The western intervention into the Middle East is one that has been seen to cause an unending debate of whether the move is of great help to the region or a source of problems. Many will agree with the statement that western intervention, or westernization for that manner, though showing countless evidences of force and spite, has in its process brought many positive changes and been hugely beneficial in a manner that without it, the Middle East would never have been where it is today. However, there are many who still have the belief that the countries would have fared on well, if not better, were it not for the western intervention into their personal spaces and that the colonial powers were the ones that held it back from achieving even greater heights in success.
In order to understand and create a distinction between the two beliefs, this essay will take focus into both ideas, each having two well analyzed incidences and points of view. After going through the two cases, one can make their own mind on how the western influence has affected the middle east. We shall start with the negative influences, having two well described instances of conflict the intervention has caused, and then on to the positive influences that the intervention has caused.
Negative influences
The Syrian Revolt
The destruction was so severe that the locals changed its name to Al Hariqa, meaning the conflagration (Kashmeri). It was a show that there were no limits to cold hearted murder when the revolts were threatening to establish their power by destroying the existing one. This was an evident call for intervention in the Syrian civil war. The most powerful country around this time was France, and was determined to bring down the great Syrian revolt, whose purpose of forming was to resist its colonial mandate, no matter the cost. It was led by ethnic and sectarian groups, much like the one today taking on the regime of Bashar Al Assad (Kashmeri).
The fighting went on for two years until Syria finally surrendered to the superior French colonialists. Ironically, France, with the help of Britain, created Syria out of what remained after World War 1. It was created from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. The British also got the ottoman provinces of Mosul, Baghdad and Basra, which it put together to form Iraq. It is the Iraqi fighters, who descend from the Syrian revolt that are now getting involved in the current civil war (Lycett).
If one was to look at the map of the Middle East today and contrast with that in the beginning of the 20th century, they would deduce that the countries present today never existed. The western influence created them in their bid to harness the economic and geostrategic properties of the Middle East for their own interests. Locals were never involved in the making of the borders and were looked down upon by the western giants. Their opinion on most important issues was of no use.
The current Middle East is as a result of the western influence, and this includes borders and also the many problems. The attempt to make them assimilate to their own wants and influence has been of no use and help to the locals, as one cannot change the lifestyle and culture of how they do their activities or handle them. A testament to this is in the history books.
The U.S. Imperialism in the Middle East
As 2011 was ending, the US troops were out of Iraq after failing to forge forces agreements with Baghdad. (Auken). Less than three years later, the region was engulfed in war as a result of the American government pursuit of favorable policies. The government then sought with the Russians for a political settlement in Syria to try and help neutralize the situation, along with an arrangement to talk to Iran as well.
This was in the bid of the US to create negotiations that would help its imperialism’s pivot to Asia and essentially, the Middle East. US had been backing the regime change war in Syria, which claimed thousands of lives and caused millions to become refugees: a war that keeps extending to Lebanon, a region that experiences endless war.
With its major influence and presence in this, it has been seen that the US has a primary responsibility in this wars. With many war crimes attesting to this, only the world wars can be compared to these acts of destruction and chaos, as like their involvement in the Aggressive war against the Nazi war criminals, which has brought many horrors alike.
The war, based on the premise of deception that there are non-existent weapons of mass destruction, can be termed as a well-placed strategy in a bid for imperial aggression. The aim was to assert the US hegemony in the oil rich region and also to create a statement to the world of the naked power of the American militarism (Bew).
This, as a result, caused the destruction of a fragile society that had already had its nightmares with wars and sanctions. The country is responsible for the nine year war that has caused the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people, and also the possible millions in the continuing wars in the Middle East.
The dangers of these deaths can be seen in Iraq alone. For instance there was the fighting that was brought about by the repression caused by the government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki against the Sunni population of the Anbar region. The government was having a high population of the Shiite, a rival to the Sunni. War between the militia and the Iraqi army still goes on and among those involved is the IS (then it was ISIS)
Moreover, the sectarian conflict was caused and continued by the US intervention, and sought to use the divide and conquer strategy to take advantage of the sectarian issue. The policy has its testament in the operations that aimed at ethnic cleansing done by the U.S. Military in 2007-8. The Maliki government was officiated due to the military surge, while in the time the US was occupying the region, and when the Iraqi military transitioned into a formidable army based on the sectarian militias heavily populated by the Shiite.
What’s more, the US intervention caused the creation of the IS, and its former presence, the Al Qaeda, which received strong foothold from the US Intervention in the Syrian war. Nonetheless, the government’s response to the crises in the Middle East conflicts is not helping, but only makes the war bigger and bloodier.
For instance, is its announcement of the shipment of hellfire missiles and weapons, to help in the wars ‘in the bid to be rid of the al-Qaida in Iraq’ and also renew aid to Syria to help in its ongoing wars. The New York Times once acknowledged that: “There is a danger that American aid could backfire as it did in the 1980s, when support for the Mujahedeen fighters battling the Soviets helped to create fertile ground for terrorist movements years later. But the risk may be worth it.” (New York Times)
Positive Influences
Industrialization and the Mining of Oil
Though the region is rich in minerals and oil, western influence played a major role in bringing industrialization that consequently led to the introduction of the petroleum industry. Evidently, this was a significant contributor to the region’s economic prowess. Industrialization also led to the development of transport and communication system along with amenities like banks and telegraph lines.
