The Clash of Civilization in the Arab World - Research Paper Example

Task The clash of civilization in the contemporary society Huntington theory on clash of civilization can be applied in the action that happening in the Arab world. Although people believe that his theory can only be applied only between countries whilst I believe it can be applied within a country. Various researches have been conducted on the clash of civilization in the contemporary society, Huntington, for instance, segregated the society into different major civilizations including Western, Islam, Hindu and African. On the other hand, Manfreda presents a case of Syria highlighting various problems as well as stimulants of the continued unrest. Chiozza attempts to test the truth in clash of civilization by forming various hypotheses (714). Furthermore, Wei (p.40) prevents confusion between culture and civilization, two words used interchangeable with different meanings; while Crittenden provides a deeper analysis of the causes of the struggle in Syria and gives a different view from (Manfreda). Al-Radhan (1) analyses the ways differing civilizations can interact, and how the western civilizations should attribute is origin to Arab culture and civilization. This study seeks to analyze, examine and cross-examine clash of civilization in the contemporary culture to determine relevance of such a theory. Ruan provides a historical context between civilization and culture and states that the two words are often used interchangeably. This outlines a comparison between a long service definition of civilization and culture alongside a geographical locus. Through this statement, civilizations are likely to arise in a given geographical location, where they share similar cultural values. Culture emerged at earlier stages of human interactions and laid the foundation for civilization to take place. Civilization is based on a number of relationships including history, religion, language and tradition, and all these relationships are from a cultural background of a given society in specific geographical locations. The western civilization is incorporated in areas like Eastern Europe, Latin America whose cultures closely resemble each other, while Middle East cultures also resemble. States create strong relationships with others that seem to sympathize with their cultural ideologies, values and interest. With two civilizations contrasting, the western modern civilization will have to accommodate nonwestern modern civilizations, whose cultures differ in many ways. There is conflict between civilizations because of the misconceptions values, and achievement of different cultures especially the West and Middle East (Al-Rodhan 3). This implies that cultural transmission is the key to the development of modern civilizations. Cultural differences have played an important role in the transmission of ideas, and development of key institutions such as science, philosophy, finance and commerce. Civilizations have borrowed ideologies from different cultures, as Al-Rodhan continues to state that the Arab world played an important role in the western civilization (3). The western civilization can attribute the role of the Arab culture in the Renaissance, Reformation and Enlightenment period in Europe and America. Civilization is the highest form of cultural grouping and broadest level of culture that distinguishes two people, and provides some major classifications of civilizations in the contemporary world. In addition, he provides these classifications according to a geographical grouping, and according to differing cultural ideologies. According to the geographical groups, there are eight major civilizations that arise in the contemporary world including; western, Confucius, Japanese, Islamic, Hinduism, Slavic, orthodox, Latin America, and African civilizations. A greater classification is by differing cultural ideologies which give rise to two major civilizations, which Huntington feels conflict in the contemporary society. These are the western civilizations that cut across European countries and North America, and Arab civilizations that cut across Middle East region of the world, which are in conflict with each other because some of the following reasons. First, the two civilizations differ in their view of history, language, culture, tradition, and religion; which in this case the main conflict here is religion whereby, in the western civilization, the dominant religion is Christianity while in the Arab civilization the dominant religion is Islamic. Second, with the changes in technology, the world has become a global village, in which interactions between people of different civilizations interact with each other. These different civilizations offer contrasting cultural values and beliefs which in turn cause conflict. A third reason for conflict between these two major civilizations is the social economic changes that are present between the two. The western civilization relies deeply in a secular society where the people have freedoms, while the Arab civilizations use Islamic religion teaching to govern its people. The western civilization influence has expanded and encroached into other civilizations in the world, making them to resort to return to their roots. This is evidenced with the Re-Islamization in the Middle East, and Asianization in Japan and China to combat the increasing influence of the western secularization on their culture (Huntington 3). Chiozza through various hypothesis formulated, provides an extensive knowledge for cross-examining the existence of civilization in the contemporary society. Furthermore, he assists in evaluating various civil uprisings thus grouping them to confirm their relationship with clashes driven by civilization in the Arab world. Inter-civilization dynamics play a significant role in promoting or limiting conflicts. A close look at the political, social and economic landscape of Middle East is imperative for evaluating the level of clashes derived from civilization. In the early 2010, the Middle East countries began experiencing uprisings called Arab Springs, as people rose against authoritarian regimes. Tunisia was the first country to experience it, and it snowballed into other Arab states such as Egypt and Syria, causing authoritarian governments to fall under the will of the people. Crittenden blames poverty for the persistent clash between reality and expectation. Syria is still struggling with conflict and although the struggle is attributed to the Arab spring, it has deeper implications as it is a fight between proponents whose cultural views differ. The supporters of the Islamist militants and populations carry slogans for the need for freedom, social justice and dignity for everybody in the county. The prospects of democratic change in a country act as a motivator of clashes from civilization from people of a given locality (Dalacoura 64). Despite all these, the religion factor plays an important role