Global Community Clashes: Religion & Supremacy Insights

Imagine you are at the roadside Dhaba, sipping Tea, when the conversation turns to why communities around the world keep locking horns. It is not just one thing—like religion or land—but a whole mix: religion, land, markets, business, power, and that mindset where one group believes it is superior and should dominate everyone else. That is what we are diving into: how communities clash across the globe, often fueled by the belief that they are better than others. From ancient battles to recent protests, these conflicts shape our lives, economies, and societies in deep and lasting ways.

This article is written like a conversation with a smart, thoughtful friend. We will unpack these clashes using examples from history and the present day—including a recent case in Australia, where anti-immigration rallies sparked heated debates. The United Nations reports that communal conflicts displace millions of people every year, so this is not just theory, it is serious, real-world stuff. We will use the Australian example to show how the “we’re superior” mindset plays out in modern times.

Religion: Where Faith Turns Fiery

Religion is like the soul of many communities, it gives identity, comfort, and purpose. But when one group starts thinking their faith makes them better than others, things can get ugly fast. These clashes have been around forever and show up everywhere.

Take the Crusades, from 1095 to 1291. European Christians marched to Jerusalem, believing their religion gave them the right to take it from Muslims. It was not just about faith; it was about land and power too. Those fights left scars we still see in the Israeli Palestinian conflict, where Jewish and Muslim communities argue over holy sites like Jerusalem, each claiming their faith makes them the rightful owners.

In India, we know this story too well. The 1992 Babri Masjid demolition by Hindu nationalists, who felt their religion and history made them superior, led to riots that killed over 2000 people. It is like two neighbors fighting over who owns the ancestral mango tree, except with far worse consequences. Even now, religious festivals or sacred sites can spark tensions.

In Myanmar, the Buddhist majority has pushed out the Muslim Rohingya, with over 700,000 fleeing since 2017 in what reports call a genocide. The Buddhists see themselves as the true guardians of the nation, a classic “we’re superior” move. In Nigeria, groups like Boko Haram attack Christians, claiming Muslim dominance, with thousands dead since 2009.

Even in secular places like France, religious tensions simmer. The 2005 Paris suburb riots and the burqa ban debates show how the secular majority sometimes looks down on Muslim immigrants, as if their way of life is better. In the Middle East, Sunni and Shia Muslims clash in Yemen and Syria, backed by big players like Saudi Arabia and Iran, each side claiming religious and political superiority.

Why does this happen? Religion makes people feel chosen, like their team is the best in the IPL. But when that belief turns into “our way is the only way,” it can lead to violence. Interfaith dialogues, like those pushed by global organizations, try to cool things down, but they often miss the mark if power and inequality are not addressed.

Land: The Heart of Many Disputes

Land is not just soil; it is where communities root their history, culture, and future. When two groups claim the same patch, saying, “This is ours because we’re better,” trouble brews.

The Israeli Palestinian conflict is a textbook case. Both sides claim historical and religious rights to the same land, leading to the 1948 Nakba, where lakhs of Palestinians were displaced. The fight continues, with each side believing they are the rightful owners. It is like two families arguing over who gets the family haveli.

In the Amazon, Indigenous groups like the Yanomami clash with miners and farmers over their ancestral lands. In 2023, violence spiked as these communities defended their role as the true caretakers, while settlers saw it as just business. In Kenya, the 2007-2008 post-election violence between Kikuyu and Luo communities was rooted in colonial-era land grabs, killing over 1000 people. Each group felt their claim was stronger.

In the US, Native American tribes, like the Sioux at Standing Rock in 2016-2017, fought against oil pipelines on sacred lands, arguing their historical connection made them the rightful protectors. In India, the 2020-2021 farmer protests were about land too, with farmers worried big companies would take over their fields under new laws.

Climate change is making things worse. In Bangladesh, floods displace millions, leading to clashes with locals over scarce land. Pacific islanders might soon face similar issues as rising seas force them to move. It is like everyone’s fighting for the last seat in a packed train.

Colonial powers often started these fights, calling Indigenous lands “empty” to grab them. This mindset lingers in Australia, where Aboriginal communities still fight for their land rights. Land disputes are rarely just about space; they are about who gets to call the shots, with the stronger group acting like they are superior.

Fair land policies, like South Africa’s post-apartheid efforts, can help, but progress is slow. Global rules, like the UN’s indigenous rights declaration, sound nice but often stay on paper.

Markets: When Money Sparks Rivalries

Markets are where communities trade and connect, but they can also be battlegrounds when groups think they deserve a bigger share because they are better.

The US-China trade war, starting in 2018, pits American workers against Chinese ones. The US claims its economic model is superior, slapping tariffs and sanctions, while China pushes back. It is like two shopkeepers fighting over the best spot in the bazaar.

In Nigeria’s Lagos, Igbo traders dominate electronics, but this leads to clashes with Yoruba locals who feel it is their turf. These fights can turn violent, with each side claiming they are the rightful players. In South Africa, attacks on Zimbabwean and Nigerian shop owners in 2008 and 2019 came from locals saying, “This is our market.”

