Inside the Fog,

Each week our history teacher asks us to come write a blog, usually a short paragraph, on an issue relevant to what we are learning in class. He gives us a specific question to answer, and grades us on a /10 basis.

The Tribe has always been an important concept in Arabian and Islamic history, creating divisions among its dwellers and followers. How has this caused problems in the history of Islam?

The question, as posed, would suggest that the issue of tribal difference is somehow a Muslim, or Arabian problem. This is just false. While Arabia did have tribes, tribal conflict had been, and continues to be, a problem all over. From the Africans to the Asians tribal warfare and conflict were very prevalent. The fact that some say Mohamed never had a miracle and thus was not a prophet is a reasonable statement. However, what he could do, was resolve tribal conflicts, which was close to miraculous in ancient Arabia. Just as Ghengis Kahn rose to power uniting tribes of the Steppe, Mohamed united tribes of the Middle East. Unfortunately, that could not last. Tribes are formed for a reason. Protection, power, greed etc… So as soon as the great uniter died, Islam quickly split back into a divided group. With some believing the Islam was passed to Mohammed’s family, and some believing it was passed to the elders closest to Mohamed. Not only did this lead to individual tribes siding with either the Sunnis or the Shi’ites but they united under these new groups to fight with the other. This led to tribal wars on a tribal level as well as tribal warfare on a larger, spiritual level.

The question might also suggest that this problem is in the past. Instead, the problem is still playing out in places like Iraq. Much unbeknownst to a certain Presidential candidate, the two sects of Islam are still duking it out in Iraq. Saddam Hussein took the Sunni minority and put them in powerful positions in his government. He did this to play off of the tribal mentality and rivalries of the two sects (the minority would not want to fall out of power since they were used to being oppressed by the majority). Now that the government has fallen and Democracy is (feebly attempting to) coming out the two sects are again fighting. We have seen this on large levels and small scale levels throughout the history of the middle east and it is one of the many reasons that peace in the middle east (and in Islam) is only a far-fetched dream.