Analyzing the Common Roots and Features of the Middle East Developments with Emphasis on the Crisis in Syria and Iraq

The Middle East is one of the most chaotic regions of the world. During the last century, it has undergone conflicts, disputes and bloody wars. Several studies have been carried out to determine the causes and origins of the crisis in the region and experts have explored the issue from their own perspective. Accordingly, being concentrated on one factor and ignoring the others, most researchers suffered reductionism and presented factors as the root cause of the crisis, which are not able to give an analysis of the recent crises. Using descriptive-analytical method and library research, the present paper seeks to answer these fundamental questions: what are the main causes of the crises in the Middle East? What are the common characteristics of the region's crises like that of Syria and Iraq? The findings of this paper show that identity challenges, the challenge of legitimacy and succession, intervention of the colonial and imperialistic powers in the region and their efforts of globalization as well as the inherent illegitimacy of the Zionist regime are the factors causing the recent crises in the Middle East. Furthermore, multiplicity of actors, the role of non-state actors, expansion of crisis from social level to security and military levels, the emergence of the crisis in the geography of the Resistance are common characteristics of the crises in the Middle East.