The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order - Samuel P.

Huntington
What we may be witnessing is not just the end of the Cold War, but the end of history as such: that
is, the end point of mankinds ideological evolution and the universalization on Western liberal
democracy as the final form of human government. - Francis Fukuyama. Samuel P. Huntington in
Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order(1996) developed a divergent theory
believing that while the age of ideology has ended, the world had only reverted to a normal state of
affairs characterized by cultural conflict between civilizations.
Why would civilizations clash? In Huntingtons view, global politics are intercivilizational politics.
In this new order,the most pervasive, important, and dangerous conflicts will not be between social
classes, rich and poor, or other economically defined groups, but between people belonging to
different cultural entities. As Giacomo Chiozza points out in his article, Huntingtons novel theory
regards shifting loyalties:away from the nation-state and towards larger identity groups that transcend
national boundaries. As Huntington continues global politics is being reconfigured along cultural
lines[]the fault lines between civilizations are becoming the central lines of conflict in global
politics. As predicted, the conflict probability for different-civilization dyads has risen since the end
of the Cold War, but relations between Islamic states and West have always been tensioned,
incomprehensible and violent. If Huntington is right, the roots of conflicts among states and cultures
are religious beliefs.
The In Amenas hostage crisis (2013), at the Tigantourine gas facility in the south of Sahara desert is a
continuation of the clash of civilizations (from Huntingtons theory). The deaths of 39 foreign
hostages from nine different countries (out of which 10 from Japan) who were brutally shot in the
head by al-Qaeda-linked terrorists led by Mokhtar Belmokthar, stand as proof that the war between
islamists and the West is far from being over. It appears that religious fanaticism has replaced
ideological, political and economic wars. Western have liberty and technology and on the other hand,
islamists have their demography and strong faith. Henceforth, who will win this war?
Giacomo Chiozza argues that even though CofC thesis tries to predict the behavior of the 21st
centurys state relations,it has not yet become a basis for foreign policy. I personally believe that
through his Clash of civilization and the Remaking of the World Order, Huntington offers the
receipt for achieving world order: The future of both peace and Civilization depend upon
understanding and cooperation among the political, spiritual and intellectual leaders of the worlds
major civilizations. []in the emerging era, clashes of civilizations are the greatest thereat to world
peace, and an international order based on civilizations is the surest safeguard against world war.

references:
Francis Fukuyama - The End of history and the Last Man
Samuel P. Huntington - The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order
Giacomo Chiozza -Is there a Clash of Civilizations? Evidence from Patterns of International Conflict
Involvement