The Islamic Wave, Essay Example

Islam has spread throughout the world to become the second largest religion.  Unlike other religions that spread through wars and that of conquest, the rise of Islam has been relatively peaceful by comparison and is based on the premise of a religion for all peoples regardless of race or creed.  There have been many myths populated about the Islamic religion but the fact remains this is one of the most rapid growing religions in the world today.  Islam has reached many poor parts of the world and those described as troublespots like Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Sudan and Indonesia.  In this regard the Islamic religion has been used as an excuse for Islamic extremists to create holy wars on what they perceive as an invasion of Western Imperialism and the Christian religion.

The real fact is that both religions i.e. Christianity and Islam have their roots in the Old Testaments; they even share the same prophets like Abraham.  The Islamic religion is a peaceful one but the small minority of extremists have seen it become stereotyped in the West and supportive of Terrorism.  These violent extremists use the Islamic faith to try and create religious wars and unite larger forces behind their causes in order to achieve their goals.  The Arab Spring uprising in countries like Egypt, Syria, Tunisia, Libya, Bahrain, Yemmen etc. has seen the younger people rise up from the shackles of fundamentalist Islam and demand more personal liberties and their own style of democracy that is tolerant of mainstream Islamic religion.

Islam is essentially re-creating itself in the Middle East through the next generation of young Islamist followers.  They are seeking a broader tolerant religion that will interface with Western values and create a more liberal modern society.  Turkey sets itself apart as a shining example of a modern Islamic State that is trying to achieve this goal.  Although human rights will continue to remain an issue in these countries, there is a will to create change.