Similarities Between Iran And Israel
On the surface, Iran and Israel have much in common. They are both Middle Eastern countries that are steeped in history. They are both countries in which much of society revolves around religion. In both countries some segment of the population fights daily to be accepted as and treated as equals. Even with those similarities, there are some glaring differences that have accounted for many years of tension amongst the two nations. Where once these two countries were able to find some common ground and accord, there now exists if not outright war, deep seated resentment and hostility. At the root of much conflict in the Middle East is the very land each of these countries is built upon. The area encompassing the ancient lands of Israel and
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Iran was historically known as Persia and practiced a religion known as Zoroastrian. Between the 7th and 10th centuries various Islamic countries gained power over Iran and converted the country to Islam (Hitchcock, 2013). From that time on until 1501, Iran was occupied by many different foreign nations. In 1501 Iran was reunified as an independent state and at that time Shi’a Islam was established as the official religion. The majority of Islamic people practice the Sunni faith; this has caused Iranians and Shi’a Muslims to be persecuted and singled out as different from their other Muslim neighbors (Held, 2000). In a region in which the vast majority of nations all practice and follow the same religious doctrine, Israel and Iran are two nations separated by their faith; yet it has not served to draw them any closer together. One of the most striking similarities between Iran and Israel is their gender inequality. Women’s rights are largely limited under religious law. Because of the connection between religion and culture which exists in each of these societies, any change in the legal treatment of women is unlikely to take hold. Israel is a Jewish state, which means that there is no separation between religion and state. Israel does have a constitution that grants women equality, however it does not apply to any matters that could be considered as “family law” (Trimnell,
Iran was historically known as Persia and practiced a religion known as Zoroastrian. Between the 7th and 10th centuries various Islamic countries gained power over Iran and converted the country to Islam (Hitchcock, 2013). From that time on until 1501, Iran was occupied by many different foreign nations. In 1501 Iran was reunified as an independent state and at that time Shi’a Islam was established as the official religion. The majority of Islamic people practice the Sunni faith; this has caused Iranians and Shi’a Muslims to be persecuted and singled out as different from their other Muslim neighbors (Held, 2000). In a region in which the vast majority of nations all practice and follow the same religious doctrine, Israel and Iran are two nations separated by their faith; yet it has not served to draw them any closer together. One of the most striking similarities between Iran and Israel is their gender inequality. Women’s rights are largely limited under religious law. Because of the connection between religion and culture which exists in each of these societies, any change in the legal treatment of women is unlikely to take hold. Israel is a Jewish state, which means that there is no separation between religion and state. Israel does have a constitution that grants women equality, however it does not apply to any matters that could be considered as “family law” (Trimnell,