Why Peace In The Middle East Remains A Distant Dream Even After A Century Of Wars

For over a hundred years, the Middle East has been the epicenter of global conflict, ideological clashes, and geopolitical rivalries. Despite peace treaties, diplomatic efforts, and international interventions, the region continues to spiral in a cycle of violence. But why? Why, after a century of wars, does peace remain elusive in the Middle East?

1. Artificial Borders, Real Consequences

The modern Middle East is a region scarred by borders that were never meant to exist. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire following World War I, colonial powers—primarily Britain and France—redrew the map of the region under the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916, carving territories not based on ethnic, religious, or tribal realities, but on geopolitical greed and imperial convenience. These artificial borders sliced through centuries-old communities, splitting tribes, ignoring cultural ties, and forcing together groups with deep-rooted hostilities.

What was left behind were fractured nations, fragile governments, and a legacy of distrust and resentment. The consequences? A century of coups, civil wars, extremism, and unending instability. From Iraq’s Sunni-Shia tensions, to Syria’s brutal fragmentation, to the Israeli-Palestinian impasse—every conflict finds its roots tangled in these unnatural lines. The world continues to pay the price for borders drawn with ink, not understanding.

2. The Israel-Palestine Gordian Knot

Few conflicts in modern history are as emotionally charged, historically complex, and politically entangled as the Israel-Palestine dispute—a true Gordian knot that has defied resolution for over seven decades. Born from the ashes of colonial mandates, religious claims, refugee crises, and nationalist dreams, this struggle is not just about land—it’s about identity, survival, justice, and trauma. For Palestinians, the 1948 Nakba was not just displacement—it was the erasure of a homeland, a collective wound passed through generations. For Israelis, independence was a miracle born after the Holocaust, a safe haven in a hostile world. Yet, peace remains elusive. Every ceasefire is temporary.

Every peace talk collapses under the weight of settlements, borders, Jerusalem, right of return, and mutual distrust. Global powers pick sides, inflaming tensions. Civilians—often women and children—pay the heaviest price. What makes it even more impossible to untangle is that both sides carry historical grievances too deep and narratives too rooted to simply compromise. Like the original Gordian knot, perhaps it requires not a conventional solution, but a bold, just reimagining—one where humanity finally overrides politics.

3. Authoritarian Regimes and Suppressed Voices: How Power Silences the People

In the shadows of authoritarian rule, freedom becomes a distant dream and silence a survival strategy. These regimes thrive not just on control, but on the deliberate erasure of dissent, the systematic crushing of individuality, and the manipulation of truth to serve those in power.

Whether it’s through mass surveillance, censorship, state propaganda, or brute violence, authoritarian governments silence opposition and dissenting voices. Journalists disappear. Activists are imprisoned. Citizens are taught that questioning the system is a punishable offense, not a democratic right. In these societies, fear replaces freedom, and silence is often mistaken for consent.

But behind this imposed silence are voices yearning to be heard — women speaking out against abuse, minorities fighting erasure, youth demanding futures they’re denied, and everyday people longing for dignity. These voices, though suppressed, do not disappear. They persist in whispers, in exile, in underground networks, and increasingly, through the cracks of the internet and global media.

Authoritarianism doesn’t just target people — it targets memory, culture, and hope. And yet, history shows us that even the most repressive regimes cannot extinguish the truth forever. Every silenced voice leaves an echo — and those echoes, when amplified, can one day become a roar.

4. Sectarianism: Sunni vs Shia – The Schism That Shapes the Middle East

The Sunni–Shia divide is one of the most enduring and influential fault lines in the Islamic world. While its origins are rooted in a 7th-century disagreement over who should lead the Muslim community after the Prophet Muhammad’s death, its consequences have rippled across centuries—fueling rivalries, shaping political landscapes, and exacerbating regional conflicts.

-Historical Roots

The split began in 632 CE with the Prophet’s death. Sunnis believed the leadership (caliphate) should go to Abu Bakr, a close companion of the Prophet, through consensus. Shias, however, believed that leadership should remain within the Prophet’s family, specifically with his cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib. This disagreement turned political and then theological, cementing two distinct sects with different religious practices, legal traditions, and visions of authority.

-Political Power and Persecution

Throughout Islamic history, Shia communities have often been minorities within predominantly Sunni empires. From the Umayyad Caliphate to the Ottoman Empire, Shias were marginalized or persecuted. In contrast, the rise of the Safavid dynasty in Persia (modern-day Iran) in the 16th century marked a turning point—Shia Islam became the state religion, solidifying the Iran-Iraq divide.

-Modern Manifestations

In the 20th and 21st centuries, sectarianism took on a geopolitical dimension:

• Iran (Shia majority) and Saudi Arabia (Sunni majority) emerged as rival regional powers, exporting their versions of Islam and supporting proxy groups across the region.
• Iraq, post-2003 U.S. invasion, became a battleground for Sunni and Shia militias. The fall of Saddam Hussein (a Sunni) empowered Iraq’s Shia majority, igniting tensions and violence that led to thousands of deaths.
• Syria’s conflict further highlighted the sectarian fault line. The Alawite-led regime of Bashar al-Assad (a Shia offshoot sect) received support from Iran and Hezbollah, while Sunni opposition groups were backed by Gulf states and Turkey.
• Yemen’s civil war is another proxy battlefield, with Iran supporting the Shia Houthi rebels and Saudi Arabia backing the Sunni-led government.

