Religious Leaders in the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: From Violent Incitement to Nonviolent Resistance

Abstract

Religion is an important factor and force in resolving identity-based conflicts, yet its role has been either neglected or overemphasized in analyzing or responding to deep-rooted, intractable conflicts. Most studies have focused on how religious identity can be manipulated to trigger and sustain violence in conflicting societies. The danger of such explanations, which exaggerate the effect and role of religious forces and identity in a political setting, can be clearly seen in the cases of Iraq and Somalia, in the relations between Iran and the United States, and in Northern Ireland, where policymakers begin framing political and economic conflicts as religious or sectarian conflicts. In addition, social scientists can be affected by political agendas and policy debates regarding the role of religion in conflict. For example, Islamic theology has been presented as a root cause of the ongoing “war on terror” and thus, for these scholars, religious identity is the primary cause for war and consequently the only path for resolving the conflict. However, as social scientists, when framing the “war on terror” as a religious war, we must ask, to what extent are we serving specific and partisan political agendas rather than conducting solid social science and generating knowledge that can promote social justice? A number of other nonreligious root causes for the war on terror exist, including the distribution of resources, globalization forces, and hegemonic power policies.