The Role of Demographics, Religion, Economics, and History in Understanding the Complexity of the Middle East

It is difficult to separate religion, economics, and demographics from history, because they are components of, and results of the history of the region. Mohammed’s establishment of the religion of Islam allowed for the development of a unique Muslim identity, which the Prophet successfully spread throughout the region. The religion innately created a sense of unity among its adherents. Muslims across the empire prayed in unison, facing the direction of Mecca each day. They adhered to the teachings of the Quran, and to the hadith, which are sayings and deeds attributed to the Prophet Mohammed. After the death of Mohammed, Islam became fragmented. The rift between the followers of Ali, and those of the caliph appointed by Mohammed to lead the faith, led to the present day struggle between the Sunni and Shi’a in Iraq. The Shi’a became the dominate sect in Iran, which sponsors insurgents in Iraq, and provides funding to Hezbollah. Turkey, even though it is not Arab, shares much culturally with the Arab nations because of the influence of Islam. Much of the history of each of the nations in the Middle East is comprised of the influence of the religion, and religion is integral to the culture of the Muslim world.
Empirical history has also influenced the culture of the region. One must only visit the Roman and Greek ruins in Syria, Libya, Lebanon or the other adjacent nations to see the ancient remains of that culture. The Greeks, Carthaginians, Romans, Vandals, Phoenicians, and even the occasional pirate took turns governing the region. Khair ad-din, the Muslim Pirate known as Red Beard, was well known in the Mediterranean region The Ottoman Empire and the Persians changed the demographics of the region. The introduction of their respective cultures also influenced and changed Middle Eastern culture. (www.wikipedia.com)
Tribal roots which can be traced back thousands of years are also integral to the history and culture of the region. The Bedouins were nomadic Arabs who migrated throughout the region seasonally. Their nomadic lifestyle is a threat to urban leaders, who attempt to decide ownership of land and payment of taxes. Neither of these lends itself to the Bedouin lifestyle. As a result, Bedouins often remain allegiant to their own tribe rather than to the nation in which they reside. Muslim expansion in the 7th century only increased their territory and wealth. Part of what defines Arabs is their genealogical relation to the tribes of the Arabian peninsula before the advent of Islam.(www.lexicorient.com)
During and after the era of colonization Western powers like Britain and the United States affected the Middle East culturally. The Western superpowers took the initiative to spread their ideologies and culture to that area of the world, which to them, was uncivilized. The French and Italians also influenced the culture of their neighbors. In Morocco and Lebanon the recognized second language after Arabic is French. In Libya, much of the population speaks fluent Italian.
The economies of Middle Eastern nations are also a result of history. The discovery of oil in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, and other Middle Eastern countries, led to a new sort of colonization, or neo-imperialism. More powerful nations, greedy for control of the oil reserves of the Middle East, continue to indirectly control politics there. Additionally, the West still exports its culture, music, and blue jeans to the Middle East. The pitiful situation in Gaza and the West Bank can be attributed to historical events as well. Israel was created by the West as a home for the Jewish people, who displaced the Palestinians who were already living there. Israel’s mere existence has created havoc in the Middle East, as fleeing Palestinians moved into Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Egypt. The plight of the Palestinians served to further unify Arabs against Israel and their Western backers.
It is a combination of religion, demographics, and economic factors which have contributed to the culture of the Middle East. More importantly, it is history (which is a combination of the other factors) that is the determinant of culture there.