Identity plays a significant role of defining who we are according to our religion, race and history. However, it does not ultimately determines who we really are. Yet in modern societies, we relied heavily upon identity in determining and anticipate how the ‘significant other’ will behave. As a result, identity factors such as religion and race become deciding factors in how others will get to be treated. In many cases, identity had been used as a tool to achieve certain social goals.
In popular saying; One’s terrorist may be another’s freedom fighter, in the case of the ongoing Palestinian and Israeli conflict, it is a conflict between two identities of which both strived to gain recognition and respect for their identity. In this on-going conflict, people of both nations tied religion to nationalism as part of their identity. Since land is equated to recognition and respect of one’s identity in this scenario, Palestinians strongly felt that the occupation of their by the Israelis is an infringement upon their identity. They are not given respected or recognition by the Israelis who viewed them as “proxy agents of the Arab states, rather as oppressed actors in their own rights” ( Jason Franks, 2006; 27, palgrave marcillan). In order to further reiterated this point, Israelis encourage their people to build settlements in the occupied territories of West Bank#. Clearly, the Israelis refused to acknowledge the Palestinians. Furthermore, considering the basis of being both humans, the Palestinians had lesser rights and privileges as compared to the Israelis (Job priorities are given to Jews rather than Palestinians). Israeli communities are more well off, organized and economically robust while the Palestinians are a deprived lot with little attention paid by the ruling Israeli government to their basic needs. Looking from air, the vast difference in living condition is staking across a wall. Identity has a great impact on society as it serves as a deciding factor on whether recognition and respect are to be given even though basic respect is expected by one towards another in the Geneva human rights accord. Thus in the case of the Palestinians, it is a struggle for their identity and recognition more than privileges and special rights. Giving consideration to this, terrorist acts in Israel is sometimes seen as justified and empathetic.
Identity in terms of religion in some instance does justified the lack of morality in actions by a group of people towards another even if they are of the same race. The recent saddening genocide in Darfur, Sudan is due to a “competing political claims over the national identity of Sudan” (Idris Amir, 2005; 44, palgrave marcillan) Given the history of Sudan, politic identity and racialism are main issues revolving around nation building since post colonial times. Sudan President, al-Bashir, wish to instill Islam as the state religion and to create a state identity, however, he did not give recognition and acknowledgement to the non-Arabs. The mass massacre of non muslims in Darfur today is an attempt by al-Bashir to unify and to conform the people of Darfur to his envisioned Arabic state. In his effort, the state support janjaweeds had resulted in 300 000# deaths and 2.5 million displaced people in Darfur. This crime against humanity is justified by al-Bashir in name of nation building and identity cleansing. Identity has the power to determine the survival of the Darfur people. In this instance, it is being used to command conformity amongst the non muslims of southern Sudan to the northern because the diverse cultures of the southern people is not being accepted.
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Source from: http://www.mideastweb.org/nutshell.htm, copyright 2003-2007 by MidEastWeb for Coexistence and Ami Isserof
source from http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/10/07/europe/EU-France-Sudan.php , The International Herald copyright 2008, article: France extremely worried about Darfur situation by The Associated Press, 7 Oct 2008
