Human beings want freedom.  This simple fact is an enormous influence toward any movement, or campaign, from the very personal, to the international.

In the Middle East, in the first part of the year of 2011, forces of change, the fundamental desire for freedom, religious fervor, and the technology to allow communication between like minded individuals combined to form flash mobs of protestors.  There was almost immediate regime change in Tunisia and Egypt, and there continues to be intermediate unrest in Yemen, Bahrain, and Libya, with change imminent, albeit insecure.

In Yemen, Islam is a strict state religion, and Shari ‘a law, is emphasized and protected.

In more cosmopolitan, and secular, Egypt, Sunni, Shia, and Sufi followers have lived together side by side for centuries. People have more genuine tolerance for their in-laws, friends, neighbors, and sometimes, even mixed family. The real question is not so much that many Nations practice Islam as a State religion, but that, in some areas secular decades of more progressive governance have allowed freedom to prevail in attitudes.

Much of the turmoil in the Middle East is making in-roads to revolutionary implementation of new government.  None of these roads, are a smooth path, however. Some of it will be rough, and pathways will remain uncharted for some time.  There are regions where tribal loyalties, the potent mixture of old and new, and the explosive power of extreme religious views, threaten stability for years to come.  In Yemen, particularly, people are concerned about religious extremists.  Any unstable region is the perfect place to recruit fanatics to a cause. In addition to Religion, recruiters will paint with a broad brush anything that suggests an “US versus Them” mentality.  Crusades, Holy Wars, and violence erupt.  Martyrs align with causes they see as sacred, for freedom, for justice, and more. Very often there are valuable resources that politically motivated third parties want to influence and control, so before long, weapons, propaganda, and all manner of support for the “cause” are flowing in, while the blood of both innocents, and militants alike flows out.  This has been true throughout the history of all empires.

Religion is often a messy topic to try to get otherwise rational people to be objective about in their freedom to express it as they see fit.

Woman’s rights, for example, are fiercely contested.  Muslim nations have a wide range of tolerance, from allowing women to remain devout to Islam while living largely secular and unveiled lives, to considering women subservient to men, and brutally restricting their rights, education, career, and life choices.

Of course, most people recognize there is usually political power as the prime motivation, but since people use Religion and Holy Writ as a thumping tool to convince others, religion is always present. Jihad, the forced conversion of infidels, influences hearts and minds when people become convinced God is on their side.

It is never religion which is the problem, but always those who claim to know “the one true religion,”  and thereby lay possession to the only truth.  When this occurs, conversion, and/or death to infidels, seem to be the only myopic, and monolithic rule of monotheism.

Christianity certainly has no unblemished history of the love, compassion, and tolerance as instructed by Jesus Christ.  And one would be hard pressed to find any religion that is idiot proofed against intolerance to one’s fellow man, or even our fellow organisms.

The United States of America, as just one example, was founded by pilgrims seeking freedom of religion. However, that in no way dissuaded them from trying to wipe out the religions of the indigenous people already established in the Americas.

In the Middle East there have been thousands of years of turmoil.  There are three primary, and monotheistic religions all based on one heavenly Father.  Judaism was first, then Christ left his revolutionary new twist on the old Hebrew “truths,” and lastly, Islam came when Mohammad inspired followers to believe that like Moses and Christ before him, he too, brought Holy wisdom and instruction from God, or Allah.

Add to these thousands of years of traditions, habits, behaviors, invasions, conversions, tribalism,  patriarchy, conquests, and social mores, the enticing power of valuable resources, and  it becomes painfully clear how conflict arises. 

The black smoke of oil burning, cities in flames, dust of turmoil and confusion, plus the choking pollution of mind manacled intolerance, will likely muddle the air for some time to come.   Still there is reason for hope. All people want freedom of religion, all people want freedom in general.  This will be gained by people finding their human brotherhood is of greater value than any restricted brotherhood of any faith.