Introduction

Thesis Statement: The politico-economic interests of states – behind the contemporary

Body Paragraphs

1. Political Interests behind the Modern Wars prevent them from being the Holy
Wars.
(A) U.S led war in the Middle East is meant for establishing a favorable political
scenario in the region.
(B) Russia, Turkey and Iran are fighting modern war in Syria to achieve regional
political dominance.
(C) Saudi Arabia is fighting modern war in Yemen because of securing its political
influence in that country.

2. Economic Interests make Modern Wars different from the Holy Wars
(A) States are fighting modern wars to seek control over natural resources.

– U.S. is still fighting its war in Iraq to exploit the latter’s oil.

– China and U.S. are engaging themselves in hostility in Africa for the sake of
holding this region’s natural resources.
(B) Modern Wars are for trade and commercial interests rather than any holy agenda.
– U.S. and China are engaging in an undeclared war of ideas in South East Asia to
maintain exclusive commercial hegemony.

3. Modern Wars are the combats against an ideology of terror not against any religion
thus remaining apart from the Holy Wars.
(A) Modern wars hit the terrorism.
(B) Modern Wars are not against any religion including Islam.
(C) Modern Wars are against the idea of spreading terror.

Conclusion
Modern Wars are different from Holy Wars. Unlike the latter, the former is much
more derived by politico-economic interests of the states rather than any religious or
divine agendas.

The Essay:
Existence of wars can be traced back to the point when competition and conflict
emerged as social concepts running parallel with cooperation. Human societies and
nations have fought wars on various grounds i.e. religious, political and economic.
The wars fought on religious basis were termed as Holy Wars which are quite
different from the Modern Wars being witnessed today. Unlike the Holy Wars,
Modern Wars remain considerably political and economic in nature. These are not
derived by any pure religious rivalry or agenda. Nation states are indulged in fighting
these wars to secure their politico-strategic interests, to protect their investments, to
seek maximum benefits out of other countries’ governments and the trade
opportunities available. Besides that, the combat against terrorism is another idea that
overwhelms the Modern Wars thus making them apart from the Holy Wars.

Starting with the politico-strategic interests lying behind the modern wars, it can be
clearly noted that the holy wars are totally a different thing. This is the world of
nation-states. Each of these states maintain specific political interests attached with
the developments across the globe. There are strategic interests nourished by the
modern nations to have a conducive political environment in different regions. Amid
these complexities, these nations cooperate when required but also fight wars when
desired. Examples of such modern wars driven by politico-strategic interests are
apparent. Take U.S-led wars being fought in the Middle Eastern nations of Syria and
Iraq. These wars are not against the religion prevailing in the said region but to secure
strategic leverage and political hold there. U.S. desires a pro-American Middle
Eastern regime. That’s why it topples and install governments in the name of
democracy. All this makes its modern wars different from the traditional concept of
Holy Wars which used to be purely religious like Crusades. In another example,
consider the presence of Russia, Turkey and Iran in the Syrian civil war. These states
are present and actively engaged in Syrian war to secure their political interest of
regional influence, hold and dominance against the United States of America. Thirdly,
take into consideration Saudi Arabia fighting its modern war against the Houti rebels
in Yemen. The reason behind this engagement of Saudi Kingdom in Yemen is rarely
motivated by a religion or holy spirit but that of pure strategic interest. This helps
understand the modern wars as not holy wars.

Second thing that renders modern wars separate from the holy wars is economic and
commercial arenas of interests. States are engaged in trade within and outside its
borders. Powerful nations tend to secure their economic interests abroad through the
pacific tools of concessions and aid. But they also revert to combative measures
sometimes for this purpose. For instance, U.S. is still ensuring its military presence in
Iraq not because of fighting any holy combat but to hold the country’s natural
resources and exploit the maximum economic benefit from them. Similarly, China
and the United States of America are contesting in an undeclared and informal combat
in Africa to control the region’s natural resources for the future use and excessive
economic value. This clearly makes these modern wars differentiated from the holy
wars which are fought for a religious purpose. In another aspect, modern wars are
being fought to have access to the free trade deals and to establish economic
hegemony. That is what has been witnessed in the South-East Asia in the recent
months. US and China have come at daggers drawn to maintain an economic
hegemony in the said region. Southeast Asia, being the home of Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is hub of economic activity. This brings U.S. and
China – the two top world powers – in a contention of modern nature which is not
holy in any way.

Lastly, the modern war against terrorism makes the contemporary combats different
from the holy wars. The latter were fought for propagation or suppression of a
religion. This is not the case with the modern fight on terrorism that is not against any
religion or religious ideology. In fact, these are against the thinking of terror-
spreading through excessive use of violence. Modern wars on terrorism being fought
in Afghanistan, Middle East and to some extent in Europe and Africa are completely
different from what is called as holy war. In such wars the enemy is murdering
humanity. Thus, it makes no sense whether he is a Muslim or a Christian. Further, it
gives him a new identity of a terrorist. This justifies a modern war against him which
works not on religious basis but in the grounds of saving humanity from terror.

In conclusion, wars are a reality. But they vary in their very nature defined by the
agenda being pursued behind them. When the agenda is religious, they are termed as
holy wars and when the agenda became economic, political and strategic; they are
called Modern Wars. Today, the world is experiencing the modern wars which rarely
have anything to do with the religious mindset. Nation states are devising and fighting
these wars to ensure the maximum economic benefits for them in the form of
favorable trade deals and free trade regimes. Further, the political interests of maintain
strategic leverages in various regions enable them to shape their wars with modern
mission which would not reflect spirit of any religious or holy cause in them but
purely material. All this obvious material approaches of fighting wars today make
them modern without becoming holy.