The 20th Century Muslim Body Count

Among the many false beliefs most Muslims have is the belief that Muslims have been and are always being attacked and killed by non-Muslims even though they also glory in the true belief that early Muslims conquered huge parts of the Christian world with swords riding camels. Later the Ottomans conquered the Christian Byzantine Empire and most of the Balkan states. The Golden Horde ravaged Eastern Europe and Russia for centuries.

The 20th century was marked by numerous wars and conflicts involving Muslim-majority states, populations, and factions, characterized by a transition from anti-colonial struggles to nation-state conflicts and the rise of ideological, Sunni-Shia, and fundamentalist wars. Major conflicts included the Arab-Israeli wars, the Iran-Iraq War, and various civil wars.

Muslim-vs-Muslim Conflicts

  • the 1970: Black September war between Jordan and the PLO
  • Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988): A devastating eight-year war initiated by Iraq against Iran following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, resulting in over one million casualties
  • Gulf War (1990-1991): Iraq invaded Kuwait, leading to a coalition of Western and Arab states to expel them.
  • North Yemen Civil War (1962-1970): Republicans (backed by Egypt) fought Royalists (backed by Saudi Arabia)
  • Algerian Civil War (1991-2002): A brutal conflict between the Algerian government and various Islamist rebel groups
  • Afghan Civil War (1989-2001): Factional fighting between Mujahideen groups following the Soviet withdrawal

Other Major Conflicts

  • The 10 year Syrian revolution against the Assad regime. Assad supported by Iran
  • Sudanese Civil Conflicts (1983-2005): Primarily Muslims attacking non-Muslims, with significant intra-Muslim violence.
  • Nagorno-Karabakh War (1988-1994): Attacks on Armenians by Azerbaijanis. Constant attacks since 2020

Arab-Israeli Conflicts (1948-2000s)

  • 1948 Arab-Israeli War: Following the UN partition plan and British withdrawal, Arab states (Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Saudi Arabia) fought Israel, resulting in a significant Palestinian refugee crisis (the Nakba).
  • 1956 Suez War: Israel, Britain, and France invaded Egypt after nationalization of the Suez Canal.
  • 1967 Six-Day War: Israel launched a pre-emptive strike against Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, capturing the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Golan Heights, and Sinai Peninsula.
  • 1973 Yom Kippur War: A coalition of Arab states led by Egypt and Syria attacked Israel to regain lost territories, which later led to the 1978 Camp David Accords, the first peace treaty between Israel and an Arab nation (Egypt).
  • 1982 Lebanon War: Israel invaded Lebanon to target the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
  • Intifadas (1987-1993, 2000-2005): Major Palestinian uprisings against Israeli control in the occupied territories.