Lecture # 11: Clash of Civilization
Presented by
Abul Kalam Azad
Lecturer, GED
Northern University Bangladesh
E-mail: kalamadd@gmail.com
Huntington’s theory of Clash of Civilization
Huntington in his The
Clash of Civilizations?,
gave a theory
concerning the probable chaos and conflict
among the World civilizations. He postulated
that the clash of civilizations will be the final
stage of successive contradictions of modern
world. He reasoned that since Western world
took place in the centre of world power, they
will attempt to continue their military
dominance and economic progress. As a
matter of fact, the clash among World
civilizations will be inevitable. Huntington also
said that this clash will be more severe due to
cold war among different powers
Professor Samuel P.
regarding geographical location and political
ideology. He, especially mentioned the
history of 1300 years struggle among
Christian and Muslim and so detected Islam
as the enemy of Western civilization.
Huntington classified civilization into nine
categories:
1. Western
Civilization
e.g.,
Western
Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, New
Zealand;
2. Latin American Civilization;
3. Negroid African Civilization;
4. Chinese
(Confucian)
Civilization
excluding Tibet and Mongolian;
5. Hindu Civilization excluding Kashmir;
6. Buddhist Civilization of Tibet, Myanmar
and Mongolia;
7. Orthodox Christian Civilization (Greece,
Rome, Rasia);
8. Japanese Civilization; and
9. Muslim Civilization (5 Republics of
Soviet
Union
e.g.,
Kazakhstan,
Kirghizstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan
and Tajikistan), Pakistan, Kashmir, Iraq,
Middle East & North African Arabian
countries, Eastern African Somalia,
Turkey,
Bangladesh,
Malaysia
and
Indonesia.
Huntington predicted the clash between i)
Western and Confucian civilization and
ii) Western and Muslim civilization. The
second one will more dangerous and
indispensable.
Criticism of Huntington’s Thesis
Prof.
Edward
Said
seriously
criticized
Huntington’s thesis by remarking that this
theory was the instrument of continuing the
negative image to the Muslims and of
deepening
the
clash
among
all
the
civilizations, which created this idea “We
versus they”.
Irani President Muhammad Khatami proposed
“Dialogue Among Civilizations”. He also
remarked that we should concentrate to the
positive discussion concerning civilizations
instead of negative one. As a response of the
proposal, Kofi Anan declared 2001 as the
“Year of Dialogue Among Civilizations”
 After 9/11, G. W. Bush , that is why,
decided
to
invade
Afghanistan
alleging against Osama Bin Laden’s
Al Qaeda. Next year, Bush declared
Iran, Iraq and Communist North
Korea as axis of evil , and attacked
Iraq.
6