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Is 9/11 a Manifestation of The Clash of Civilizations?Book Review of Samuel Huntington’s(1996)
The Clash of Civilizations:Remaking of World Order 
Unpublished paper by Amira Sariyati Firdaus (2002)
This paper was written to fulfill course requirements for the course ‘International Communication’ at the Center for Media and Communication Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
INTRODUCTION1.0INTRODUCTION
This essay will attempt to put into current perspectives Samuel Huntington’s theorythat the world is facing a ‘Clash of Civilizations’. It will focus on the relationship between the United States and the Muslim world after the tragic terrorist attacks of 11September 2001 (9/11). I will begin by summarizing certain important concepts and points made in Huntington’s 1996 publication of 
The clash of civilizations: Remaking of world order.
This will be followed by a lengthy discussion of how the post 9/11world supports Huntington’s thesis of serious a clash between the West and theMuslim world. The essay’s conclusion will explain that despite its vital role as theturning point of history, 9/11 is not really the watershed that signifies the division theWest and the Muslim world. Finally, I will discuss the profound implications of post9/11 developments on the coming world order. 
2.0THE CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS
 
2.1Civilizations
According to Huntington, a civilization is the ultimate grouping of human beings based on shared values, histories, culture and a multitude of other commoncharacteristics that transcend geographical boundaries. Islamic civilizationencompasses peoples in Southeast Asia, different cities across Europe, isolatedterritories in China and Russia, and throughout the Americas. Similarly, Westerncivilization is not just peoples of Western Europe, but also Australia, South Africa, andof course, the United States, the manifestation of modern Western civilization.Huntington hypothesizes that the new millennium will be characterized bydeep differences between different civilizations, and these differences will lead toconflicts that may eventually change the world order from a Western-dominated worldto one where regional, ethnic, and religious affiliations will create blocs that aresomewhat at odds with one another. Huntington sees the Muslim world as one of thegreatest challengers to Western hegemony.Western and Islamic conflicts are about intercivilizational differences.Huntington delineates these issues to be about Islamist terrorism, Westernintervention, weapons proliferation, control of oil, human rights, democracy andimmigration. (Huntington 1996: 212)Events following 9/11 highlight some of these bitter issues. The main issuesare of course Islamist terrorism and Western hegemony. Along the lines of these twoissues, Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and control of oil wealth are alsodefining Muslim – Western conflict.
2.2The Islamic Resurgence and identification with the Muslim Ummah
Huntington believes that Muslims all over the world are becoming increasinglyIslamic as they begin to see Western norms and ideals as an imposition on Islam as away of life. This Islamic Resurgence encompasses all aspects, from practicing rituals(like prayers, fasting, abstaining from alcohol), to mobilizing Islamic welfareorganizations to the setting up of Islamically-compatible social institutions such asIslamic banking and syariah courts.2
 
On the every day basis, Islamic Resurgence in these spheres are very muchapparent, and probably are not considered as mortally very threatening to the West(although Islamic banking and business practices may be taking over certain economicniches formally dominated by Western-style institutions).However, resurgence inidentification with the Muslim Ummah is the most critical sphere of Islamic revival interms of civilizational clashes. Insofar as this Islamic Resurgence is occurring on amainstream level, and not just among fundamental Muslims or Islamists, itdemonstrates a universal Muslim consciousness of their Islamic identity.This identification with the Muslim Ummah sensitizes the Muslim to both the plight of Muslims in other lands, and also to the corrosion of Islamic values in the faceWestern cultural hegemony. Hence the magnetic pull that empowers individuals todefend his Muslim brothers and Islam as a way of life.
2.2.1Identification with the Ummah as driving force behind jihad
The transnational nature of Muslim terrorists is something that Huntington credits theglobal Islamic Resurgence to. He sees the Muslim identity as being more importantthan national or ethnic identification. The Afghan war prior to the Cold War began thistide of Muslim military marshals, or 
mujahiddeen,
volunteering to fight in the name of Islam. Beyond the Cold War, such fighters have defended Muslims in Bosnia,Chenchnya, the Philippines, and elsewhere where Muslims are being attacked by non-Muslims. Grouping of different nationals is also the hallmark of al-Qaeda, andexplains the alleged links between al-Qaeda, Jemaah-Islamiyah (JI) and Abu Sayaf.This realization for the need of a Muslim military, of course is also driven by adeep commitment to the Muslim Ummah that crosses ethnic and national boundaries,and even supplants the family unit as men and boys willingly leave their countries,their jobs and their families for jihad. 
3.0BEYOND 9/11
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