Religious Conflicts: How Religion Shapes Global Conflicts

This essay examines the significant role religion plays in shaping various conflicts throughout history. It highlights how religious beliefs, practices, and differences contribute to both societal cohesion and division. The essay analyzes historical events such as the Crusade Wars, the India-Pakistan partition, and conflicts in Belfast, Sudan, and ex-Yugoslavia, illustrating how religious factors have fueled violence and segregation. It further discusses contemporary issues like religious terrorism and Islamophobia, emphasizing the enduring influence of religion on global conflicts. The essay concludes that while religion can unify societies, its inherent differences often lead to conflicts rooted in varying customs and practices.

Running head: RELIGIOUS CONFLICTS AND RELIGION
Religious Conflicts and Religion
Name of the Student:
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Author’s Note:

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Religion forms an integral part of the lives of the individuals and as a matter of fact it
is seen that the behavior as well as the practices of the individuals are guided to a large extent
by the religions that they follow (Isaacs, 2016). Brubaker (2015) is of the viewpoint that the
machinery of religion contributes in a substantial manner towards the identity of an
individual and also towards the formation of their values or beliefs. As opined by Larsson,
(2017), since the traditional times the construct of religion has been used as a unifying factor
for the amelioration or the unification of the different entities of a particular society. In this
regard, it can be said that religion is a cohesive force and offers a plethora of benefits to the
society and also the individuals. However, history has at the same time shown that religion is
also one of the major reasons for numerous conflicts that the world and also the human
beings have been facing since the traditional times (Lindgren, 2017). This essay will analyze
the manner in which the religious conflicts are dictated to a large extent by the various
religions of the world.
Isaacs (2016) is of the viewpoint that the various religious conflicts have dominated
the history of the world since the ancient times and as a matter of fact that they have even
changed the course of the world in a significant manner. In this regard, the Crusade Wars
(1095 – 1291) which was fought by the members of the Roman Catholic Church for the
suppression of paganism, Islamic religion and others becomes an important one to note
(Hurd, 2017). As opined by Basedau, Pfeiffer and Vüllers (2016), it is true that these wars
had other inherent political motives however their motive was to suppress the other forms of
religion that the people of that time were resorting to. Another important example in this
regard is the religious conflict that the two religions of Islam and Hinduism had been facing
since the time of the Delhi Sultanate in the nation of India. Hurd (2017) has stated that the
adverse effects of these conflicts are not just limited to the religious sects, which are involved

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in the process but extent to the lives of the common people who had to bear the repercussions
of such conflicts.
Alles (2017) is of the viewpoint that one of the primary reasons for the various
religious conflicts is the inherent differences in the beliefs as well as the practices that the
different religions of the world demands its followers to practice. For example, in the
particular context of Islam it is seen that the followers have the liberty to eat the meat of cows
and buffaloes whereas these animals are considered to be sacred in the religion of Hinduism.
This and other differences in the practices and the beliefs of these two religions had given rise
to much conflict between the followers of these two religions. The movie “India Pakistan
Partition Documentary BBC” made by BBC is an important one in this regard which tries to
explore the major reasons for the religious conflicts that the nations of India and Pakistan
experienced during the time of their partition in 1947 (PeaceMongerSoul, 2018).
The documentary clearly states the British India had more than 255 million Hindus in
comparison to the 92 million Muslims who were mainly concentrated in the north-western
part of the nation (PeaceMongerSoul, 2018). Furthermore, it was seen that these people used
to live in a harmonious as well as congenial manner before the partition. However, it is
pertinent to note that the inherent differences in the practices and customs of these two
religions for the process of partition which inadvertently lead to the various conflicts that the
two nations faced (PeaceMongerSoul, 2018). Larsson (2017) is of the viewpoint that the
British rulers had not only used the religion of the people of India for ruling over them for
such a long period of time (200 years) but also for the various conflicts which lead to the
separation of the two nations in 1947. As opined by Brubaker (2015), despite the diplomatic
role played by the British rulers in the conflicts and also the partition the role of religion in
the same can in no way be denied. In this regard, mention also needs to be made about the

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various conflicts that the nation of India and Bangladesh faced because of religious factor
during the time of their separation (Lindgren, 2017).
The conflicts that the people of the Irish capital of Belfast had faced can be attributed
to the same factor of religion. Boal (2002) is of the viewpoint that the differences in the
beliefs as well as the customs of the two religious divisions of Catholics and Protestants,
which are pre-dominant in the city of Belfast has greatly contributed towards these conflicts.
It is pertinent to note that there various differences between the customs and also the
practices of the two religious sects of Christianity, namely, Catholics and Protestants. As
opined by Hurd (2017), it is seen that Protestantism has the provision for divorce and other
practices which are deemed to be completely sacrosanct by the Catholics. This is perhaps one
of the major reasons for the religious conflicts between these two forms of Christianity since
the time of formulation. Boal (2002) has argued that the conflicts that the city of Belfast had
faced can be attributed to the impact that the processes of colonialism, immigration and
others had not only on the city but also on the people of the nation as well. However, at the
same time, it can be noted that the inherent differences in the two forms of Christianity which
is being followed within the city can be seen as the motivating factor which in the first place
ignited the conflicts between the followers or the practitioners of these forms of Christianity.
In this regard, mention also needs to be made regarding the religious conflicts which occurred
during the time of Queen Elizabeth in the 16th century because of the inherent differences
between two forms of Christianity (Brubaker, 2015).
The conflicts that the nation of Sudan had faced are another instance wherein the
machinery of religion has promulgated conflicts between the followers of different religions.
It is pertinent to note that the majority of the population of Sudan is composed of people
belonging to the Islamic faith however in the recent times it is seen that various Christian
missionaries are arriving in the nation (Isaacs, 2016). These missionaries see the native

