Megan Judge

Judge 1

Mrs. Lucarelli
Comparative Civilizations
9 November 2015
Islam in the Middle East
Islam plays a crucial role in the Middle East; it influences the way people act, the way
they live, and the way they treat each other. This is because Islam is incorporated in peoples
personal lives and the legal code in which they live by. It is possible to gain the information on
this by examining Sharia Law, how Islam can lead to terrorism, and the differing branches of
Islam.
Sharia Lawalso known as Islamic lawhas influence over the legal code of most
Muslim countries; the Middle East is derived of people that are mostly Muslim, Sharia Law is
widely used. It is a guide to Muslim life and is taken from the Quran and the Sunna. Sharia law
guides many different aspects of a Muslim's life, such as daily routines, financial decisions, and
family and religious commitments. There are a variety of characteristics to Sharia law that make
it controversial; also, some people interpret it as explaining their reasoning behind undertaking
brutal punishments and treating women as second class citizens. Although Sharia Law can be
interpreted differently, it cannot be changed. Sharia Law is found to be one of the most invasive
legal systems in the world. According to the text, A Muslim who becomes a non-Muslim is
punishable by death (Sharia Law). This reveals how Sharia law is the most strict legal system
since any wrong (according to Islam) can be punishable by death or another gruesome outcome.
The text states, "I sentence you to be hanged to death" (Al Jazeera).This was what a judge said
to a woman after she abandoned Islam, further proving how strict Sharia Law is. The country
that adheres to Sharia Law the most is Saudi Arabia, since Muhammad was born there; however,
there are many of other countries in the Middle East that utilize this framework as well.

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Moreover, there have been terrorist groups arising in the Middle East that justify their
actions as being part of the Islamic religion. Two of these terrorist groups include al Qaeda and
ISIS. Al Qaeda is a Sunni Muslim group that originated from Afghanistan. Their goal is to get
revenge on Christians and Jews for all of the wrongs they committed on the Muslims. The text
states, It wants to re-shape the Muslim world, replacing secular states with a single Islamic
political leadership (BBC News). They wish to have a single Islamic state that does not include
non-Muslims. In order to reach their goal they spread fear and violence, which impacts the
Middle East in a negative way. Another terrorist group that formed because of certain Islamic
beliefs is ISIS; this organization originated in Iraq. Their goal is to form an Islamic caliphate
which is a state that world encompass Sunni Muslimsnot Shia. ISIS is a brutal group that have
been killing innocent people all over the Middle East (and other places around the world). An
ISIS member stated, The spark has been lit here in Iraq, and its heat will continue to intensify
by Allahs permission (Musab). This displays ISIS justifying their actions through their
religion. Both ISIS and al Qaeda have been making changes to the Middle East by spreading
terror, obtaining more and more land, and by spreading their views in the name of Islam.
Furthermore, the two main branches of Islam are Sunni and Shia Muslims; although they
both follow Islam, they have differing beliefs. One of these includes how Sunnis believe that the
legitimate leaders of society were the first four caliphs and their heirs (until the Ottoman Empire
broke up); however, Shia Muslims believe only the fourth caliph and his heirs are the rightful
rulers of society. This difference has created tensions between countries in the Middle East. For
example, this religious divide is the cause of civil wars, violence, and an increase in bad regional
relations throughout the Middle East. Additionally, countries vie against each other for the
leadership of Islam such as Saudi Arabia (which is made up of Sunni Muslims) and Iran (which

Judge 3

is home to mostly Shia Muslims). This is important to the current role of Islam in the Middle
East because the country that comes out victorious will likely shape the future of the region, as
well as the political balance between the two branches of Islam. According to the text, many
experts express concern that Islams divide will lead to escalating violence and a growing threat
to international peace and security (Council Foreign Relations). This expresses how the already
bad relations between Sunnis and Shia Muslims are expected to worsen, which would greatly
impact the region (Council Foreign Relations).
All in all, Islam influences the legal code, may lead to terrorist interpretations, and affects
all aspects of peoples lives in the Middle East. By analyzing the current role and influence of
Islam, people are able to see what impact it has on the region, and how the region chooses to
react. Islam plays a huge role in the Middle East, and has a major impact on the people living in
that region.