Pamelia Riviere:
The Clash of Civilizations
(Continued after Part II)
I found “The Clash of Civilizations And the Remaking of World Order” by Samuel Huntington, and “Clash of Ignorance” by Edward Said, to be interesting reads. Both books offered an insight into the stance of the US and its allies on the issue of Palestine. The US Congress considers “Clash of Civilizations” as a bible. In his work, Huntington hypothesized that culture and civilization would create conflicts. He also identified a major shift of economic, military, and political power from the West to other civilizations of the world, most significantly to what he identified as the two challenger civilizations: Sinic (East Asian) and Islam.
The clash of ignorance theory critiques the idea of the clash of civilizations. It argues against the assumption that civilizations are self-contained and do not interact with each other. Furthermore, it challenges the notion that the Self and the Other are always in opposition.
While there are differences between Western and Muslim civilizations, there are also many areas of overlap and historical instances of productive engagement. The clash of ignorance theory contributes significantly to our understanding of intercultural and international communication and intergroup relations across various fields of study.
The critique of Orientalism focuses on how knowledge is constructed to benefit those in power. On the other hand, the clash of ignorance paradigm looks at how different actors distort information, leading to conflicts between them. This paradigm helps us understand how ignorance can be exploited to gain power. Many academics, policymakers, think tanks and religious leaders have discussed the clash of ignorance.
Huntington’s discourse titled “The Clash of Civilizations” asserts that the world has two challenging cultures: Sinic (East Asia) and Islamic. His idea suggests that the Western world, including America, must be aware of them. Therefore, Biden’s plan for a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine seems unrealistic and more like a fiction. Many people in the US and Western world feel unsafe and fearful due to the threat of terrorism from certain groups, particularly from East Asia and Islam. As a result, some people view the Islamic religion as a potential threat to their safety.
According to the “sour grapes” or “crow and the fox” story, Israel will not wait for the doomsday of Islam or the destruction of Islamic civilization after the release of the hostages. This prophecy implies that Israel will take action rather than wait for an uncertain future.
Two-Nation Theory End
As per the biblical account, Israel’s intentions to construct a Temple Mount to satisfy extremists might trigger a crusade, and a Third World War. This could lead to the downfall of Netanyahu, who would be remembered in history as a “dictator/murderer” due to his harsh actions to Palestinians, and a new Nakba.
In 2014, there were five ceasefires within 50 days. This time, Israel will quickly close this cease-fire agreement. After the hostage transfer, Israel will repeat the attack and deceive the world by saying, “They came to kill their enemy, Hamas, but all the Palestinians died in the bombing.” As well as the two-nation theory will end!
Crow leader, Western Crow allies, and Foxes will happily sit at a table and eat carrion and wine at the end of the day. At the end of the nuclear third world war everyone will applaud the fox, to save the world from the hands of the Muslim world!
It has been reported that several Jewish American organizations have significantly increased their donations to the US Congress with the aim of influencing their decision to end the possibility of a Palestinian state. This move could potentially have an impact on Joe Biden’s election campaign, as the increased donations to the Congress could pave the way for him to become the next president.
US right-wing leaders would be more than happy to see Palestine wiped off the world map. US allies have nothing to lose if the Palestinians die, so they will feel relieved. All they need is US cooperation and Israeli military success in the Arab region.
After the defeat in World War III, it is highly likely that future meetings with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, OIC Secretary General Youssef bin Ahmed Al-Othaymeen, and representatives of the Muslim world will be unsuccessful, just like this one. The date of this meeting will be remembered in Muslim history as an example of poor leadership.
The Crow leader will say, we had all the support to kill Hamas, and you did it. The Fox will answer, no, Hamas was just an excuse. We wanted to occupy Gaza and end the two-state concept, and we did that successfully.
USA would happily see Huntington Discourse’s “Clash of Civilizations” theory become a reality! Nuclear World War III defeated two distinct, challenging/complex cultures on Earth: Sinic (East Asia) and Islam. The entire Muslim race and East Asians, including the Palestinians, will disappear like dinosaurs.
The bloody Mediterranean Sea would cry hard and roar: I hoped the USA would prefer a peaceful resolution to see a future where cultural differences are celebrated rather than leading to nuclear war.
Image source: Researchgate
To read Part I, Click Here.
The author is an anthropologist, sociologist, environmentalist, and peace and conflict resolution educator! She completed her PhD research in curriculum and pedagogy (peace and conflict resolution through science) at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE), University of Toronto.