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Starting with the politico-strategic interests lying behind the modern wars, it can be clearly noted that the holy wars are totally a different thing. This is the world of nation-states. Each of these states maintain specific political interests attached with the developments across the globe. There are strategic interests nourished by the modern nations to have a conducive political environment in different regions. Amid these complexities, these nations cooperate when required but also fight wars when desired. Examples of such modern wars driven by politico-strategic interests are apparent. Take U.S-led wars being fought in the Middle Eastern nations of Syria and Iraq. These wars are not against the religion prevailing in the said region but to secure strategic leverage and political hold there. U.S. desires a pro-American Middle Eastern regime. That’s why it topples and install governments in the name of democracy. All this makes its modern wars different from the traditional concept of Holy Wars which used to be purely religious like Crusades. In another example, consider the presence of Russia, Turkey and Iran in the Syrian civil war. These states are present and actively engaged in Syrian war to secure their political interest of regional influence, hold and dominance against the United States of America. Thirdly, take into consideration Saudi Arabia fighting its modern war against the Houti rebels in Yemen. The reason behind this engagement of Saudi Kingdom in Yemen is rarely motivated by a religion or holy spirit but that of pure strategic interest. This helps understand the modern wars as not holy wars.

Second thing that renders modern wars separate from the holy wars is economic and commercial arenas of interests. States are engaged in trade within and outside its borders. Powerful nations tend to secure their economic interests abroad through the pacific tools of concessions and aid. But they also revert to combative measures sometimes for this purpose. For instance, U.S. is still ensuring its military presence in Iraq not because of fighting any holy combat but to hold the country’s natural resources and exploit the maximum economic benefit from them. Similarly, China and the United States of America are contesting in an undeclared and informal combat in Africa to control the region’s natural resources for the future use and excessive economic value. This clearly makes these modern wars differentiated from the holy wars which are fought for a religious purpose. In another aspect, modern wars are being fought to have access to the free trade deals and to establish economic hegemony. That is what has been witnessed in the South-East Asia in the recent months. US and China have come at daggers drawn to maintain an economic hegemony in the said region. Southeast Asia, being the home of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is hub of economic activity. This brings U.S. and China – the two top world powers – in a contention of modern nature which is not holy in any way.