A Broken Middle East

        With all of the political and social disturbance in the Middle East, it is easy for people, especially here in America to get the wrong idea about the culture and background of the nations that make it up. The misinformed public chooses to make assumptions that most there are Islamic extremists that will beat an improperly dressed woman or kill anyone who don’t believe in what they believe in. However, if we take a look at more educated Islamic nations such as Indonesia and Turkey, we find a totally different type of government, a much better one. This brings me to my main point, that education is what lacks in the Middle East and plays an important key role in the problems happening daily along with outside intervention.
        Afghanistan can be used as a perfect example. In 1979 the Soviets invaded and begun a 9 year war on the people of Afghanistan. This war left an estimated 1.5 million Afghanis dead, and most of their villages and cities in shambles. How can people educate their children when there are always constant battles being fought in their back yard? Most could even hardly feed their own families, let alone educate them. Furthermore, even before the war the system in Afghanistan wasn’t the best around. It is easy under these circumstances for an extremist form of government or dictatorship to take over and teach the people to hate and kill. Ignorance and poor education can easily persuade a people to whatever end you choose.
In other parts of the Middle East, such as the well known Israel you can see a different type of battle.  It is an age old conflict that has to do with territory rights, religion and outer interference. After World War II, the Jewish people were given a piece of land to start new. Unfortunately, this brought conflicts with the people already inhabiting this area. Although this is a small piece from an enormous problem, it shows how unfortunate events take place another part of the Middle East. With so many religions and governmental influences, it isn’t hard to see that the problems happening there don’t come as a surprise.
We should all recollect the history books speaking of a different Middle East. A glorious one, filled with great scholars, ingenuity and military might. It is easy now for us to look with scorn upon that side of the world now in days. However it is just as easy to look with understanding and love to a once great part of the world. What is happening now, all of the unrest and war, is a direct result of wars and foreign intervention leading to desperation and poor education. I strongly believe that it is up to other more developed nations to teach these people at least to the point where they can make crucial decisions on their own nation’s future.