Clash of Civilizations

How has the Islamic World responded to it?

Abstract

This essay analysis Samuel Huntington's Clash of Civilizations thesis and argues that the theory did not sustain itself in the post-Cold War period. With the conclusion of the Cold War, Samuel Huntington claims that conflicts will be between civilizations, declaring Islam as the primary challenger to the West. While his theory has sustained itself on some occasions, on most it has failed to live up to its expectations. Contrary to his predictions, the Post-Cold War world has witnessed more intra-civilizational conflicts as compared to inter-civilizational, with Islam fighting within itself. On the other hand, Islam's hostility towards the West has not been significant. In fact, many Muslim countries have begun to adopt Western values, even in the face of various Islamist Organizations. The essay concludes with the assertion that while Huntington's theory had components which warranted attention, the argument had its flaws and deficiencies.