Clash of Civilizations: Who is more vulnerable?

Introduction:

It is a common knowledge that despite of great desire and also a theoretical existence of Islamic Ummah, Muslims are not a single nation. Organization of Islamic conference (OIC) is there with 57 state members but well divided enough that it is almost non-existent in global sphere. Muslims are divided based on geography, races, languages, tribes and most importantly different sects and interpretations. The regions of Muslim nations were historically divided between Iranians, Arabs, Turks and Central Asian nations and South Asian nations like, Indians, Malay and Indonesians. After embracing Islam these nations preserved their identities so we see a historic clashes between nations for power. Arab empires like Umavids, Abbassids, Fatimids, Turkish empires like Khawarism, Ghaznavids, Saffavids and Ottoman empires, Mongol empires like Mogul empire of India and Persian empires like Qajaris and Pahlavis.

Though the ultimate goal of both politics and wars is power, however there is nothing without consequences. My objective is to highlight the possible consequences of new trends to make Western societies polarize in order to stop influence of Islamism (As used as a trend).

It is thought that there is has become monopole after the collapse of Soviet Union. The fall of Berlin wall and China’s joining the capitalist camp has reaffirmed the monopolarity of the world. It is thought that capitalism is the sole ultimate economic system and liberal democracy would be the ultimate political system in world that no nation can escape from. However, there was an immediate sense that there is another challenge to world monopolarity and it is much more resilient than communism and it is Islam.

Though there is a general trend to attach the Islamism to 9/11 attack but it is not all the story. It has a very deep historic route. As I mentioned earlier that Islamic empires were existed before colonization period. Colonization suppressed and divided them for a while but resistance and decline of colonial powers made them re-emerge as nation states. Islamic revolution in Iran gave a new way for application of Islamic laws to nation states. It was an alternative to monopoly of liberal democracy. Soon After Islamic revolution of Iran, the dormant movements of have gain momentum and ways to achieve their goals. However there were a parallel usage of Islamic movement, first initiated by Nazi Germans and then By Western Coalition. Both Nazis and Western Coalition used Jihad against Soviet Union. Jihad movements under Western Alliance, radicalized parts of Muslim societies.

One may argue that there were Christianity also had a power structure in medieval ages so what is special about Islam? The main difference is there are no detailed laws in Christianity to make it a system so Christianity is only a religion not a system. On the other hand, Islam is both a religion and a system with detailed laws on every aspect of life from individual level to governance and economics.

After 9/11, people were silent and hopeful that colonization policies will work again but it time passes, it becomes obvious that use of military power is not working so the trends have changed to target the Islam directly, meaning using the tactics used to fight communism. The picture of future looks dark (I wish I would be wrong). Islam is not a political, social and economical approach but it is also a religion. It is can't collapse like Soviet Union. The Islamic empires have fallen several times (The worst one by Mongols) but new Islamic empire reappeared as foreign empires declined in power.

Mian impacts:

1. Muslim world is historically divided based on their identities and long history of conflicts stretched before Islam. Clash of civilization is not a new phenomenon for these regions. However Western societies have a different recent history. They have detached themselves first from Christiniaty and liberalized themselve. After two world wars, colonization and massive immigrations to new lands Western societies are more state nations than cultural states. Polarization of Western Societies is going to reverse the process in a stage that these societies are unable to gain their older identities. It will only harm the liberalism and polycultural societies of West.

2. Muslim world have changed after Mongol empire. It is also have changed by colonization. It is changing after 9/11 events. In a time when Muslim world is opening and progressing, the West tends to travel in opposite direction. It seems that the world is not going to go in same direction without a massive and painful destrcution. Western societies didn't come to polycucltural societies smoothly. They suffered two world wars and then convinced to increase tolerance. Now as pains are forgotten, the new chasms are opening. Starting from intolerance for intolerant.

3. In a time that Muslim societies are against extetermisms and reforms are welcomed, radicalization of western societies and intolerance for Muslims are harming the reformists and helping the radicals. It is a really naive demand to ask 1.5 billion people to abandon their religion. More appropriate way is to help reformists to increase tolerance for others.