Despite Francis Fukayama's proclamation of the End of History, ancient religious fault lines continue to cause strife. On this island, the marchlands where Roman Catholicism and Protestantism intersect, have produced more than their share of conflict.
On the European mainland, Yugoslavia has been rent by warfare where the territories of Catholic and Orthodox churches overlap and where these Christian denominations come up against the westernmost frontiers of Islam. Orthodox-Catholic rivalries are present in Russia and Ukraine, and while they have not caused bloodshed, there is extreme tension. Patriarch Alexiy II of Moscow and All Russia, for example, is still resolute in his opposition to a visit by Pope John Paul II, a fellow Christian and a fellow Slav.
Most religions advocate peace as an essential part of their beliefs. Their adherents however, have historically been involved in sectarianism in the name of their Gods. Almost every belligerent in every war in every era has claimed to have divine assistance. "God is on our side," was the catchcry.
India has always been a region in which religious divisions of long standing have resulted in bloodshed. It was divisions between Hindus and Muslims which led to the partition of the sub-continent in the last century. The convoluted history of the current problems surrounding the proposed construction of a Hindu temple at Ayodha should strike a chord with those who have studied events in Ireland's past.
The Hindus revere the site of the proposed temple as the precise spot on which the Lord Rama was born. The Muslims know that the site is on the exact place on which their mosque was built in the 16th century and was torn down by Hindu militants 10 years ago. Now the Hindus want to build a temple at Ayodha once more.
Fundamentalists on the Hindu side such as Mahant Ramchancdra Raramahans have staked their claim in predictable terms: "The Muslims have Mecca. No Muslim cleric is barred from visiting that holy site. It is only here in India that Hindus are barred from their holiest of sites and we cannot tolerate that."
On the Muslim side, the local leader, Mohammed Hashim Ansari, has accused the Hindus of coat-trailing. "All they want is to turn Ayodha into Gujarat and target us." The reference to Gujarat brings to mind the recent appalling sectarian violence in which 700 lives - mainly those of Muslims - were lost after fanatical Muslims massacred a trainload of Hindu pilgrims.
On the Indian sub-continent, sectarian and other violence has, mainly due to the density of population, claimed vast numbers of casualties. The actions of the Indian authorities in arresting up to 35,000 people yesterday may appear extreme but it should be seen in the context of a country with a population of 1,000,000,000. The security operation did at least succeed in preventing serious bloodshed. To that extent, it should be welcomed.