The Global Crisis: A Critique of the Clash of Civilizations and Dialogue Among Civilizations, in Persian, Tehran, Iran: Nashre-Towsea, 2003, pp.354.

By: Kazem Alamdari, Ph.D.

EXCERPT of the BOOK:

The current global crisis results from the US policy, which commands unilateral control of the world under the new project of "Global Pax Americana". This neo-conservative policy, proposed years before George W. Bush was elected president, contradicts globalization, global capitalism, and the reality of multi-polar power of the world toward "world modern civilization". Military attack on Iraq under the name of preserving security, fighting terrorism, and assisting democratization is the beginning of this project to bring fundamental changes in the strategic region of the Middle East in favor of Israel and to secure US domination in the world and control the strategic energy resources of the Persian Gulf.

The theory of "clash of civilizations" as a "self-fulfilling prophecy" has been used for this project to explain the created political and religious tension between the Muslims and Christians. The September 11 tragedy resulted in public fear in America justified the theory of the clash of civilizations, convincing the US policy makers to implement the project of regime change in the Middle East.

The need for "dialogue among civilizations" was proposed by Mohammad Khatami, Iranian president, and also endorsed by the UN as a way out of increasing world tension as to counter the possibility of clash of civilizations. However, contrary to its assertion, Khatami's initiation would support and complement Huntington's theory of the clash of civilizations as both incorrectly divide the world primarily in two religiously based worlds (of Judo-Christian vs. Muslim). In reality, these worlds do not exist. Such a division does not accord with the conflicts and clashes taken place within Christian and Muslim societies, various global, regional and local wars during the 20th century such as the WWI, WWII, former Yugoslavia, decades of civil wars in Latin America, Iran-Iraq war, civil wars in Afghanistan, Algeria and so on. As these bloodsheds testify there is no unity either among Christian or Muslim societies. The conflicts and clashes are mainly political and economically based. Religion is usually used for mobilization of the people for political, economical and territorial interests, consequently becomes the war of religions. Wars have not been for religion, but religion for the wars. Also, despite Huntington and Khatami's contentions, religion has not been and is not the core of civilizations. Integration of religion and politics, common in pre-modern societies, is the root of crisis in modern time. In the final chapters, the author explains roots of Islamist terrorism, the growing conflict between the US and Saudi Arabia and criticizes the binary and totalizing approach of Western neo-conservatives toward Muslims.

Click here to return to the Sociology Department’s Publications Page