Just wondered whether the concept of a Clash of civilisations creates a divide rather than deals with it…
I am of the opinion that it helps create it…Islamic fundamentalism as such has been around for ages…Sayyed Qutb was preaching this rhetoric during Nassers time of Arab nationalism but no-one cared because they were nationalist…
Most Muslims have for the most part not been motivated by Islamic rhetoric as i have misgudingly thought with Palestine for example but have been motivated by ideologies of nationalism, tribalism and class conflict…
Intrinsically i believe that there is a clash of civilisations in terms of Islam and the West having differing values but Islam and Muslims is a different conversation…the Muslims as such havent acted Islamically for a long time as that Nasser example shows…
Thing is though by creating a them and us culture you alter Western perceptions of Muslims which in turn pushes Muslims closer to devloping an Islamic identity…by attacking Muslims the West creates a vacuum for Islamic fundamentalists to spread their ideas succesfully…
Integration cant be forced…The West for me are committing some serious blunders because rather than working against fundamentalism they actually help create it…
Thats my opinion…