This opinion piece argues that the current violence between Asian Muslims and Buddhists is not religiously motivated — i.e., the true causes are land disputes and aggressive nationalism. What to do then? Well, at a minimum the area’s governments might want to apply the rule of law equitably and ensure a prudent separation between church and state.
To download full article click here: http://www.isn.ethz.ch/Digital-Library/Publications/Detail/?lng=en&id=167346
International Relations and Security Network
ETH Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich
Author:
Michael Vatikiotis
Similarly as the ‘Shiah-Sunni’ conflict in Iraq and Syria. In Syria it is a power play between Iran and Saudi Arabia (with USA and Israel behind the scenes). In Iraq it is a power play between the Sunnis who lost political power and the Shiahs who gained it (with Iran and Saudi Arabia in the background). There is never any religious dialogue.