MIDDLE EAST

Failed Peace Process in the Middle East: Can there be Peace in the Middle East?

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION3

Background of the Problem3

Research Questions4

Definition of Terms5

Significance of this study5

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW7

The Rise of Islamist Competitors in Middle East7

Moderate Islamists: Partners of the West?10

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY13

Rationale for a systematic review13

Search Technique15

Literature Search15

Failed Peace Process in the Middle East: Can there be Peace in the Middle East?

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Problem

The Middle East refers to the “fertile crescent” between the Nile River basins in the west and the Euphrates and Tigris in the east and historically consists of one of the world's most important regions for the emergence of settled life, cities, state institutions, and civilizations. It is the birthplace of three of the most significant global religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, all monotheistic. The Middle East has thus had a global impact on human culture and society and has been influenced by global trends and powers from ancient times. The Nile and its fertile flood-plain gave rise to Egyptian civilization beginning around 3500 BCE, which created the world's first imperial orders; and Mesopotamia—which literally means “the area between the two rivers” (Euphrates and Tigris)—became the cradle of the great empires of the Acadians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians. The Middle East has been called the crossroads of the world: Relations between the early civilizations involved wars, crises, treaties, colonies, and trade, producing social, cultural, and religious interactions and influenced from ancient to modern times by imperial expansions from Mesopotamia to Egypt. The modern Middle East has a population of about 300 million, with the majority living in three large but ethnically and religiously different countries: Egypt, Iran, and Turkey (each about 70 million). Of the 15 states, 12 are Arab, and Sunni Muslims constitute two thirds of the Middle Eastern population. Most of the Shi'i live today in Iran, Iraq (the Twelvers), Yemen (the Zaydis), Oman (the Ibaidis), and the Levant (the Ismailis). The Jews of Israel number about 6.5 million. The Christian population numbers about 15 million. There are a variety of Christian denominations affiliated with the Phanar Orthodox Patriarchate in Istanbul and the Orthodox churches in Antioch, Alexandria, and Jerusalem. Eastern Orthodox churches, the Coptic Orthodox Church (Alexandria), the Armenian Orthodox Church (Beirut), the Armenian Gregorian Church (Istanbul), the Syrian (Jacobite) Orthodox Church (Damascus), and the Nestorian Church (Baghdad) have the biggest Christian communities in the Middle East. The Roman Catholic Church and the Armenian, Coptic, Chaldean, and Syrian Catholic churches have less than 1 million members throughout the Middle East. Besides this diversified population, the Middle East is also suffering from several conflicts, because the most of the countries of the Middle Eastern region are in continuous war either with neighboring country or with internal rebellion. This has caused devastation to the region, and people has started to raise concern that can peadce be brought in Middle East or not. This paper in connection to Middle East will propose the methods that will be followed in the final ...