-Sectarianism as a Political Tool

It’s critical to note that sectarianism is often weaponized by political leaders, rather than driven by religious doctrine alone. Rulers and regimes exploit sectarian identity to consolidate power, suppress dissent, or justify foreign intervention. This manipulation deepens divisions that might otherwise have remained dormant.

-Is Reconciliation Possible?

While the divide seems entrenched, efforts toward Sunni–Shia unity exist. Religious scholars, grassroots peace movements, and trans-sectarian political alliances have worked to bridge the gap. However, without structural political reform and the dismantling of external manipulations, genuine reconciliation remains a distant hope.

5. Foreign Interventions and Broken Promises

Western powers have consistently meddled in the region, often prioritizing strategic interests over stability. From the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 (based on false claims of WMDs) to Russia’s intervention in Syria, these actions have often worsened conflicts, empowered extremists, and deepened mistrust of foreign powers. Broken promises and inconsistent policies have left a legacy of betrayal.

6. The Rise and Fall of Extremism

The modern wave of extremism in the Middle East can be traced back to a series of political failures, foreign invasions, and deep-rooted socio-economic grievances. Groups like Al-Qaeda and later ISIS didn’t emerge in a vacuum—they were born out of power vacuums, Western military interventions, and disillusionment among marginalized youth. The 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq dismantled Saddam Hussein’s regime but also disbanded the Iraqi army, leaving thousands of trained, unemployed men vulnerable to radical recruitment. The Syrian Civil War and Libya’s collapse added fuel to the fire, giving extremist groups ungoverned spaces to thrive. Combined with digital propaganda and sectarian narratives, these groups managed to spread rapidly across borders.

However, the fall of extremism, though far from complete, has been significant in recent years. Territorial defeats, global counterterrorism operations, and growing discontent among local populations have weakened many extremist groups. ISIS, for instance, lost its caliphate and now survives largely in fragmented cells. But while the physical grip of extremism may have lessened, its ideological scars remain. Societies torn by war and trauma still grapple with mistrust, fear, and radical ideas. True defeat will only come when the root causes—political disenfranchisement, foreign manipulation, and economic despair—are sincerely addressed, not merely suppressed.

7. Resource Curse and Economic Disparity

The Middle East is home to some of the richest reserves of oil and natural gas in the world. Yet, paradoxically, this immense wealth has often become more of a curse than a blessing. The “resource curse” refers to the phenomenon where countries rich in natural resources experience slower economic growth, weaker democratic institutions, and greater political instability than those without. In many Middle Eastern nations, oil wealth has enabled authoritarian regimes to consolidate power by controlling revenues without needing to rely on taxation, thus bypassing public accountability. Rather than fostering diversified economies or inclusive governance, these regimes have often used oil money to suppress dissent, fuel corruption, and fund proxy wars that have destabilized the region further.

At the same time, the gap between rich and poor in the Middle East remains one of the widest in the world. While elites in oil-rich Gulf countries enjoy luxury lifestyles and world-class infrastructure, vast segments of the population—particularly in Yemen, Syria, Iraq, and parts of North Africa—live in poverty or war-torn despair. The unequal distribution of wealth has led to widespread resentment, especially among youth who see no path to social mobility. Unemployment, inflation, and lack of opportunity have not only fueled internal protests like the Arab Spring but also driven many young men into the arms of extremist groups offering purpose, identity, and financial stability.

Until economic justice and equitable resource management are prioritized, the region’s cycles of unrest and radicalization are likely to persist.

8. Media, Misinformation, and the Global Narrative

In the Middle East, media has long been a battleground as much as any territory. From state-run broadcasters to foreign-funded networks, information is carefully curated, censored, or weaponized to serve political agendas. In conflict zones like Israel-Palestine, Syria, or Yemen, truth becomes murky under layers of propaganda, selective reporting, and emotional manipulation. Competing narratives are broadcast to sway international opinion—one side’s “defensive action” is another’s “war crime.” Local voices often get drowned out, and the lived realities of civilians—trauma, displacement, hunger—are reduced to strategic talking points. Western media, in particular, has often been criticized for biased coverage that simplifies complex histories or dehumanizes entire populations, thereby reinforcing stereotypes and justifying political agendas.

Social media, while a tool for grassroots reporting and activism, has further complicated the information landscape. Platforms like X (Twitter), TikTok, and YouTube are flooded with unverified claims, doctored videos, and emotionally charged disinformation. Algorithms reward outrage, not accuracy, allowing fake news to spread faster than corrections. This misinformation not only fuels hatred and polarizes global audiences but also has real-world consequences—shaping foreign policy, influencing elections, and escalating conflicts. In the Middle East, where digital literacy is uneven and censorship is rampant, the line between reality and narrative is razor-thin. The war for truth is ongoing, and the casualties are often empathy, context, and clarity.

Conclusion: A Dream Deferred, Not Denied

Peace in the Middle East is not impossible. It is just inconvenient for too many stakeholders. From local tyrants to global superpowers, many benefit from instability. But the ordinary people—the mothers, students, artists, workers—yearn for peace. They deserve more than headlines. They deserve humanity.

Until borders become bridges, leadership embraces empathy, and the world stops choosing sides in black and white, peace will remain a mirage in the Middle Eastern desert. But hope must not die. A century of war should be a lesson, not a legacy.