The clash of civilizations : an analysis from an islamic perspective /
The Clash of Civilizations theory has made waves since 1993. It described the post-Cold War world as one where eight civilizations clash frequently on national, regional, and sometimes international levels, as a direct result of the increased importance of civilizational factors in the identity poli...
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| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Kuala Lumpur :
Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences, International Islamic University Malaysia,
2015
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | Click here to view 1st 24 pages of the thesis. Members can view fulltext at the specified PCs in the library. |
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| Summary: | The Clash of Civilizations theory has made waves since 1993. It described the post-Cold War world as one where eight civilizations clash frequently on national, regional, and sometimes international levels, as a direct result of the increased importance of civilizational factors in the identity politics that predominate global affairs today. Focus was placed on the Islamic and Sinic civilizations as two “challengers” with the greatest capacity to confront today's most powerful civilization, the West. The theory is not without flaws, and continues to be critiqued and counter-critiqued, but continues to hold sway in Western policy-making and academic circles. Unfortunately, many of the Islamic responses to it seemed more like rebuttals rather than rigorous, evidence-based analyses, and did not reference relevant Islamic textual evidence and principles. As the theory interweaves religion, politics, and history together, an interdisciplinary approach that combines those three angles is vital. Theoretically, certain socio-political aspects were explored and, more importantly, the Islamic perspective as delineated by the Qur'ān, the Sunnah, and relevant Islamic International Relations principles. Judging from a confluence of Islamic factors such as the law of tadāfuʻ, its relationship to the broad struggle between truth and falsehood, the largely civilizational roots of anti-Muslim and anti-Western sentiment, and Islam's ambitions toward religiopolitical paramountcy and leadership; the Clash of Civilizations theory does carry significant truth, particularly as it relates to Islam and the West. This was also established practically by performing a historical analysis of the relationship between Islam and the West in history, and a political analysis of that relationship in current times. Despite frequent clash, the uniqueness of Islamic tolerance throughout its history was most evident, as attested to by Western proponents themselves. The West understands Islam's broad spiritual appeal and manifest capacity to challenge Western monopoly on global affairs and world order. Considering the West's surviving power and political supremacy, and its unrestrained war on what it purports is extremist Islam, which many in the Muslim and non-Muslim worlds view as a war on Islam itself, the onus is on the West to reverse the current clash of civilizations with Islam, or to preclude an impending one. |
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| Physical Description: | x, 265 leaves : ill. ; 30cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 244-265). |