Transcript Clash of Civilizations

ISLAM IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS
Gonda Yumitro
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
The “End of History,” Fukuyama (1989)
victory of political and economic liberalism
 “Endpoint of humankind’s ideological evolution”


much of the world is indeed mired in history, having neither
economic growth nor stable democracy nor peace. But the end of
the Cold War marked an important turn in international relations,
since for the first time the vast majority of the world’s great
powers were stable, prosperous liberal democracies. While there
could be skirmishes between countries in history, like Iraq, and
those beyond it, the United States, the prospect of great wars
between great powers had suddenly diminished.”
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+ Huntington critisized fukuyama ideas. Conflict in
the modern era, for Huntington, has been
largely a sequence of;
(a)
conflicts between princes (what we will study
as the “Westphalian system”), then
(b)
conflicts between nation-states (after the
French revolution), then
(c)
conflicts between ideologies (during the Cold
War)
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Huntington is reproducing what we might call a
‘neo-Hegelian’ view of history (history as
unfolding through conflict)
 Assumes that the end of the Cold War is a
defining moment in history, “a tipping point”
 Assumes that civilizations are fairly fixed over
time

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
For Huntington, this means that international
politics, hitherto, was in a western phase; nonwestern civilizations were the objects of history,
the targets of western colonialism. In the postCold War, they “join the West as the movers and
shapers of history”.
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HUNTINGTON’S ARGUMENT

Traditional sources of state conflict receding

Territory, economic benefits, ideology
Politics of identity replacing politics of interest
 Main competing groups no longer states, classes
or ideologies but civilizations

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WHAT IS A CIVILIZATION?
•
•
(1)
(2)
(3)
Largest entity with which person can identify
short of humanity
Three attributes: objective, subjective, and
dynamic.
Objective elements include language, history,
religion, customs, institutions
Subjective elements include variable levels of
self-identification
Civilizations are dynamic; they rise and fall,
divide and merge
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Defined by common ancestry, values, language,
and/or religion
 Major civilizations

Sinic/Chinese, Japanese, Hindu, Western, SlavicOrthodox, Islam
 Latin America and Africa candidates for civilization

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RELATIONS AMONG CIVILIZATIONS
CHANGING
No longer defined by Western influence on other
civilizations
 West declining



economic slowdown, population decline, internal
decay, loss of identity
Sinic and Islamic civilizations ascending
Economic success of Asia
 Demographic explosion in Islamic world


Balance of power shifting
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Nation-states may not disappear, singular
civilizations will not become the norm. But;
(1)
civilization-consciousness is increasing and
will become the dominant source of conflict
(2)
The west will need to strengthen its own
civilization to meet the challenge
(3)
The West will need to better understand other
civilizations and seek to define areas of
potential co-existence
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WHY WILL CIVILIZATIONS CLASH?
(1)
(2)
(3)
Differences between civilizations are
more fundamental and enduring than
ideological or political differences.
Difference real and basic
Interactions between civilizations are
increasing. World smaller due to
globalization. Economic regionalism
growing.
Economic modernization and social
change are separating people from
longstanding identities; they weaken
the nation-state as a source of identity.
(5)
(6)
(7)
The rest of the world is increasingly willing
to define itself in non-Western ways.
Backlash against West enhances civilization
consciousness. Western policies exacerbate
relations .Non-proliferation, human rights,
immigration, others
Cultural characteristics are less mutable
and less easily compromised than political
and economic ones. Fundamentalist religion
stronger
Economic regionalism is increasing, which
will increase “civilization consciousness”.
Common culture, Huntington argues, may
be a prerequisite for economic integration.
WHERE IS THE POSITION OF ISLAM?
The biggest challenge to the West will come from
an emerging Confucian-Islamic connection,
primarily concentrated around the asserted right
to develop and deploy NBC weapons (counter to
the western value of non-proliferation).
 Post colonialisme, Islam get momentum to be
powerful in term of politics, economic and
cultural. Islamic resurgence in some countries
are appeared

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
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Those conditions are influenced by some factors:
Rich natural resources
Big number of followers
Spiritual and ideological Bank
Transnational Islamic movements in doing dakwah
OIC and Islamization movements in some countries
Fundamentalist Islam
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kristen : 2, 1 milyar + islam: 1,6 milyar
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Secular/Nonreligious/Agnostic/Atheist: 1.1 milyar
+ Hindu: 900 juta
 Chinese traditional religion: 394 juta
 Buddhism: 376 juta + Primal-indigenous: 300 juta
+African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 juta + Sikhism:
23 juta + Spiritism: 15 juta +Judaism: 14 juta
http://www.adherents.com/Religions_By_Adherents.html
•
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AMERICAN RESEARCH??
Why Do We Think They Hate Us?
“Our democracy and freedom" (26%)
“Our support for Israel" (22%)
“Our values and way of life" (20%)
“Our influence on the economy and lives of Middle Eastern
countries" (17%)
“Our economic and military power” (11%)