Religions does not cause wars, but the man who causes wars, such as those who exploit religion to win the tide of the ignorant. At the same time, there are those who hold false perceptions about others so they try to fight their beliefs. You mentioned Muslims as examples, but you did not mention the Crusades, and the Christian terrorist groups. Most of the countries you spoke about were vulnerable to invasion before extremist and terrorist armed groups appeared. You have to be more objective in your research, because such questions may raise an ethical dilemmas.

Good luck

I will definitely say politics and economics are behind all wars. Religion or faith are used as outer justifications to mobilize the masses to fight or to accept a war decision by politicians. War is an event which takes place when wisdom fails to overcome differences on non-religious issues. All the examples mentioned by Sebastain are religious on their face values but in reality they are political and economic. Some parties want to flourish but on the expense of others. They fail to do so in peaceful means through dialogue and convincing others. Instead they agitate hatred feelings among people and use mostly third parties to fight. Look into Syria who fights whom, in Yemen, In south Sudan, in ........ If the fighting in Syria, for example, is between a government and an oppoosition groups, why others interfere to destroy any peace opportunity.

Yes, I agree with you Omran Habib with your well articulated response to my Q, however, , since religion, ethnicity at national level and racism at global level/America & South-African apartheid, are used by politicians to mobilize the masses to fight or to accept a war decision by politicians, it(religion then directly or indirectly becomes a tool) to most global or national conflicts today. So, to a greater extent, I am correct in what I have postulated. Religion is vital or important to man on earth. Politics and economics are the ends, and religion/ethnicity/racism are means to achieve their evil ends hinged on politics and economics.

Dear colleague,

Amongst many other things, Religion provides adherents with a highly emotive capacity to mobilise and cements strong affective ties with others who are effectively strangers, dubbed co-religionists. As such, and much like other forms of affective and ideational systems of social organisation, religion offers a fertile ground for forms of inclusion and exclusion, and thus competition between in- and out-groups over resources, representation and power. It is this competition which lies at the heart of contention and tension--including but not limited to warfare. The same can be said of nationalisms and other affective social experiences.

God is one and only one! And what he said or wants us to know he has said is one thing and what we, the humans has understood is something quite different. That's why there is so many versions of religions and faiths. Which is stupid!!!! And means we are condemned to suffer and finally disappear from this world...

Dear Fouad, thank you for your answer. Religion or one's faith may be all that you have said, but I still strongly believe it may be more than those things and struggle to prove superiority of faith, ie competition always had tended to lead to conflicts among believers of different sects!

No, dear Vladimir Pomakov, God has provided a saviour for man in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit we know His will and if we shall obey His words, we shall enjoy eternal life with Him. We(born-again Christians) know whom we believe and are sure He will save us to the end and fullest, IJN, amen!

Murad, what do you mean that everyone agrees that religion has no income reason being for foreign policies and ignorance? Please explain clearly!

National, regional and global or international conflicts can be understood if we differentiate between political ideology and religion. I propose here a distinction between political ideology and religious worldview. While ideology implies certain economic and political orientations related particularly to power and authority, mostly as represented in the state or a particular group/party, religious worldview indicates belief systems shared by a group of people or nation(s). I agree with the answers or views previously expressed about religion. The problem is that past and contemporary tragic events (nationally, regionally and internationally) show that when religion is influenced by political ideology the outcome is a religious-political extremism and radicalism threatening people’s life and well-being. When adherents of a religion apply their political ideology, they are not essentially strict religious groups concerned with issues of doctrine, beliefs and faith, but political agents or organizations manipulating their particular religion as an ideological force to gain power over others or to resist power imposed on them.

Dearly beloved El-Sayed EL-Aswad, thank you for your well thought out answer. I agree completely with you that people use their religious leaning or ideology to pursue their political ambitions/goals in a bid to grab at all cost! God bless you. Pls send me your email/contact address for more collaboration in future.

El-Sayed's thinking is deep and most extremism s are hatched out ethno-religious-political ideologies whose adherents go hell wire in their foolish leaning.