Inexorable Conflict or Opportunity: The United States and the Middle East

The Middle East has been a source of conflict since recorded time. It is the locale of the struggle for Muslim identity and legitimacy. The Christian West and the United States have played a causal role in Muslim setbacks there. In the eyes of Middle Eastern Muslims, current issues and problems are mystically, emotionally, and eternally tied to the past - a past that has been threatened by Western advancement and progress. Such perceptions in the Muslim Middle East have led to resentment and disaffection toward the West. The challenge for the United States, as the world's leading superpower, is to formulate a sound, effective strategy to remove the sources and conditions of Islamic extremism and to allay discontent and disaffection in the Arab world. The United States and the West must acquire a greater cultural understanding of Islam and the region in order to ease current tensions and contribute to regional stability. The United States and its allies must understand the effects of their actions and policies on Middle Eastern Muslims. They must acknowledge a modern Muslim identity which is deeply and emotionally tied to its past - a past greatly influenced by history, Western Christianity, and modern U.S. policies.