followed up by examples of where and when such a value proved to be so decisive in a particular context. One of the most outstanding examples of this is certainly the formal invitation Pope John Paul II extended to the PLO leader Yasser Arafat in 1982. Islam and its emphasis on justice comes in the third chapter. Of all the three, Islam is the only one which makes no distinction between religion and politics, so its notions of justice are indeed very interesting in an era where social injustice is at the heart of practically any conflict. Finally, the fourth chapter deals with the fact that these three values can only make a coherent whole if the three religions decide to cooperate further. Thus, this chapter deals with "interfaith" as a practice which evolved in the 1960s and which has gained an important place in the agenda of each of the three religions. Lastly, for the sake of brevity, this study has been limited to the Mediterranean, so the events that support the arguments belong to the Mediterranean environment. There are therefore many other events, such as the conflict in Northern Ireland, for example, which have not been mentioned. This study has also been limited to the three Abrahamitic religions and in their pure form; by this, I mean to say that I have not gone into much detail regarding the differences within every religion. Islam, for example, differs widely from country to country. Moreover, there are many other theological and social values that are of particular relevance to the issue we are discussing. I have however limited myself to one from each religion, to leave space for its analysis in a political context.