Compare and Contrast Essay on Ethnic & Religious Conflicts in Two Countries

Different countries differ in many aspects, whether in population, economy, political structure, education issues, religion, social, and economic systems. In this paper, therefore, I will compare and contrast two countries in various aspects concerning Ethnic and religion conflicts, this will expose my considerate and other learner's understanding to see the difference that exists between ethnic and religion of the two nations of my choice and what makes the two countries better or worse than the other. The two countries I have chosen to analyze in this paper are Asia and India.

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Ethnic and religious conflicts are issues experienced in every social setting. Violent and non-violent human attributes and mechanisms of handling issues influence the state of society and the entire nation. Ethnic and religious conflict are two different issues, whose existence depends on some factors such as religion, the political climate of a country, governance, technology, the economic state of a nation, and availability of natural resources. Perhaps, the world is experiencing more conflicts than it has experienced in the past due to differences that arise from time to time. Religious differences have been associated with the emergence of conflicts in many parts of the world, an issue that calls for an address to sustain peaceful coexistence among people inclined to diverse religious practices.

Religious diversity is a phenomenon that often seems to have a connection with peace and violence. Often, some religions have been associated with conflicts, for example, Islam, which is a religion associated with most western countries. Thousands of churches and different denominations have been established since the 19thcentury in the various continents. Nations within continents like Asia have adopted various religious practices and beliefs, which has had an impact on the interactions between individuals (Barash et al.133). The inclination towards a particular religion tends to make people develop a secure attachment with the practices of that religion, and contradicting these beliefs always leads to conflicts.

Religion is a two-sided aspect of any society. Religious differences can account for some cases of social conflicts in countries such as India. Religious beliefs and practices have also helped inspire concerted efforts to peace restoration in the Indian communities. Hinduism and Islam are the two main religions practiced in India. The differences in religious ideologies have sometimes led to violence between those who practice the two religions. Whereas the Hindus are naturally non-violent, communal violence between Hindus and Muslims was experienced during the pre-colonial period and worsened after partition. However, these conflicts were planned and were politically based. Currently, selfish leaders who use religion to accomplish their interests, as well as differences in religious ideologies between different faiths, can account for the cases of communal conflicts in India (Rudolph and Hoeber A. 1). Politics induce antagonism between the Hindu and the Muslims and use it as a mechanism to cause violence among people, which is used by many leaders in most parts of the world to protect their positions. Most communal conflicts result from manipulations by politicians, and religion plays a more significant role in determining people's perception and attitude towards such incidences.

Religion has often been connected to conflicts experienced in countries like Saudi Arabia. Suni Islam is the official religion in Saudi Arabia, and individuals who do not practice this religion are denied the nation's citizenship. The monarchy government and Sharia laws influence individuals' beliefs. This acts as the beginning of religious conflicts between the Muslim and non-Muslims who reside in the nation (Rudolph and Hoeber 64). Muslims have often been described as a religion that upholds peaceful interactions between people.

In contrast, religion has been widely used in Saudi Arabia to cause violence and perpetrate killings. Ruthless torture and murder of aliens by the natives has been a concern that results from religious differences. Saudi Arabia's government strives to protect the Salafism and Wahhabism Muslim practices at all costs, even if it means denying people their freedom of expression. Complex laws such as royal decrees and fatwas are used to protect the Islam religion. Any person who does not comply with these religious laws is defamed with blasphemy and faces harsh punishments, which may even result in a person being murdered (Rumer and Boris 45). Politicians use religion and faith to promote violence between the country and other nations such as Iran and Iraq. The different Islam practices adopted in Saudi Arabia have resulted in terrorism and the massive killing of innocent people based on religious hatred and antagonism.

Asia is a country that is dominated by people of different ethnic backgrounds. The Asian government has accorded rights and freedoms that protect people from different religious backgrounds. Freedom of religion has promoted harmony and peace between people who are the custodians of different faiths. Rituals, such as Buddhism, Christianity, Catholic, Daoism, and Islam, are recognized and protected by the government. To keep up with the globalization trend, Asia has secularized religion to promote functional interactions between people from different faiths. This move has buried religious-based conflicts among people and has helped them to focus on developments. Approximately 23 million Muslims, 20 million Protestants, and 5 million Catholics live in Asia. The harmonious interaction between these non-indigenous religions and the native religions, such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Islam, is outstanding. The government does not condone religious rivalry, and every individual has the freedom to practice any religion provided it is within limits provided by the government. However, some individuals from different religious organizations establish some contraband groups to molest people who practice other religions, which contrasts with their beliefs and practices. The Communist Party of Asia has put a lot of effort into reducing religious victimization and disorganizing any banned religious groups within the state. Policies on religious practices discourage segregation and prohibit any criminal organizations whose motive is to compromise religious freedom. These practices are meant to promote positive collaboration and functional relationships between the nationalities. Religion is used as a tool for establishing harmony and building peace rather than promoting violence and hatred among people.