In addition, it was only in the last years of the 19th century that Europe began showing interest in the oil industry. Before that, oil was for subsistence use, devoid of any interest of harnessing it to make the amount of success we see it bring today. Western civilization saw this as a surefire element of economic potential and hence started the explorations in the Middle East. Interventions began flowing in, starting with the Anglo Persian Oil Company, along with the British.
German companies also began taking investments into the region in a bid to exploit oil just lije other western countries. After the construction of the railway system from Baghdad to Turkey in the beginning of the 1900’s, oil mining intensified in Iran. By 1904, the demand for the black gold grew as the British royal navy converted its fuel choice to oil, making the transport of oil faster and cheaper. With time, mergers of oil companies increased, but the British population was still dominant. It was until much later that oil rich countries made the mining of petroleum a state affair.
Industrialization went on in the line of oil mining as success was now imminent in the Middle East. The success of the oil industry can be experienced today in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar, among others that were once severely underdeveloped. The development of the oil industry in these nations created a lot of wealth converting the nations into wealthy regions. With this, one could see the growth of countries that had poor medical facilities, lack of electric power and means of transportation into great economies of the Asian community. The wealth accumulated goes on to enhance the living standards of the residents and also in establishing themselves among the great superpowers of the world. The wealth in these countries has attracted a lot of foreigners from all walks of live who go to seek for better opportunities in the region. The industry has therefore brought a lot of positive recognition to the region, despite it being war inflicted.
Improving the Position of Women in the Society
Another evident effect of the western intervention into the Middle East is the image and position of women in this society. Equality and human rationality were among the things advocated along the tenure and they both worked in favor of the female contingent. Many laws were created by the colonial powers, who were working on the plight of female rights.
The western ideas dominated the voice that spoke against the Islamic projects and also believed that the Quran shared similar thoughts and views with the western culture and systems. Women, along with other members of the minority now knew that their cries were being heard and therefore, pushed for stronger political intervention. These factors led to the change in the image of women during the period of Western colonialism.
Muslim women were strongly impacted by this and so were other minorities such as slaves, since slavery was prohibited and abolished in all colonies in Middle East. Polygamy was also abolished in a number of them. Though it was still practiced in some parts of the region, it became a taboo in the name of western intervention, and was greatly discouraged among the noble and sober minded (AbuKhalil). The female contingent’s growing participation went on as women could now perform activities they could not in the past, like working for their livelihood. They could now toil and depend on themselves through wages and employment in contrast to the past years where they were fully dependent on their husbands, whether they were hardworking or lazy drunks. The notion that the woman belonged in the house was soon to be forgotten as women were getting more empowered.
Women worked in farms therefore setting the pace for the development of industrialization in many parts of the Middle East region. Evidence that their efforts were paying off could be seen with women having the very rights that were never awarded to them in the past, which gave them a responsibility in the society that they were happy to take. A good argument that grew along this road was that the women were to help in the filling of the job opportunities that men who died in the First World War left vacant.
Moreover, women also got the right to get educated. With the ongoing modernization process, the girl child was given the access to education and the chance to make great things out of their lives. For instance, in the 1970s, education became public to all in Turkey and around this time, a huge number of women took advantage of the chance awarded. With this, the desires of the Muslim women were fulfilled as they could associate their manner of living with that of those in the Western countries: in the sense that they had rights stated in their national laws and they could express their grievances without fear (AbuKhalil).
Many employment fields in the ‘women’s professions’ like nursing were flocked by women. also, fiels that were dominated by men in the previous years such as medicine and science, and politics were now available to the women as it was discovered that they were equally as capable. What’s more, women’s rights organizations were put in place and strengthened in the name of making their voices heard in the society. Truly, the western culture was of great significance to the female society in the Middle East region. Though there are still resistances to gender equality, especially in the theocratic nations, like Iran and Iraq. The stepping stone is already in place and with time, women’s rights will be a top priority in the Arabic countries.
In conclusion, there were a lot of changes that were experienced in the Middle East after the western countries invaded the region. As discussed above, there was economic growth in the region, which most importantly led to the invention of the oil industry. This industries on its own contributed to the urbanization of the region through the development of various towns and cities. As a result, there was the creation of several job opportunities for the inhabitants of the region. It is important to note that the growth of the Asian region after the intervention of the western countries has attracted a lot of foreign investo0rs who are willing to venture further into the oil and other industries.
Also, women were able to access their rights, which put them on the same pedestals as their fellows around the world, especially those in the western countries. These women were given an important tool which is education, which equipped them with various capabilities that helped them to fit in today’s society. Most can fend for themselves comfortably, without having to depend on their husbands. Despite the positives, the invasion led to some negative effects. It led to continuous wars, which contributed to loss of millions of lives and countless property. The matter of whether the western countries should continue to occupy the Middle East should be discussed carefully, to determine the best course of action.
Works Cited
AbuKhalil, As’ad. "Women in the Middle East." Foreign Policy In Focus (2005). Print.
Auken, Bill Van. "The catastrophe unleashed by US imperialism in the Middle East." 14 January 2014 . http://www.wsws.org. Web. 5 May 2016 <http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/01/14/pers-j14.html>.
Bew, John. "The tragic cycle: western powers and the Middle East." NewStatesman (2014). Print.
Kashmeri, Sarwar. "In Syria, Less is More." The U.S. News and World Report (2012). Print.
Lycett, Andrew. "The West and the Middle East: Fierce Rivalries." History Today (2014). Print.
New York Times. "Treading Water on Syria." New York Times (2014). Print.
