Nearly a century ago, the great colonial powers of Europe carved the Middle East into separate states, igniting a powder keg. The Middle East is one of the most volatile places to be.

One reason for the constant rise in terrorist groups is Muslim extremism, and the rise in Muslim extremism is forged by a hatred of the western world. This is definitely not all Muslims, only the less than 1% that have extremist views. These people do not grow up wanting to be a terrorist. Some of them are businessmen or farmers that have lost someone close to them or they’ve had a psychotic break and are a bit unstable. These traumas often push people to do extreme things.

Another example of violence in the Middle East is the various civil wars such as the one in Syria. Many of the governments in the Middle East and North Africa are dictatorships bent on their rule and the survival of their regime. Now that is not saying that all of the governments in the Middle East and North Africa are dictatorships, however, since the Middle East has such a rich history and is so unstable the region is more susceptible to coup d’etat. And so it is more frequent for one person to seize absolute power.

At the end of last year in December, the Middle East braced for the imminent violence that was to follow the statements made by Donald Trump. In an official document, he stated that Jerusalem was to be recognized as the capital of Israel. Violence eventually did erupt in the sacred city. Palestinian protesters marched the streets and burned posters of President Trump.

It’s not all bad. Recent peace agreements are being drafted by the Trump team. This is only a draft and nothing is set in motion. It is always good to know that someone is always trying to make the Middle East and the world a better place. Peace in the Middle East is one of the few major conflicts left in the world. Peace in this region may secure peace for the entire world.