Conflict resolution

Members of two ultra-orthodox communities located in Jerusalem’s West Bank may be willing, according to a New York Times report, to consider relocating to land that belongs to Israel. (Ethan Bronner and Isabel Kershner, “Unsettled - In 2 West Bank Settlements, Sign of Hope for a Deal,” New York Times, July 27, 2009) The ultra-orthodox are and have not been not Zionists; they do not believe that Israel should reoccupy the promised land.

This encouraging sign helpfully reminds negotiators and other interested parties – not only in this situation but other geo-conflicts as well – that a macro-view often hides or distorts the true picture. Settler advocates staunchly maintain that the ultra-orthodox in the two communities share common values with all Jewish settlers occupying Palestinian territory. However, that is clearly not the case.

How many other fault lines divide both the settlers and Israel’s population?

Similarly, tarring all Palestinians with the stigma of terrorism unhelpfully masks divisions within the Palestinian community. Progress in tractable solutions demands the painstakingly hard work of seeing the problem in sufficient granularity that important divisions and fault lines become visible.

The same comments apply to the issues currently polarizing the Anglican Communion. Many African Christians live in hostile environments dominated by Islamicist radicals. These radicals severely distort the Koran’s teachings, summarily dividing the world into two camps: Muslims, i.e., people who adhere to their narrow interpretation of Islam; the enemies of Islam, i.e., everybody else.

One of the issues at the forefront of some confrontations in Africa between Muslims and Christians is open acceptance by western Christians of GLBT people and lifestyles. However, if that were not at the fore, then another issue would be. Christians are not radical Islamicists, whatever the Christian view of GLBT people and lifestyles; ipso facto, Christians are enemies of Islam.

In other words, arguing that western Christians have a moral obligation to revise their understanding of the acceptability of GLBT people and lifestyles out of concern for the struggles of African Christians is a non-starter. African Christians face an incredibly difficult challenge; I regularly pray for them. However, seeking to mollify radical Islamicists will prove no more effective than did attempts to mollify Hitler and the Nazis prior to WWII. Furthermore, Christians must always remember that even as the Nazis claimed a Christian identity for themselves and sought to use the church to for their own ends, so the radical Islamicists do not represent Islam but instead have adopted a grossly distorted version of Islam and seek to use it for their own ends.