For many U.S. residents, the Middle East might conjure an image of a deeply religious yet extremely violent society, a region in which life and death – and martyrdom – take on new meaning. However, the reality is far more complex than the daily news headlines. U.S. foreign policy likewise takes a narrow view of the Middle East. People in the U.S. are presumed to have a stake in the region’s political future since its oil powers the U.S. economy. For that reason political stability in the Middle East is a high priority for the U.S., and it annually provides billions of dollars – mostly in military aid – to Israel and Egypt. Despite the U.S.’s self-proclaimed role as regional policeman, the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 left many U.S. residents feeling uneasy, and the continuing violence shows clearly there is no simple – or cheap – solution to that conflict.
Maryknoll maintains a small Middle Eastern presence, engaging respectfully with other Christian denominations and with Jews and Muslims. The Office for Global Concerns, in collaboration with other partners in justice and peace, tries to analyze Middle East issues in their cultural and historical context for U.S. lawmakers and other citizens alike. At the same time, we hope to promote the welfare of the region’s 187 million people. If nations of the Middle East can resolve their issues amicably and fairly, it is just possible that peace and justice in other countries – inextricably bound to the region by faith or by economics – might also be enhanced.
Links:
- Middle East: Israelis, Palestinians caught in never land
- Bitterlemons.org
- Churches for Middle East Peace
- Foundation for Middle East Peace
- Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation
- Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions
- Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the OPT
- Middle East Institute
- UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs