Mwahaki King
B.A. Diplomacy and World Affairs | Occidental College
M.A. Law and Diplomacy | The Fletcher School, Tufts University
M.A. Law and Diplomacy | The Fletcher School, Tufts University
December 2015
Between Fallacy and Fulfillment: Dismantling the Re-emergence of the Clash of Civilizations Narrative
Recently, terrorist attacks in New York, London and Paris have resurrected the “clash of civilizations” narrative that pits Islam and the West as monolithic entities locked in an eternal battle with one another for supremacy and domination. Mainstream media and political candidates in the United States have taken this up with fervor, preying on the American populace’s fear and inciting rampant Islamophobia. The “clash of civilizations” is not only an antiquated and lazy term that minimalizes an entire religion [1] and casually ignores centuries of communication, trade and peaceful cross-cultural co-existence [2]; but it is also highly dangerous to the safety of Muslims everywhere as they are forced to live in a climate of fear at the mercy of the bigoted, ignorant or simply misinformed. Furthermore, Muslims like any other group of people are individuals and as such react to and process information differently from one another. There is no singular reaction when accused of being inherently dangerous and naturally predisposed to violence. Some moderate Muslims react by distancing themselves from such benighted and incendiary claims, while others fueled by anger, resentment or socioeconomic inequalities can become radicalized by such remarks. As such, the “clash of civilizations” can sometimes become a self-fulfilling prophecy when manipulated by the media, politicians and those with no understanding of historical nuance. Quite frankly, it serves as a divide and conquer tactic that is counter-productive for anyone truly interested in proactively confronting and eradicating Islamic terrorism [3] and violent extremism.