Relationship between religion and foreign policy: Usa example

Religion became one of the issues of international politics that are most widely discussed by the terrorist attacks to World Trade Center and Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Religion was ?pretended not to be seen? in international politics since Westphalia Treaty (1648) was taken as the bases of modern international relations. Religion was not regarded as a factor/ element in international politics/foreign politics in the discipline of international relations which was based on the political history and scientific development of the West. This approach can be true for the West. However, accurate conclusions cannot be reached if it is claimed that this is true for the whole world. As a matter of fact, the time from Westphalia until today revealed this. Pretending that ?religion is not seen in international relations? does not mean that it does not exist/does not have an influence in international politics. However, international relations experts left religion out of the evaluation in their analysis/interpretations of international politics/foreign politics. Religion lost its determining feature in international politics with the Westphalia Treaty, but it did not disappear. Religion always continued to exist in international politics, even as an instrument, with the dominance of the nation-state. Events indicating that religion is effective in international politics occured since the second half of the twenteeth century.(such as the establishment of Israel in 1948, 1979 Iran Islamic Revolution, Green Belt Project and the establishment of religious groups) Religion became an important actor more clearly with the end of the Cold War, the demise of the Soviet Union and the failure of the secular nationalisms such as Arab Nationalism. Today there are many topics which shows that religion is an important factor/element in international politics/foreign politics. Some of them are these: ? Religious Thoughts and Beliefs of the Decision Makers ? The Use of Religion in Foreign policy as a Legitimising Source ? The Expansion of Religious Disputes Over the Territories of the Countries and Become Regional or International Problems ? Religion as an Identification of Nation or State ? The Effect of Sacred Places on Foreign Policy ? The Support of Religion to the Establishment of International Organisations ? The Effect of Religion on Foreign Policy as the Basic Source of a Dispute ? The Effect of Religion on Foreign Policy as a Group Identity ? The Effect of Religion on Foreign Policy as an Institution Identity ? The Effect of Religion in Forming Alliances ? The Effect of Religion in State Interventions ? The Influence of Religious Based Civil Society Organisations on Foreign Policy ? The Influence of Religion on Foreign Policy as a Question of ?Terror? ? The Influence of Religion on the Formation of Armed Organisations ? The Influence of Religion on Foreign Policy as an ?Actor? Identity ? The Influence of Religion on Foreign Policy as the Main Source of Domestic Disputes ? The Efffect of the Presence of Religion in International Texts on Foreign Policy ? The Influence of Religion on Foreign Policy as one of the Main Sources Civilisation As it can be deduced from the matters above, religion, from now on, is an important element in international/foreign politics. Because of this fact, religion should be taken into consideration in a rational way for the formation