The Clash: Identity, Civilization, and Sectarianism in the Middle East
[Thesis]
[Thesis]
[Thesis]
[Thesis]
Zee Al-Mutairi
Auger, Vincent
Western Illinois University
2014
67
Committee members: Baldo, Gregory; Ogbaharya, Daniel
Place of publication: United States, Ann Arbor; ISBN=978-1-321-14561-8
M.A.
Political Science
Western Illinois University
2014
In Samuel Huntington's The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order, the author examines the rise of distinct 'civilizations' in determining the tone of global politics after the fall of the Soviet Union. Huntington argues that civilizations will be responsible for future conflicts and that these conflicts will be found along the, what he terms, fault lines of his designated civilizations. While Huntington's thesis encompasses the numerous cultures and societies of the world, his examination of the Islamic civilization has sparked intense debate among scholars and laypeople alike and captured popular imagination since his article on which the book is based debuted in 1993. In some ways, Huntington's argument found greater resonance after the events of September 11th and the subsequent military conflict between the United States and various predominantly Muslim states. Though some might say that Huntington's proposal concerning future conflicts arising out of civilizational incompatibility has been confirmed by the events that have characterized the relationship between The West and The Islamic civilization since the beginning of the new millennium, parts of his thesis have also been seriously challenged and, in some cases, contradicted. The subject of the proposed paper will be a re-examination and critique of Huntington's Clash-of-Civilizations argument as it applies to his perception of the Islamic Civilization. Specifically, this paper will explore the role sectarianism plays in the 'Islamic Civilization, and how might it challenge Huntington's argument The basic research question guiding and framing the proposed paper will be 'In what ways have Huntington's Clash-of-Civilizations thesis been challenged by sectarian conflict in the Islamic Civilization?' To answer this question, I will examine the theoretical problems surrounding Huntington's conception of 'civilizations' as well as highlight instances that do not conform to Huntington's predictions. It will be helpful to note that this question does not expressly deny the validity of Huntington's argument nor does it inherently reject Huntington's framework. Rather this question, as well as the proposed paper, will work within Huntington's argument to challenge parts of the author's thesis.