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people of the nation as pagans and thus they main motive is to bring them into the manifold
of Christianity. However, Basedau, Pfeiffer and Vüllers (2016) have argued that religion not
only forms an important part of the identity of these people but at the same time a motivating
factor for their actions as well. Thus, it is obvious that the people of the nation would try to
resist this conversion that the Christian missionaries are trying to bring about in the religious
framework of the concerned nation. This given rise to various kinds of conflicts in the nation
wherein it is seen that the people are not trying to depend the religion and its practices that
they have been used to following for a very long time but also to defend their very identity as
well which has been formed on the basis of this religion (Brubaker, 2015). Thus, it can be
said that the machinery of religion and its related aspects has been largely responsible for the
various conflicts that the nation and its people had faced.
The conflicts in ex-Yugoslavia are another instance wherein religion has played a
pivotal role in the conflicts. Vrcan (1994) is of the viewpoint that it is true that religion acts a
cohesive force to unite the different people of a society however at the same time this can
create social cleavages as well as segregations in the society as well. In this regard, it needs to
be mentioned that since the traditional times religion has been used as a force to segregate the
different sections or the people of the society on the basis of the religion that they follow and
also the customs held by them. This becomes especially clear when an analysis of the nations
of India, Yugoslavia and others are undertaken wherein it is seen that the society is being
divided on the basis of the religion that the people follow (Lindgren, 2017). In the particular
context of Yugoslavia it can be said that this segregation of society on the basis of religion in
the recent times has given rise to various kinds of conflicts which in turn has given rise to a
prolonged war in the concerned nation (Vrcan, 1994). Thus, it can be said that this example
clearly proves the validity of the fact that the machinery of religion has to a large extent
influenced the various religious conflicts.

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As opined by Kong and Woods (2016), in addition to the different conflicts in the
earlier ages the machinery of religion also wields a substantial influence on the contemporary
society and also the various conflicts that the human society is facing currently. More
importantly, unlike the earlier times it is seen that the entity of religion has penetrated much
deeper into the mindset of the individuals and influencing the kind of things or activities that
they perform (Hurd, 2017). In this regard, the notion of Jihad and other similar kind of
religious terrorism conducted by the people of the Islamic nations becomes an important one
to note (Larsson, 2017). In addition to this, mention also needs to be made about the various
hate crimes like Islamophobia and others which are completely motivated by the entity of
religion (Brubaker, 2015). Thus, it can be said that the construct of religion is an important
factor which not only shapes the identity of the people but at the same time causes various
kinds of conflicts as well.
To conclude, the machinery of religion has been in existence for a very long time and
affects the lives of the people in a significant manner. It is pertinent to note that the factor of
religion not only shapes the identity or the character of an individual but at the same time
influences the course of action followed by them as well. Furthermore, it is also seen that the
construct of religion is being used as a cohesive force by the different nations for the
unification of society. However, at the same time, it is seen that religion has given rise to
various kinds of conflicts, the root reasons of which lie in the differences between the
customs and the practices followed by the people related to these religions. In this regard, the
conflicts of 1947 in India, the prolonged wars in Yugoslavia, Sudan, Belfast and others are
important ones to note. Thus, it can be said that the different religions play a vital role in
shaping the different religious conflicts.

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References
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Basedau, M., Pfeiffer, B., & Vüllers, J. (2016). Bad religion? Religion, collective action, and
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Boal, F.W. (2002). “Belfast: Walls within,” Political Geography, 21(5), 687-694.
Brubaker, R. (2015). Religious dimensions of political conflict and violence. Sociological
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Hurd, E. S. (2017). Beyond religious freedom: The new global politics of religion. Princeton
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Isaacs, M. (2016). Sacred violence or strategic faith? Disentangling the relationship between
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Kong, L. and Woods, O. (2016) Religion and space: Competition, conflict and violence in the
contemporary world. London: Bloomsbury.
Larsson, J. P. (2017). Understanding religious violence: Thinking outside the box on
terrorism. Routledge.
Lindgren, T. (2017). Why do people kill in the name of religion?: Evolutionary psychology,
political process theory and the causes of religious conflicts. In IAPR Conference in
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PeaceMongerSoul. (2018). India Pakistan Partition Documentary BBC [Image]. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZS40U5yFpc

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Vrcan, S. (1994) “The war in ex-Yugoslavia and religion,” Social Compass, 41(3), 413-422.