in the rise of the struggle between the ruling power of Assad and militant groups. The ruling family in Syria is a supporter of the Ishim religion in the country, while the militias are strong supporters of the Sunni sect of Islam. The Alawite sect of the Ishim religion does not pray five times a day, do not fast in the month of Ramadan and do not support pilgrimage, which is in conflict with the Arab civilization. The Arab civilization is a strong supporter of the Islamic religion whereby these factors form three of the five pillars of Islam. The Alawites borrow their traditions from the western civilization Christianity whereby they celebrate both Christmas and Easter holidays. This in the view of the Sunni militia in the country is a violation of their Arabic culture (Crittenden). The Sunni have never supported the Assad regime, who they do not view as a Muslim, in which the Syria constitution states that a president must be a Muslim. The Christian sect of the Syria population supports the Assad regime because they fear the rise of an Islamic government. They fear that id an Islamic government rises to power, they will be forced out of their homes as experienced in Iraq after the Saadam regime. The Syria uprising is attributed to several interlinking factors; including the regional power rivalry between the Saudi Arabia and Iran, who support the different groups in the uprising. The Shiism is the state religion in Iran, while Sunni is the powerhouse of the Middle East states including Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. Due to this division, the Saudi Arabia government and Turkey have supported the Islamic uprising in Syria, while the Assad government is supported by the Iran government, causing regional and diplomatic tension. The second factor that has led to the Syria uprising is the global influence between fundamentalists and puritanical views of the Walabi sect in who dominate Saudi Arabia and the Sunni jihadists of Al Qaeda. These sects are also supporting the Syria uprising where they feel the Assad regime is not in line with Islamic religion teachings. The other factors that have led to the Syria uprising according to Manfreda include discredited ideology in Arab socialism, Baathist ideology and invoked chine model of economy. Consequently, political regression remains another key factor contributing in Syrian uprising. President Bashar al-Assad dissented politics after his father-limiting ruling to his family, limiting the voice of the people in elections. Uneven economy and drought also piles into the causes of Syrian uprising devastating farming and limiting interaction between social classes. The other factors that motivated Syrian uprising against the Assad administration included corruption in government offices, rapid population growth and introduction of technological communication systems. There is a relationship between civilization and democracy in the Arabic world, as evidenced by the uprisings in the countries for governments to become accountable. The western civilizations promote values of democracy, and seek to maintain military dominance and economic interest everywhere causing a conflict with other non-western civilizations, especially Arab civilizations. The Arab civilization seeks to remain autonomous in their operations, and conduct their affairs without external interference. Civilizations have led to increased economic regionalism between states, which share same values, and states rally support from their counterparts appealing to their common religion and civilization identity. States belonging to one civilization wage war to other civilizations as they try to spread their ideologies and values. The western civilization has developed international institutions that support their values and rally nonwestern civilizations to become members, hence spread the western civilization. Western civilization tries to exert their influence in the Arab civilization by use of mainstream media coverage, educational materials and the entertainment industry. This creates a stereotype view of the Arab civilization, and the use of security, safely and extremist elements to polarize the Arab civilization. The rise of Arab spring in the Middle East is seen as the insurgence of democracy into the Arab civilization; taking the view of western civilization. Al-Rodhan disagrees with this view, and states that these uprising are from aspirations of the Arab community for human dignity, justice and equality (4). He states that the potential of the Arab population was held down by authoritarian regimes which supported small groups, while majority of the people suffered. Clash of civilizations in the Middle East occurs in two levels: on the micro level view, adjacent states between fault lines in contrasting civilizations fight over control of territorial boundaries. The differing cultures in their civilizations make them fight over which civilization is dominant in the territory, while on the macro level front, Arab civilizations conflict for the relative military and economic power to promote political and economic values. In conclusion, the clash of civilizations will continue to occur in the Middle East, and the Arab spring shall spread throughout the country. The conflict of interest between western states exerting pressure in Arab nations to adopt democracy shall see more uprising in the countries. As Huntington predicts, the next world war if it ever occurs, shall be between two civilizations, the western civilization and Arab civilization. This in some sense presents a war between two conflicting cultures that are in the contemporary world, with these civilizations fighting for dominance in and autonomy in the world. The western culture, which supports secularization and Arabic world, which differs with western secularization will always go on parallel ends, and the conflict of civilizations in contemporary society shall continue. Works Cited Al- Rodhan, Nayef. “Clash of civilizations or cultural cooperation? Nayef Al-Rodhan explores shared history of Western and Arab-Islamic cultures.” n.d. Web. May 11, 2013 . Chiozza, Giacomo. “Is There a Clash of Civilizations? Evidence from Patterns of International Conflict Involvement, 1946–97”. Journal of peace research. 39:6 (2006). 711–734. Crittenden, Stephen. The Clash Within Civilisations: How The Sunni-Shiite Divide Cleaves The Middle East” The Globalmail. Aug. 22, 2012. Web. May 11, 2013. . Dalacoura, Katerina. “The 2011 uprisings in the Arab Middle East: political change and geopolitical implications”. International Affairs. 88: 1 (2012): 63–79. Huntington, Samuel, P. “The Coming Clash of Civilizations Or, the West Against the Rest.” n.d. Web. May 11, 2013. . Huntington, Samuel. The Clash of civilization. Bint Jbeil .Sept.1993. Web. 20 April 2013. Manfreda, Primoz. Syrian Uprising. About.com. n.d.Web. 20, April 2013. Wei, Ruan. “Civilization and Culture”. Journal of global history, society, and civilization. 24 (2011) Read More