Ch. 7 Key Issue 3

Why Do Ethnicities Clash?

Why do conflicts arise?• Sometimes ethnicities cannot live together

peacefully in same state; 2 main reasons. Ethnicities are either:1. Fighting for domination of nationality, OR 2. Division of ethnicities among more than one state– These result from trying to create a perfect

nation-state–Could lead to refugees and/or ethnic

cleansing (KI 4)

1. Ethnic Competition to Dominate Nationality

• Horn of Africa– Ethiopia and Eritrea• Both Italian colonies; after WWII Eritrea

given to Ethiopia–Ethiopia banned Eritrean language and

dissolved gov’t of Eritrea• Eritreans have common identity due to

experience of wars with Ethiopia

1. Ethnic Competition to Dominate Nationality

– Sudan • Arab-Muslims who control government

dominated the North trying to convert ethnicities into a nationality based on Islam. • Black Christians and animists in South –South Sudan is indep. today

• Genocide in Darfur region in Western Sudan– Inhabited by Black Muslim ethnic groups–Use of the Janjaweed by govt. »Nomadic Arabs vs. sedentary African Farmers

Janjaweed-“men with gun on horse”

1. Ethnic Competition to Dominate Nationality• Somalia– Most Somali’s (nationality) share same language

and religion- see themselves as a nation-state– Multiethnic clans• Clans started to claim land for own after gov’t collapse

in 1991 civil war

– US involvement: Islamist militants took control of Somalia- US thought leaders were terrorists

• Lebanon– Religions competing for power• Religions tie themselves to different ancestors

= different ethnicity (Phoenicians vs. Arabs)

2. Dividing Ethnicities Among More Than One State

• New countries are often created to separate 2 rivaling ethnicities

• It is difficult to completely encompass ALL of one ethnicity within the same border split among different states

India and Pakistan• Result of British ending colonial rule giving

India independence• Pakistanis – Muslim; Indians- Hindus• Fighting was so great, Br split them up – West Pak, India, East Pak (Bangladesh)

• Caused mass migration because new borders did not match ethnic ones– Both faced killings during crossings

• Jammu & Kashmir region- “line of control”; Muslim maj in both regions, Pak wants vote

• Sikhs also want own country (Punjab)

Dividing the Kurds

• Example of a stateless nation (a nationality without a state/country to call their own)

• The Kurds homeland straddles Iraq, Turkey, Iran, and Syria. – Many Kurds would like an independent

homeland but the countries in which they are a minority are unwilling to let go of that territory.

Sinhalese and Tamil• Sinhalese majority– Speak Sinhalese, Buddhist

• Tamil minority (migrated from India)– Speak Tamil, Hindus

• After indep., Sinhalese controlled gov’t–Made their religion and language official• Tamil fear loss of ethnic identity•Multinational state vying for nation-

state status

Breakdown of Bosnia

• Nationality: Bosnian, Herzegovinian• Ethnicity: 48% Bosniak (Muslim); 37.1% Serb; 14.3%

Croat• Languages: Bosnian (official), Croatian (official),

Serbian• Religion: 40% Muslim; 31% Orthodox; 15% Roman

Catholic

1. Is Bosnia and Herzegovina a multiethnic or multinational state?

2. What is the root of the conflict in Bosnia? Who is the conflict between?

3. How can the effect of the conflict be seen in Bosnia and Herzegovina today?

4. How does the younger generation feel about the divide between the ethnicities?

5. What is blocking Bosnia’s progress towards better unification among its ethnicities?

6. Would giving the Serbian dominated portion of the country back to Serbia help resolve the conflict?