What events could happen to make the mid-East a stable and fairly peaceful region?

Question

Only serious, thought out answers please guys. I am looking for politcal, social, religious, or governmental changes that would alter the mid-East landscape in a positive way.

EATMORE -- your answer is far too sensible and clear headed to work. But I agree 100% with your idea.

COMBATCOP -- Yes, we have to realize that the entire mid-East is basically a land peppered with tribal wars that have been continuously fought for more than 1000 years. The region is to fractured and factionalized to achieve any real change. If you offer one tribe an invitation to speak, 5 other tribes will see this as an act of war against them. Basically helping one tribe gains you five new enemies.

Your first sentence killed your entire post. There are ALWAYS other options, anytime you say there is only one solution to world problem you are letting other agendas cloud alternative, reasonable ideas from coming forward.
I agree the mid-east needs more secularism, however I do not think that all religion needs to be stripped from their governing bodies. The idea of a one-child policy is interesting, if a bit logistically difficult. You obviously have a strong anti-religious streak in your post, some of your evidence and conclusions are questionable (that's being charitable), however thanks for your answer.

OOPS, my bad ... the post above was meant to be for ROBERT DAVID

CHOLE_24 -- Yes, that interview was meant to put a pleasant face on a madman. Unfortunately I don't think that merely boycotting Iran/Iraq will have any affect on their economies. There are plenty of other countries thristy for their oil. I think we have to go one step further and let our navy blockade the ports so that oil tankers cannot leave Iran/Iraq.

BLOGBABA -- yeah the Israel thing still confuses me. Never seen two more obstinate and tanacious groups bent on knocking each other out. But the saying is true, you fight hardest with your family.

The demonic reference in your post reminds me of something I heard a few months ago. This guy called into a radio show and had the idea that we should fill a tanker plane with holy water and dump it over various parts of the mid-east. Basically a forced baptism. This guy made the same case you did that perhaps there was a demonic possession over parts of the mid-east and a military grade spiritual/physical cleansing might help our efforts. I am a practical guy, if something like this could help, I say sure, try it.

CRAZY A -- I am truly impressed with your answer. You make a fine case for a Reformation within Islam. I would be very interested to hear any ideas you have about how a Reformation like this coudl come about. What events inside Islamic believers would need to happen to cause this change in thought.

Answer 1

The number one thing that I believe could happen in the middle east to make it stable would for there to be a sort of Reformation in the religion of Islam.
I would envision it being a reformation much like the one that happened with in the institution of the church in Martin Luther's time when there finally came a reaconing within the chuch itself growing out of a recognition and introspection of corruption within the Roman Catholic Church.
I believe the 95 Thesis was the start of a very significant seed change within the church for an eventual moderation and acceptance of different strains of belief within Christianity.
I do not speak to theology here but ony to the Reformation's effects.
I tie this to the middle east as a whole. Having been there and experienced the culture up close and personal I would summize that something similar within the Religion of Islam would be required.
The current status quo is not going to be sufficient enough as to promote tolerance, acceptance of individual liberties, and a moderate populace(religiously speaking) as we are witnessing.
I am not sure how possible this is given the current and growing more militant interpretation of Islam. I am not sure even if it can happen when one reads the Qur'an and the realities of what it seems to promote.
At the same time one may theoretically say this about scripture if they chose to interpret out of context.
To continue, the route for positive political, social, religious and governmental change lies more within the dominant factor in the middle-east and those who are part. It must happen within their own hearts and minds.
It cannot be argued that the religion of Islam is the dominant factor there for it impacts every part of life for those who practice it. That would be the majority of the populations of the this region.
I don't believe then that problems in the middle east region are a result of policies from nations outside the middle east although they do contribute to a certain extent. It is rather a result from those policies or beliefs within that region that effect their state to a much greater extent.
If you treat the root cause than the symptoms will be dealt with as well.
I hope this helps and I answer this out of a sincere desire for a better world and not in a spirit of criticism.

Answer 2

Without looking at the previous answers here is my thought on your question: For the mid-East to become a fairly stable and/or peaceful region there would have to be several changes take place. The first change would have to be a general learning of acceptance of others. When one person or group of people, cannot accept a different aspect of another person or group there is bound to be a problem. In some way or another the non-accepting side will attempt to either change or remove the different side. This is what happened in the Roman times and today here in the US. Tolerance of others would be one way. Another option is to divide the region into individual regions where, hopefully, each group can live with their own kind. However, if you think back to Germany, that didn't work too well under Hitler. Governmental changes will do nothing until there is a way to reinforce the laws without triggering a retaliation. In short I believe that tolerance is really the only way that things will change in the mid-East.

