Democracy in the Middle East Essay - 1416 Words

Over the last century, the Middle East has been the location of ethnic rivalry, political and economic instability, religious conflict, territorial dispute and war. Much of this tension in the Middle East comes from the various interpretations of Islam and how the religion should be applied to politics and society. Over the last ten years, the United States and their allies have pushed to promote democracy in the Middle East. However, they too have many obstacles they must overcome. They face problems such as the compatibility of Islamic law and democracy, the issue of women’s rights, and there is always the problem of how to go about implementing a democratic reform in these countries. Many initially would assume that it is only the†¦show more content†¦By the end of 2005 Freedom House had recorded strong improvements in the political and civil rights of countries like Jordan, Morocco, Egypt, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. Over a year later, the democratic prospects in the Middle East did not look as prosperous as before. Struggles between the regimes, the United States, and Europe started to diminish the democratic reform. People in the Middle East wanted a change because what they had before did not serve for their best interests. Elections began in many of these Middle Eastern nations like Palestine where Hammas won, in Lebanon where Hezbollah won, in Iraq where the Islamists got the majority, and in Egypt where many members of the Muslim Brotherhood won seats in parliament. Although the electoral process began in some of these Middle Eastern states, it was not the greatest thing in the world since people were not voting based off the political platforms on which these parties stand on but rather the personalities of the leaders. There was also a lot of corruption in these elections that swayed votes to these Islamist parties. The Bush administration was hoping that Iraq would set an example that could influence the rest of the region to democratize. Instead, Islamist parties were the ones to win the elections, violence started to increase in the region, and countries surrounding Iraq now used them as an example of why democratizing is not a good option. Leaders had turned the terrible situation in Iraq as an excuseShow MoreRelatedA Democracy Of The Middle East1304 Words   |  6 PagesVarious forms of democracy have been around since Ancient Greece and Rome. Over the years citizens have revolted against monarchies, dictatorships, and oligarchies in favor of democracies and republics. It is rare to come upon a country in which the citizens overthrew a democratic government in favor of anything else. This suggests that a democracy is the ideal form of government that citizens will continue to revolt until they reach. Francis Fukuyama agrees when he asserts that capitalist, liberalRead MoreDemocracy in The Middle East Essay1166 Words   |  5 PagesThe imposing of liberal democracy into foreign states and in particular into the Middle East would not necessarily create peace due to their cultural and geographical context. From a westernised perspective we may heavily associate the nature of democracy with peace but the history of international relations and theory has continue to show that this is definitely not the case. The Democratic Peace Theory itself contains weakness and vulnerabilities due to its reliance on ‘casual logic’ (Layne 1994Read MoreThe Potential Effects Of Democracy On The Middle East1971 Words   |  8 Pages The Potential Effects of Democracy in the Middle East Democracy has often been affiliated with reflective notions such as freedom and liberty, as well as the belief that people deserve a voice to represent their demands and the majority of a population should have its way. 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We are supporting the democratic aspirations of all people.† Her speech was seen as an attackRead MoreOil And Natural Gas : A Source Of Strategic Power956 Words   |  4 PagesOil and Democracy in Middle East Fossil energy (i.e. coal, oil and natural gas) is generally considered as a main force that drives innovation of new technology and highly developed economy around the world from industrial revolution. It is also the â€Å"lifeblood† of the global economy and takes up 80% of world’s net primary energy supply. However, due to the huge exposure of oil reserves in Persian Gulf after World War I, geopolitical struggles and potential conflicts surrounding fossil energyRead MoreThe Causes and Effects of the Arab Springs823 Words   |  3 Pagesyou ever been to the Middle East? Well, if you havent, you sure are missing out on a lot. There is one thing for sure, you are missing out on those Arab Springs. Yes, I said it, Arab Springs, which are getting into a big issue. Arab Springs is a series of anti-government protests, uprisings and armed rebellions that spread across the Middle East in early 2011. The people in the Middle East are uprising their rulers’ choices of their decisions and hoping to have a democracy. There were many countriesRead MoreThe United States Should Promote Democracy998 Words   |  4 PagesI affirm Resolved: The United States ought to promote democracy in the Middle East Democracy is a system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of a state, and is one with representative institutions and a rule of law. Observation 1: when we talk about promoting democracy, there are many ways to carry out this promotion. The United States is not obligated to take one course of action. Rather, the US can alter and adjust its approach to what is most suitable for that