Legitimacy of Conflict in the Middle East (original) (raw)

2016, 2nd International Middle East Symposium

Saying that influential and common conflicts determine life in many countries in Middle Eastern Islamic geography and these conflicts create extraordinary situations means to voice the societal, political, religious, legal etc. realities of this geography. These conflicts in the Middle East result in people, who live in this societal system, suffering for their lives. The parties in these conflicts are composed of groups, organizations, movements, and states with various religious, ethnic, denominational, ethno-religious, local, national, and global dimensions. This means that the conflicts themselves have religious, ethnic, denominational, ethno-religious, local, national, and global dimensions. These conflicts indicate there are extraordinary conditions in the Middle East. It is inevitable for different legitimacy mechanisms and legitimization processes to apply in such extraordinary conditions. It is natural, in the Middle East, for legitimization processes and interactions that were valid a few years ago to change with the emergence of new chaotic and conflictual conditions. New facts and circumstances in the region de-legitimized what was legitimate in recent history, or legitimized some illegitimate actors. Legitimization of conflict and the factors, actors, and tools that legitimize conflict are even more important. Dominating political authorities, actors, and states along with their supporters, and movements that struggle against these actors play roles that are suitable for their positions. Legitimacy is a very important dimension to understand conflicts in the Middle East, which pave the way to new hostilities, oppositions, friendships, injuries, deaths, massacres, asylums, and immigration. It seems difficult to evaluate what is happening in the Middle East without understanding the legitimacy dimension of conflicts. It is the aim of this work to evaluate, understand, and make sense of the influential conflicts in the Middle East with legitimacy aspect. Key Words: Middle East, religion, sects, denominations, conflict, legitimacy.