In India, caste shapes market access. Dalits face barriers in business, and when they protest, like in the 2016 Una incident in Gujarat, it sparks nationwide tensions. Historically, Jewish communities in Europe faced attacks for their success in trade, seen as threats to Christian dominance.

Globalization adds fuel. South Asian shopkeepers in the UK set up enclaves, but this led to tensions during the 2011 London riots. The idea that one group deserves more because they are superior is at the heart of these fights.

Markets also tie into religion and land. In the Middle East, oil markets fuel Sunni-Shia rivalries, with each side wanting to control the profits. Fair economic policies can help, but when one community feels superior, they do not share easily.

Business: Where Communities Compete

Business is like markets but with bigger stakes, often tied to community pride. When groups think their way of doing business is the best, clashes happen.

In Silicon Valley, Indian and Chinese immigrants lead tech startups, but this causes tensions with locals over things like H-1B visas. Each side feels their contribution is more valuable. In China’s Wenzhou, family clans compete fiercely in business, sometimes even sabotaging each other to stay on top.

In India’s history, the East India Company’s greed led to clashes with local communities, sparking the 1857 revolt. In the US, the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre saw white mobs destroy Black businesses, driven by jealousy and a belief in their own superiority.

In Cyprus, Turkish and Greek communities in Nicosia compete over businesses, mirroring their broader ethnic divide. In Russia, certain ethnic groups control big industries, leading to rivalries that can turn ugly. The “we’re superior” mindset shows up in businesses that exclude others, like when companies favor one community for jobs.

To fix this, businesses need to focus on fairness, like hiring diversely, but old habits die hard. When communities believe they are the best, sharing is tough.

Power: The Muscle Behind Clashes

Power, whether political, military, or social, is what makes these clashes possible. When one group holds the reins and thinks they are superior, they use it to dominate others.

In Rwanda’s 1994 genocide, Hutu leaders, claiming their community was better, killed nearly a million Tutsis. In Myanmar, the military backs Buddhist dominance, pushing out minorities like the Rohingya. In India’s colonial days, the British played communities against each other to stay in control, sowing seeds for Hindu-Muslim tensions.

In the US, police power often targets Black communities, sparking protests like Black Lives Matter. It is a clear case of one group using power to assert superiority. Power also mixes with other issues: religious leaders stir up trouble, land is grabbed through laws, and markets are controlled by those with influence.

The “we’re superior” mindset makes power dangerous. It is like giving a bully a stick and telling them they are special. To stop this, we need systems where power is shared fairly, but that is easier said than done.

The Supremacy Mindset: The Real Culprit

The belief that “we’re the superior ones” is the thread running through all these clashes. It is like thinking your cricket team is unbeatable, but instead of a game, it leads to fights.

Historically, Nazi Germany’s Aryan superiority led to the Holocaust, killing 6 million Jews. In modern times, some leaders in places like Hungary push Christian or European superiority to keep out migrants. In India, caste makes some groups feel they are above others, causing friction.

This mindset makes people see others as less human, making it easier to hurt them. It is like thinking your neighbor’s not worth talking to because their house is not as big as yours. To change this, we need education and open minds, but it is a long road.

Australia’s Anti-Immigration Rallies: A Case of Supremacy in Action

Let us zoom in on a recent example: Australia’s anti-immigration rallies on August 31, 2025, show how this “we’re superior” mindset plays out today. Thousands gathered in cities like Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide under the banner of “March for Australia,” demanding an end to mass immigration. The rallies, attended by up to 8000 in Sydney and 15000 in Adelaide, were condemned by the government for spreading hate and having far-right links.

The March for Australia group claimed immigration was eroding the country’s unity, culture, and resources like housing and jobs. Sounds like a legitimate concern, right? But dig deeper, and you see the supremacy mindset at work. Speakers included Thomas Sewell, a known neo-Nazi, and the rallies were backed by figures like One Nation’s Pauline Hanson, who have pushed anti-immigrant views. One protester even held a sign supporting Dezi Freeman, a conspiracy theorist accused of killing two police officers, showing how extreme some views were.

In Melbourne, things got heated as anti-immigration protesters clashed with pro-Palestine counter-demonstrators, with police using pepper spray to keep them apart. In Adelaide, crowds were mostly calm, but the presence of neo-Nazi figures and slogans like “send them back” revealed a belief that “true Australians” (often meaning white Australians) are superior to immigrants, especially non-white ones. The government, including Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly, called out this racism, saying it had no place in a country where one in two people is either born overseas or has a parent born abroad.

This is not new for Australia, which has seen a rise in right-wing extremism, even banning the Nazi salute with jail terms in 2025. The rallies echo global trends where communities, feeling their identity is under threat, assert superiority over newcomers. It is like a local refusing to share their golgappa stall with someone from another town, except with much bigger stakes.

Conclusion

Community clashes, driven by the idea that one group is better than others, are a global problem. From religious fights in India to land disputes in the Amazon, market battles in Nigeria, business rivalries in Silicon Valley, and now anti-immigration rallies in Australia, the “we’re superior” mindset is the common thread. These fights disrupt lives, economies, and peace.