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Analyzing Huntington’s Theory of Clash of M D . R E Z A U L FA R U Q U E

Civilization ID - 192018004

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The Clash of
Civilization and
the Remaking of
World Order
The Clash of Civilization was first published as
an article, later this book came out.
 Post Cold War
Conflicts
• Huntington thinks post cold war
clashes will be based on civilization.
The forming forces of these
civilizations will be their culture, and
religion.
• He imagines there exist 8 (or 9) such
civilizations. Those are - Confucian,
Hindu, Islamic, Japanese, Latin
American, Sinic, Slavic-Orthodox,
Western, “and possibly African”.
• According to him, civilization based
international order can prevent the
future world war.
 • Civilization are different according to their history,
language, tradition, culture, and most importantly
religion.
• Huntington suggest that the religion will play most
important roles in identifying civilizations and

Post Cold War distinguishing one from another.

• As people of different civilizations engage one another
Conflicts more than ever now, it may intensify clash between them.
• People are more engaging with religion for their identity
and than any other commonness and it will be the
potential source of future conflicts.
• Huntington imagines that the major conflict will take
place between Islam and Christianity i.e., the West.
Huntington’s
theory of Clash
of Civilization
• We need to remember that
this theory was given before
9/11, after which clash of
Islam and the West is quite
visible.

• One cause of which made

Huntington thinks so could be
the population rise among the
Muslims.
 Although Huntington’s theory seems to be simplistic and
there are severe faults in it, some incidents partially support

Post theory his theory.

• Rise of Islamic militia groups after 9/11. Increasing
incidents that religious awareness among Muslims all over the world.

support • Emergence of Hindu state from secular India under current

BJP rule and intensifying tension between Hindus and

Huntington’s Muslims there.

• Ethnic cleansing against Rohingya Muslims by Myanmar
theory government using Buddhist identity.
• Emergence of narrow nationalism in many part of the
world and increasing intolerance among religions.
 Several of Huntington’s assumptions have been strongly opposed
by scholars like Edward Said and Amartya Sen. I will be focusing
the religious points only.
• Huntington thinks it is the religion that will be driving force of
conflicts among civilizations. He ignores other forces of war
and other forms of war.
Critics • Indeed, a (trade) war is running between USA and China which
is not based on religion.
• Religion is not the main reason to take stand in conflicts. USA
and UK and continually advocating to ensure human rights of
the Uighur Muslims, probably only because they are oppressed
by China.
 • It has become a non-written rule that if USA take stand for one
country in a conflict, Russia and China will stand the opposite
and vice versa. We see this happening in the cases Myanmar,
Afghanistan, Syria, etc. countries. Opposites were equally
possible.
Critics • Countries and/or groups of same religion often clash with one
another that opposes Huntington’s theory. Unrest are observed
among many countries like Iran-Arab, Saudi-Yemen, Hutu-
Tutsi in Rwanda, group conflicts in Africa are mostly within
same religion. They did not unite on religion and do not think
themselves of same ‘culture’ or ‘civilization’.
Conclusion
• Huntington’s theory, as a Muslim, may seem to be real observing several war running against
Muslims. But in reality, religion is not the main cause of this war. Other interests played more
important roles in these cases.
• His theory is not based on research, rather seems to be a self-prediction. Many portion are
blurred, not well defined.
• Therefore, the ‘clash’ between civilization based on religion is only a hypothes, having very
little connection with reality.
Thank you!