Abstract
Undoubtedly, religion is one of the main factors that increasingly contribute to the shaping of international relations. As it was in the European middle ages, religion and geopolitics have always had ties of one sort or another. Imperialism and nationalist doctrines have found purpose and justification in religious differences and, religious zealotry was functioned to be both cause and consequence of the concentration of state power and the rivalries among existing competitors. The involvement of numerous religious groups and movements in the political scene led the situation to be extremely complicated. The purpose of this article is to see to what extent religion as a soft power has a role in forming international politics. Also, to discuss the role the superpowers and regional powers play in dealing with the question of religious issues. With an argument that these issues including religious conflicts are led by international and regional powers which function these groups in a proxy war to be part of their rivalry overpower, and to achieve their national interests through their foreign policies at the cost of considerable environmental degradation and a massive death toll of people.
Highlights
Religion has a deep-rooted presence in the history of mankind
The existing struggle between the U.S and its allies and transnational jihadism (Al-Qaeda, ISIS) is not seen as a simple clash of Islam versus the West, but it is a competition within Islam between a minority of extremists and most moderates (Haynes, 2010). This religious clash has been manipulated by major powers such as the U.S, Russia, and regional powers Iran and Saudi Arabia, which use religion as a political tool for serving their national interests by engaging religious groups and institutions in a proxy war under the so-called the geopolitics of religion
Curanovic argues that religion influences Russia‟s foreign policy in two featured ways (Huemmer, 2014), one of these ways is the functioning of religious diplomacy on the international stage by lending its support to soft diplomacy
Summary
Religion has a deep-rooted presence in the history of mankind. Many religions have survived for a long time and continued their spiritual influence on societies and communities. The existing struggle between the U.S and its allies and transnational jihadism (Al-Qaeda, ISIS) is not seen as a simple clash of Islam versus the West, but it is a competition within Islam between a minority of extremists and most moderates (Haynes, 2010) This religious clash has been manipulated by major powers such as the U.S, Russia, and regional powers Iran and Saudi Arabia, which use religion as a political tool for serving their national interests by engaging religious groups and institutions (doctrines, mosques, churches) in a proxy war under the so-called the geopolitics of religion. The Rohingya issue has become one of the major topics discussed by Southeast Asian leaders and politicians
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