The Clash of Civilizations

 

Huntington’s ‘Clash of Civilizations’ is one that seeks to promote the idea that different civilizations will inevitably clash because of the differences in their cultures and beliefs. Thus, the major concern of this author is to ensure that there is a consideration of the impact of conflicts at both the international and national contexts at an inter-civilizational level.[1] The clash of civilizations is a concept that has become extremely pertinent, especially in the 21^st century as a diversity of powers and cultures have ended up competing on the global stage. A consequence is that because of this competition, and the fear of some civilizations losing, an adverse reaction has developed. In Europe, for example, there has been a negative response to the refugee crisis, as the potential of Muslim migrants eroding European, and Christian culture has created a sense of fear that has in turn caused a high level of nationalism and populism in society. However, the most significant example of the clash of civilizations that has come about in recent years has been the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

The rise of ISIL and the ensuing attacks on western targets, created an environment within which the concept of the clash of civilization became more relevant. This is because the increase in attacks by ISIL on western targets as well as on those targets that were considered not Islamic within the Middle East, such as against Shia and Yazidis, are an example of the way that civilizational differences will often result in conflict.[2] ISIL looks to bring about an orthodox Sunni Muslim caliphate that will not only enhance the power of Islam, but also bring back its golden age. This is at a time when it considers the Islamic world to have been humiliated by the West through its support for Israel[3] as well as regimes in the Middle East that are considered un-Islamic.

Thus, as the West continues to struggle to ensure that the liberal world order is maintained and defended, ISIL is seeking to make sure that this order is brought to an end. When ISIL was at its peak, it essentially reinvented itself into a civilizational state. The major objective was to provoke the West into an existential conflict that would determine the future dominant power. The response of the West, especially some NATO countries led by the United States, was aimed at maintaining the prevalent liberal order. Therefore, the concept of the clash of civilizations is one that remains pertinent and provides for an understanding the motivations of a diversity of international players such as ISIL and the United States, among others. It has proven that a clash between civilizations, especially when one is considered to be encroaching on another, is inevitable and is the basis of most conflicts at the international level.

 

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[1] Samuel Huntington, "The Clash of Civilizations," Foreign Aff. 72, no. 3 (1993): 24.

[2] Christopher Coker, The Rise of the Civilizational State (John Wiley & Sons, 2019), 5.

[3] Huntington,  31.