Articles

Clash or Reconciliation of Civilizations? Bhutto vs. Huntington

Vostok/Oriens '2013, №6

 
In her book “Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West” (2008) Benazir Bhutto argues forcefully that Samuel Huntington's oft referred to “clash of civilizations” (“The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order”, 1997), particularly between Islamic and Western nations, is not inevitable; instead, she highlights “the need for an enlightened renaissance both within Islam and between Islam and the rest of the world.” For their part, followers of Islam must separate the central tenets of the religion found in the Qur'an from tribal traditions such as “the isolation of women in their homes, female circumcision, and the banning of girls’ education.” Yet Bhutto’s solutions seem naive and simplistic. She suggests an end to dictatorship, greater economic investment, better education and a “reconciliation corps” of cultural ambassadors modeled after the American Peace corps program. While no one will deny the importance of such moves, they fail to tackle the fundamental schisms within Islam. Successful ambassadors of moderate Islam can be found around the world, yet few seem able to stand up to extremism with any kind of impact.

Keywords: Benazir Bhutto, Pakistan, Islam, dictatorship, democracy, clash of civilizations, Huntington

Pages: С. 72–78