The Clash of Civilizations: Ignoring the Real Problem

In his editorial, "Islam and the West: At Odds," Jonathan Smith argues that there is a class of civilizations occurring between the West and Islam. He explains that Islam and western ideology are fundamentally at odds. He further posits that Muslim rage stems from a belief in Muslim superiority and the resulting bitterness Muslims hold over losing domination over the world. Further, Smith cites "kin-country syndrome" as a reason for anger over the creation of Israel.

He then asserts that Muslims who feel threatened will make an effort to arm themselves against the West. Subsequently, he tells of modern extremist leaders who have stopped the Muslim world from modernizing. And finally, Smith brings everything full circle by saying that until Islam modernizes, there will be no peace between the West and Islam, continuing the clash of civilizations.

There is no such thing as a clash of civilizations. What we see going on today in the Muslim world is a reaction to bad decisions on the part of the West. First, let us look at the United States' continued support for Israel (Zakaria 129). Smith argues that Muslims are outraged by this situation because they see Palestinians as part of their "civilization."

However, could it be that Muslims are appalled at the way Israeli's treat Palestinians (Zakaria 130)? Perhaps the reason Muslims take an interest in the situation simply because it is an injustice they see occurring in their own backyards. When the West supports such a country, we are bound to be associated with its wrong-doings.

Smith is correct in one part of his argument, the leaders the U.S. has pushed in the Middle East have been tyrannical and corrupt (Zakaria 129). The future of the Middle East looked bright when oil was discovered. At the time, poverty had a hold of much of the region. However, these leaders squandered the oil money on themselves, and the public saw little to none of the benefits (Zakaria 123).

Left in poverty, with corrupt and incompetent governance, who are Muslims to turn to? In many cases the only place to turn is a local extremist group who is handing out meals and healthcare. Slowly, the mosque becomes a place to not only worship, but discuss politics (Zakaria 126) With the youth bulge that is occurring today in the Middle East, there are more and more young men, angry at the system that has created their poverty, ready to fight those who have cause their downfall: the West (Zakaria 124).

Now, many Muslims see wealth, power, and success as a sin perpetuated by the West. The vehicle for these sins is modernization. To many Muslims, modernization inherently entails Westernization. Adopting Westernization means moving away from the culture of Islam; from their unique way of life. Surely any group, be it African, South American, or even Canadian would be opposed to abandoning their own ideals in favor of another's.

Furthermore, every religion has the capacity to provoke acts of violence (Zakaria 117). You can open almost any religious book and find passages asking for something similar to "jihad". And you can also find passages promoting peace and kindness (Said 2). Moreover, Christians too believe in the predominance of their religion and did in fact push for world domination during the time of the crusades against Muslims. Just as Christianity had its period of fanaticism, Islam has its own (Lewis 1).

And that is what groups such as al Qaeda are: fanatics. Smith speaks of "Muslims" as if every Muslim were at odds with the West. In fact, many Muslims live in western countries and have adopted western ideals. There have also been Muslims who have moved to the U.S., retained their beliefs, and continued to live side-by-side with "Westerners". Further still, there are Muslims within Middle Eastern nations who hold western ideals. The world is not as closed and tidy as Smith would like it to be (Said 1).

The idea of a clash of civilizations is absurd. The West cannot shrug off its role in provoking dissent from the Muslim world. People should not be expected to give up their ideals to pursue ours. Every religion is not exempt from preaching and acting out violence. Not every Muslim despises the West. Until we realize these simple principles, we will not be able make progress through understanding.
Works Cited

Huntington, Samuel P. "The Clash of Civilizations?" Foreign Affairs Vol. 72, No. 3

(Summer 1993): 22.

Lewis, Bernard. "The Roots of Muslim Rage." The Atalantic Monthly (September 1990):

47.

Said, Edward W. "The Clash of Ignorance," The Nation 273 (October 22, 2001): 11.

Zakaria, Fareed. "Why Do They Hate Us?" Understanding the War on Terror Eds. James

F. Hoge, Jr. and Gideon Rose. New York: Foreign Affairs, 2005: 116-133.