This Saturday, Americans for Informed Democracy sponsored an influential conference on The Future of US-Muslim World Relations. Speakers from around the globe highlighted the event, which was attended by young leaders from across the United States. To continue the debate, two of them share their thoughts on whether it is possible to avoid the 'clash of civilisations'. What’s your view?
Recognizing Pluralism, Avoiding Anachronism
Sabahat Adil
On Saturday, over 250 people gathered for a Young Global Leaders Summit on “The Future of U.S.-Muslim World Relations. Participants heard from individuals currently working for greater cooperation among members of the international community.
Even in such a milieu of open conversation and dialogue, much of the language I heard among participants seemed to revolve around an assumption regarding the inevitability of a clash of civilizations, which, in contemporary terms, often refers to an inherent conflict between “Islam†and the “West.†To propose that the affiliates of a particular faith, or even the faith itself, stand antagonistically against an ideology is an anachronistic way of thinking.
Conversations regarding an apparent apocalyptic conflict between those who abide by the Islamic faith and those characteristics that define the West often ignore the wide array of opinions on both sides and the changing nature of the globe. It is important to deconstruct the idea that Islam exists as a monolithic entity. With the growing Muslim population in the United States, many of them second- and third-generation children of immigrants, the issue is complicated even further. Quite a few of these Americans have not been out of the United States: these young Muslims are Westerners in the common sense of the word.
There is much more to the conversation of civilizational understanding than the edifice of mere dichotomies. While Samuel Huntington’s notions are useful at neatly categorizing and framing issues, they serve all too well to belittle the humanity of individuals in today’s pluralistic societies. Only when we recognize the importance of acknowledging the uniqueness of historical circumstance, taking care to articulate ourselves constructively, will fruitful dialogue begin to take course in societies.
Sabahat Adil is a contributer to AIDemocracy. She is also a student at the University of Chicago.   Understanding Differences and Basic Human Needs
Leah Maloney
The clash of civilizations can be avoided by altering how ethnic, religious, and political groups view each other. The supposedly inavoidable clash between groups will not be due to inherent cultural differences, but will be caused by the exploitation of those differences to serve political purposes. In the Cold War, few people in the Soviet Union believed in the theories of Marx, however both sides of the Iron Curtain were made to feel as though communism and capitalism comprised two distinct civilizations that could not possibly interact. This type of invented alienation can be avoided through education, highlighting the similarities between groups while acknowledging their unique cultural perspectives.
In an attempt to prevent the clash of civilizations some argue individuals have few differences. This reasoning fails to recognize and respect the significant distinctions. People are impacted greatly by their environment; the food, land, weather, clothing, religion, and politics of a group change the framework through which people receive information. These differences are important to acknowledge so that true understanding can be reached and the approach to issues can be altered to best serve societies.
Conversely, if only differences are highlighted there is no ground on which to seek mutually beneficial solutions. Among citizens of the world there is a common desire for food, shelter, and a life without violence. These bonds are stronger than details of culture. The clash of civilizations can be avoided by finding the balance between understanding differences that result from circumstances and beliefs while also realizing that these differences do not necessarily imply a clash.
Leah Maloney is Senior Political Analyst at AIDemocracy. She is also Editor-in-Chief of Boston College's 'Uncommon Sense'.
