Understanding people in the Middle East

Religion is the life and soul of the Middle East, as it has always been for thousands of years. The people of the Middle East simply cannot live without religion. They don't seek luxury, they don't live for their comfort but they live for their religion. If you take it away, they would be destroyed; there wouldn't be any meaning of life for them. That is why when people in this region hear political rhetoric that defies their religious values or any public figure's statements that shows a lack of respect to their religion, they feel threatened and they take a fierce stance against the West. That is why most of the time, when I read or listen to Western politicians, political analysts or experts about their insight on the Middle East, I find it strange that they manage to overlook this fact and lack the emphasis of religion in their "conflict resolutions". They like to talk about economic aspects, social stratums, traditions, culture, democratization, freedoms -which are all good- but they just talk around the real solution which would come within the religion itself. Anyone who dismisses the role of religion in solving today's problems would be inevitably unsuccesful. Since religion is in the core of every part of life in the Middle East, if one tries to separate politics from religion, it would simply generate further backlash, and one cannot govern the region without religion. That is why in the Middle East, people follow the statements of their religious leaders far more than their political leaders. If the rulers of the state conflicts with their religious identity or lacks the sympathy toward religious people, the majority of people want to get rid of him at the first opportunity. As a matter of fact, the Arab Spring has been a reaction to these kind of dictators. Yes, the Arab Spring was an outcry of people's yearning for their democratic rights and freedoms but the majority also want their governments to reflect their religious values. The general perception about the Middle East is that Muslims - or Islam in general - is involved in one form of another with violence. This is a significant misperception. If we look at the entire Muslim world of 1.6 billion, certainly those who are engaging in violence are a very small fraction. However, religion is being used as a tool by various extremist groups to impose their own peculiar ideologies. In this respect, religious leaders have an important role to play in countering this phenomenon. One can also discuss how to fix the false practices, how to best remove the radical elements and purify religion from bigotry, but at the heart of the issue is, and has always been, religion. In order to bring a stop to violence and radicalism, an enlightenment in Islam has to be supported, not Islam-bashing. So the question is what role should religious leaders play in order to help combat misconceptions or the false models that we see in the Muslim world? Political leaders can be responsible about the future of a country, but the spiritual leaders can be influential in shaping people's souls and in most regards, that is far more essential. Thus while striving to form a culture of brotherhood, love and peace, we must remember that this is not a bureaucratic or official mission but a work of the heart and of conscience. In this respect, politicians, religious leaders and academicians must cooperate in laying the groundwork for communities whose pillars will be democracy, freedom of thought and freedom of expression. The social model that we all aspire for is to form communities and nations, where every individual, regardless of his religion, race and ethnicity, can enjoy his natural right of being a first-class citizen. Although it is a delicate balance and requires someone with vision to lead the way, politics can indeed be compatible with Islam under the guidance of proper leadership. Someone with understanding and respect to those who are faithful, someone with a transparent, genuine vision and who can spiritually guide people can bring solutions to the region far more successfully than any diplomat. That is why showing respect toward people's religious beliefs, soothing tensions, and handling things with love, compassion and calmness should be the way to follow. Hence, powerful organizations such as the United Nations should not hesitate to mention the importance of faith in conflict resolution. They have to bring forward the crucial role of religious leaders; and politicians and spiritual leaders should be able to act together and emphasize the importance of religion to create a culture of peace. Sinem Tezyapar is a political analyst. https://twitter.com/SinemTezyapar The views expressed by the author do not necessarily represent or reflect the editorial policy of Arabstoday.