Religious conflicts have been a concern in countries like India. Two ethnic-based religions, namely, Thai Buddhism and Malay Islam, have been involved in religious-based disputes. These include terrorist activities, organized crimes, and drug trafficking. The Buddhists and the Muslims have been religious rivals for an extended period because of the continuous interference of the India Buddhists with the Muslim practices. Individuals tend to identify their ethnic backgrounds with their religion. The Muslim forms the minority group in the nation and feel that the government does not accommodate them. Indians practices are not inclusive and tend to discriminate against the Muslim community. Such practices include the worshipping of the Indian Sovereign, ethnicity, and the Buddhism religion (Basedauet al. 226). Religion is used as a method of promoting violence and conflicts between the two religious groups as well as a way of widening the rift between the militants and the native Indian people. Muslims are stringent in advocating for the division as they struggle to cleanse their ethnic background, which they consider contaminated by human worshipping acts of the Buddhists. Frequent communal attacks are numerous as the Muslim community tries to force the Indian people to move out of the nation. Religious-based terrorism is a common thing in India as the Muslim militants attack the Buddhists. Massive killings have been experienced in the region. For example, in 2007, the militants mercilessly beheaded 12 Buddhists and other 38 individuals set on fire. This is the highest order of conflicts and compromised relationships between different religious groups. The Indian government needs to establish a robust legal framework to deal with perpetrators of such horrible acts, which promote communal conflicts between religions and people from different ethnic backgrounds.

Asia allows different religious practices and does not permit discriminations and prosecutions based on the religious affiliations of individuals. Religions such as Buddhism, Hindu, Islam, and Christianity are practiced. However, there exist some Sikhs of Indian origin within Asia. There is a significant mix-up between ethnicity and religion, which has forced people to establish strong relations and interactions while maintaining peace. The Chinese who reside in Asia practice their customary practices of Buddhism and Taoism. Indians practice Hinduism while Malays are accustomed to the Muslim religion. With such ethnic and religious diversity, Asia stands at a critical and volatile position of experiencing frequent ethnic and religious conflicts. However, the three ethnic groups have established ways of living harmoniously while respecting each other's religion. Since the state liberated itself from the British colonial rule, efforts have been made to promote peace and harmony among the country residents. The constitution has provisions that require the Asian government to support individuals from various racial groups as well as religious organizations. Activities that promote inter-religious interactions are common to encourage harmony among the citizens. Religion is viewed as a tool for establishing a peaceful coexistence between people from different origins.

Apart from religion, other factors, such as the distribution of natural resources, can result in conflicts. Superpowers have engaged in constant disputes with other nations as they try to reach out for resources found in those countries. Such resources include precious minerals such as gold and diamonds, petroleum, among others. Such greed has resulted in conflicts, and the worst cases have led to civil wars and increased terrorism. Disputes over resources began to be felt more in the 19th century and have become common in many countries.

Different countries have joined up through the formation of international unions that focus on finding ways on how nations can interact with each other and achieve goals that mutually benefit each of the members. This move has strengthened the bond between different countries and minimized international conflicts. The establishment of trade unions such as Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) has helped create a suitable environment for coexistence between the different countries within the Asian continent. This has eliminated the barriers that existed before the union formation, and as a result, international conflicts have been reduced. The establishment of such unions proves vital as it brings individuals together and overlooks their differences to promote good relationships and reciprocity among individuals.

Poor governance is another factor that can cause conflicts between people from different ethnic, culture, as well as religious backgrounds. In a statement by Goodluck Jonathan, "...a future of peace, stability and democracy would be greatly rewarding. Only in a democracy can ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity find mutual accommodation and the freedom and opportunities that come with it" (August 8, 2014). Greed for power and weak governance has resulted in conflicts between communi...