How have religious and ethnic differences contributed to instability and conflict?
1 Answer
Overall, for most of history, they caused it.
Explanation:
Almost everywhere, and until very recently, conflicts have occurred over religious and ethnic differences.
For example, the Crusades were to take back the Holy Land from the Muslims, because the Christians didn't want it to be under "pagan" rule.
An event in the Spanish conquest of South America was when an explorer handed the Inca leader, Atahualpa, a Bible, telling him that it would say the solutions to all problems. Incans did not have writing. Atahualpa held it to his ear, and when it did not speak, threw it down. The Spaniards took that as a reason to attack.
Even in world war 2, there was a lot of "them versus us" mentality. The Japanese were sadly called "yellow dogs" and other degrading insults in U.S. propaganda.