Answer 3

I agree in part with Robert David M that secular governments and a separation of Church and State is a necessary and positive requirement for any hope of peace in the region. The ethnic bias based on hatred of the Jew and Israel isn't so simple. It is a bias that Americans cannot grasp. Western understanding of bigotry and bias is primarily that of the civil rights era U.S. and the treatment of immigrant populations after the initial influx of Europeans reduced the American Indian populations to a state of captivity.

Granted these examples of bigotry and bias are morally and ethically difficult, but they pale to insignificance before the Arab/Israeli bigotry. Non-Semites cannot even comprehend the cultural and ethnic roots that give birth to this hatred. It is so ingrained in the two groups it is almost non-secular in its source.
And I am not referring to religion or religious differences between the two peoples. I am referring to para-normal Demonic activity being the cause of this evil. We must instill a morality in these people that they currently lack, or the behavior will not change.

I do not think it can be done without God being the direct instigator. Nothing any individual or country can say or do will alter the culture to the point necessary for a real change. Only a major event will suffice. Hopefully it will not be destructive or nuclear in origin, but frankly, options are limited. Nothing short of a Crusade will work, and both Israeli and Arab culture must be altered. Good luck, and my God be with you on this one, it's beyond me.

Answer 4

Right now, I don't believe that there is much that will create stability in the Middle East.

I was just answering another question (is it just me...) about seeing the interview with Diane Sawyer (ABC) who was in Iran interviewing the president...whatever his name is, can't pronounce it. Anyway...she showed him the photos of the bombs with the serial numbers on from his factories who produce them and he sat there and lied through his teeth. Oh, what an awful man...just one lie after another...did you see that per chance?

Anyway, after he tries to give an answer of BS with a play on words, he tells her that there would be peace in Iraq if American troops leave. He also told her they want no foreigners there...none.

So, you know what America should do??? Let them eat crow. Don't take anything in trade...cut off any and all trade from oil to whatever they make and like sending around the world to sell.

Then...put restrictions that Americans are forbidden to go to Iraq and Iran...and there is to be absolutely no cash flow to them.

I would say that it would last about a year or so...because without this country doing business with them, they'll soon notice a huge hole in their pockets where money used to be.

Unfortunately none of them can be trusted. Here is the US trying to build a democracy but it's obvious to me they don't want it, nor do they deserve it...in any way. If they want to continue to fight their secular wars then let them fight and kill each other. Soon there will be no one left except military. I say the H with them all. We have our own oil resources anyway...congress just has to let the exploration companies do their jobs.

Besides, I've never had the desire to go to the middle-East anyway, so not being able to travel there wouldn't bother me in the least. They are absolutely sickening and I think that the borders should be closed to any Iraqi or Iranian citizen who wants to make America their home. That's their government, let them 'live with it.'

Answer 5

Only one set of changes could help.
The governments there must become secular--recognize that antiworldly ideas intended for paradise or hell do not work when practiced on earth--then act on that basis.
Western nations partially recognized this years ago--and substituted god-playing kings for popes, then secular kings and finally elected leaders--who, unlike George Bush have not reverted to 18th century pretensions at being god-kings again.
Our totalitarianism, public or worse, is as bad as Arab nation's totalitarianism, but not in degree.
The one thing that could save the region is actually two related ideas--permitting a citizen to have only one child with any partner in a lifetime until he can pony up 56% of the money to pay for the second's upbringing, education, food, etc. and second a government of seculars committed to keeping the truly religious protected--and out of worldly affairs. Key to both ideas is a ministry of information and a free press devoted to both ideals.
You've seen what a pro imperial-presidential, pseudo-religious press has done to this country's once proud secularity and responsible citizenry. 70 percent of USers believe in angels, 3 percent in the mind.
Forget that the realms you discuss are in the Middle East--they are on Earth; but their leaders don't belong there, and neither do the backward tribal offspring producing nonscientific mentalities.
That's what needs to be changed.

Answer 6

Keep our noses out of there business. We don't have the right to tell Iraq how there country should be run. The Afghanistan war I agree with but this Iraq war was a total waste of our resources.

Answer 7

For one, Israel and Palestine mutually officially recognize each other as per the UN resolution creating the State of Israel and the State of Palestine. Maybe reducing the amount of anti-Western propaganda, as well as getting rid of the radicalist fundamentalist religious freaks, would help..

Answer 8

The Muslims could pack up and join their relatives who are already in France and Germany. Of course, then there would be war in Europe, as war follows Muslims.

Answer 9

Unfortunately, they do not think like us (US). They only respond to and respect power and authority. They have been fighting for thousands of years and our intervention in the last few will not make a difference.

You want peace in the middle east, try 100 mega tons of sunshine. We can always drill through the glass to get to the oil.

Answer 10

Eliminate extremist propoganda and it's ability to incite violence. Islam is peaceful as long as the interpretation is not jihad.