The Future of Islam and the West: Clash of Civilizations or Peaceful Coexistence?

by Shireen T. Hunter

Shireen Hunter provides a pragmatic analysis of relations between Islam and the West, marked by specific cases from the contemporary Islamic/Western divide. Her book gives a realistic and accurate assessment of the relative role of civilizational factors in determining the nature of the state and the prospects for Muslim-Western relations (i.e., whether they will be conflictual or cooperative). Hunter answers the Can an accommodation between Islam and the West take place in a gradual and evolutionary manner or will it happen only after conflict and confrontation? And, contrary to Huntington's vaunted thesis in The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order (Simon & Schuster, 1996), she finds that the reality of modern Islam offers room for hope.

Hunter challenges many of the prevailing Western views of the Muslim world. For example, despite the widespread belief on the specificity of Islam because of an assumed fusion of politics and religion, in reality the fusion―of the spiritual and the temporal―has not been greater in Islam than in other religions. Therefore, Hunter asserts, the slower pace of secularization in Muslim countries can not be attributed to Islam's specificity. This is a major study that will be of interest to concerned citizens as well as scholars and students of the Middle East and Islam.

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

Reviews

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

It is fascinating to read that after all these centuries have passed so many people are still living the days of the Crusades.

West is a code word for White. And apparently no matter how many non-religious people are among the ”West”, somehow they are born Catholics and somehow in opposition with the Islam. And no matter how many ”Westerners” convert to Islam, Islam remains a code word for brown people one has to fear.

Sure, incidents will happen. And the size of the destruction and suffering is proportional with the Government involvement in the matter. See the Roma persecution in Eastern Europe, Roma being Christian as the majority. And see the various violent clashes that happen between various groups in Islam as well. Religion is just a way for the aggressor to feel righteous, and not the reason.

Hunter is one of those wizard's apprentices stirring up the racial hatred pot in hopes of getting a better paid job. The most peaceful of his kind usually asks for racial separation and the most unpleasant usually go asking for blood sacrifice.

[Umar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some decent discussions in here. Got a few quotes out of here but mainly for newbies.

One interesting find was the Darul Islam and Darul Harb categories are actually borrowed from pre-Islamic Persian Zorostranian 'Ehranshahr' and to protect 'Behdin' (the good religion). So there you have it folks!