Essay Sample on Religion in International Politics

Introduction

Religion is used in the current world as a tool which unites people and makes them have a common belief. As such, religion has a very huge functionality at the international from as it is one of the tools which is able to bring people from different nations together with a common interest of serving their God. In so doing, some religions have stands which tend to radicalize their members and hence make them have very weird beliefs. The most outspoken religions in the world are Christianity and Islam which controls over 60 percent of the world's population when combined (Rabinovich & Reinharz, 2008).

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The two religions have different stands, especially when dealing with issues. Christians believe that their God is a God of peace who only bless those who humble themselves before him and discourages war at all cost (Ryan, 2000). The Muslims on the other hand, strongly believe in Jihad which they regard as the holy war. They, therefore, believe that individuals who die while fighting for what they deem is right have free entry to the kingdom of God. Because of this, some of the Muslims have become radicalized and led global terrorist groups such as the al Qaeda, ISIS, Muslims brothers and al-Shabaab which operate terror gangs globally (Reardon, 2006).

International organizations have thus come in handy to ensure that such vices which are led by these terror groups are completely eradicated and sanity and brotherhood restored between different religions for harmonious coexistence (Roberts & Kingsbury, 1988). These international organizations have played various active roles in ensuring this and they have gone as far as holding global campaigns meant to enlighten people about the importance of peace and love in the world. The following roles have been played by the organizations highlighted below;

United Nations Organization

The United Nations organization is an international body which has been at the forefront in fighting terrorism and restoring sanity among nations. Using its different branches, the United Nation organization works closely with the global government to ensure that peace exists among the global countries. They have even formed different organs such as the international courts which aids in finding justice to the victims of brutality and terrorism. The UN has passed laws which are in agreement with the religious norms of different groups to ensure that different religions do not radicalize its members but instead make them integrate and instill moral values to the societies (Rooney, 2013).

Similarly, the UN is on the verge of supporting various programs which are aided in supporting peace and tranquility among the global society. They fund public education programs in nations which are faced with dangers of radicalization and terrorism as well as war-prone areas. The UN has also set up different bodies such as the UNHCR which supports the refugees who are victims of adverse occurrences in the global community.

The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

The organization of Islamic Cooperation is another global group which aims in inculcating good moral values among its members to ensure peaceful coexistence among various religious groups. The organization teaches Islam good values as they discourage extremism among the members. During its 35th meeting held in Kampala Uganda, the organization stressed on the need to cooperate different religions and governments in fighting terrorism as they strongly condemned the staged terror attacks which are perpetrated by the Muslim communities on the stance of their faith (Basu, 2004).

They resolved that Islam stands for peace and any Muslim who pretends top act immorally in the name of Jihad should be treated as an outcast and a terrorist who must be subjected to face the full force of the law. It came out that Jihad stands for a holy war and not terrorism and, therefore, a terrorist has no connection with Islam. The organization is also orchestic to support the war against terrorism by joining other countries such as Somalia and Middle East nations in combating the vice. This is done through donations and starting up various units for mobilization of the Islam community to embrace peace (Petersen & Kayaoglu, 2019)

Organization of the Catholic Church

The Catholic Church has been fighting for equity and fair treatment to humanity. The church has led campaigns which are aimed at making reforms to fair treatment of humanity regardless of one's religious affiliation (Boswell et al., 2000). The pope in many occasions has acted out of the expectation by the church members to visit some areas which are considered the Muslim zones such as his recent visit to UAE (Hanson, 2014). The visitations are meant to make the Muslims understand that their Christian brothers are welcoming and hence no need to create enmity (Dore, 2002)

The Vatican has also sponsored programs which are directed towards helping others who are in need of help as well as the displaced, needy and vulnerable in the society regardless of their religious affiliations. The Catholic Church also stands as a figure of peace as they spread peace through their different churches which command a huge following globally (Grace & Joseph, 2007).

Conclusion

Religion plays key roles in international politics since most people in the world are affiliated to different religious groups and hence easily listens to their commands (Hanson, 2006). Through religion, nations are able to elect morally upright leaders as a society depends entirely on the leaders. The church, OIC and the United Nations organization hence plays important roles in ensuring peace and political stability in the world (Byrnes & Katzenstein, 2006).

References

Basu, R. (2004). The United Nations: Structure & Functions of an International Organization. New Delhi, India: Sterling Publishers Pvt.

Boswell, J., McHugh, F. P., McHugh, F. P., & Verstraeten, J. (2000). Catholic Social Thought: Twilight or Renaissance? Peeters Publishers.

Byrnes, T. A., & Katzenstein, P. J. (2006). Religion in an Expanding Europe. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Dore, R. P. (2002). Japan, Internationalism and the UN. London, England: Routledge.

Grace, G., & Joseph, S. (2007). International Handbook of Catholic Education: Challenges for School Systems in the 21st Century. Berlin, Germany: Springer Science & Business Media.

Hanson, E. O. (2006). Religion and Politics in the International System Today. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Hanson, E. O. (2014). The Catholic Church in World Politics. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Petersen, M. J., & Kayaoglu, T. (2019). The Organization of Islamic Cooperation and Human Rights. Pennsylvania Studies in Human.

Rabinovich, I., & Reinharz, J. (2008). Israel in the Middle East: Documents and Readings on Society, Politics, and Foreign Relations, Pre-1948 to the Present. Lebanon, NH: UPNE.

Reardon, L. C. (2006). The Catholic Church and the Nation-State: Comparative Perspectives. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press.

Roberts, A., & Kingsbury, B. (1988). United Nations, Divided World: The Un's Roles in International Relations. Oxford University Press, USA.

Rooney, F. (2013). The Global Vatican: An Inside Look at the Catholic Church, World Politics, and the Extraordinary Relationship between the United States and the Holy See. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.

Ryan, S. (2000). The United Nations and International Politics. Macmillan International Higher Education.

Saideman, S. M. (2001). The Ties That Divide: Ethnic Politics, Foreign Policy, and International Conflict. New York, NY: Columbia University Press.

Trent, J. E., & Rahman, M. (2007). Modernizing the United Nations System: Civil Society's Role in Moving from International Relations to Global Governance. Barbara Budrich.