Ending the Clash of Civilizations
18, February, 2007
Dr. Khaled Batarfi
During the Cold War, there was a debate in the Western world between those who sought to win the Cold War and those who aspired to end it.
The first group had limited options — only with power play and sheer force you could prevail over the Communist camp. This meant aggressive containment of Red advances and adventures in the Third World by cultural, educational, political and ultimately military means. A whole industry of war merchants — arms and construction businesses — joined the crusade of ideological fanatics, intelligence masters, and conservative politicians. The sudden demise of the Soviet Union caught this unholy alliance off-guard. To keep it up, a new enemy had to be found, a new open-ended war to be declared, and a new crusade to be initiated. Enter Islamic Terror and the Clash of Civilizations. The formula here is “win-lose” — you only gain what your enemy loses.
Hunted by the costs of two great wars in the 20th century, the second group was trying to end all foreign conflicts and establish a New World Order. In 50 years, after World War II, they managed to build a number of international institutions and established many conventions and agreements that spread the rule of law in a chaotic world.
The United Nations was the crown jewel of their achievements, followed by the World Trade Organization. Other milestones include the International Court of Justice, the Geneva Conventions, the Kyoto Agreement, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Red Cross/Crescent. With regional institutions like the European Union, NAFTA and the Muslim World League, they helped in stabilizing the world, cementing global cooperation and allowing peaceful resolutions. The second group achieves its objectives through trading rather than conquering, business instead of force. The formula is “win-win” by increasing the pie, maximizing the benefits, and compromising.
Most people are peaceful by nature. They want to go about their lives undisturbed. They hate to go running for cover, looking for reassurance every day, and don’t want to worry about tomorrow. They hate hating and blaming others whom they never knew, for fights over crimes they hadn’t committed and wrongs they didn’t do. They are tired of wars and killing and destruction in their name. Most people of every color, race and faith want just to live in peace, pursue happiness, and die, when their time is up, in peace.
The preachers of hate, the bats of fear and the merchants of death won’t let’s have it so easy. Here, there and everywhere they create conflicts, enemies and lasting wars. The more we don’t know about each other, the darker the space between us, the better their chances of playing one against the other. They start by demonizing the different other, allowing our good self to accept the fight, the killing and the destruction. Under patriotic and religious banners, using fear, hate, vanity and jealousy, they make the best do the worst and be proud.
How do we deny them our souls and destiny? Knowledge comes first. If we go around and about, if we use today transportation and communication to learn about the world around us first hand, not through the media they use to poison us, we shall ultimately reach the truth. The truth, will, then, set us free from their misinformation, scares, and spills.
The discovery of “bridge-building” brought divided worlds closer, and allowed strangers and enemies to become partners, traders and families. Today, we need to reinvent the bridge. We need to rediscover the language, the speech, the magic of an easy smile and a warm handshake. When I met with Americans in the business of cultural bridge building, during a visit to the States last month, I was asked: What can we do to help?
I told the good people in the National Democratic Institution, the National Endowment for Democracy and the International Research and Exchanges Board: Let’s teach each other. Come to us as educators and trainers, not as soldiers and occupiers, and learn more about our culture and ways of life. Explain your perspective and understand ours. Learn to speak our language and teach us to speak yours. In no time, I promise you, we won’t have many differences to solve and gaps to bridge. But we will have many solid bridges to maintain and cross every day. Then, and only then, will we all cross over to the camp of those who believe in ending the clash of civilizations, and isolate those who insist on winning it.
Dr. Khaled Batarfi
During the Cold War, there was a debate in the Western world between those who sought to win the Cold War and those who aspired to end it.
The first group had limited options — only with power play and sheer force you could prevail over the Communist camp. This meant aggressive containment of Red advances and adventures in the Third World by cultural, educational, political and ultimately military means. A whole industry of war merchants — arms and construction businesses — joined the crusade of ideological fanatics, intelligence masters, and conservative politicians. The sudden demise of the Soviet Union caught this unholy alliance off-guard. To keep it up, a new enemy had to be found, a new open-ended war to be declared, and a new crusade to be initiated. Enter Islamic Terror and the Clash of Civilizations. The formula here is “win-lose” — you only gain what your enemy loses.
Hunted by the costs of two great wars in the 20th century, the second group was trying to end all foreign conflicts and establish a New World Order. In 50 years, after World War II, they managed to build a number of international institutions and established many conventions and agreements that spread the rule of law in a chaotic world.
The United Nations was the crown jewel of their achievements, followed by the World Trade Organization. Other milestones include the International Court of Justice, the Geneva Conventions, the Kyoto Agreement, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the Red Cross/Crescent. With regional institutions like the European Union, NAFTA and the Muslim World League, they helped in stabilizing the world, cementing global cooperation and allowing peaceful resolutions. The second group achieves its objectives through trading rather than conquering, business instead of force. The formula is “win-win” by increasing the pie, maximizing the benefits, and compromising.
Most people are peaceful by nature. They want to go about their lives undisturbed. They hate to go running for cover, looking for reassurance every day, and don’t want to worry about tomorrow. They hate hating and blaming others whom they never knew, for fights over crimes they hadn’t committed and wrongs they didn’t do. They are tired of wars and killing and destruction in their name. Most people of every color, race and faith want just to live in peace, pursue happiness, and die, when their time is up, in peace.
The preachers of hate, the bats of fear and the merchants of death won’t let’s have it so easy. Here, there and everywhere they create conflicts, enemies and lasting wars. The more we don’t know about each other, the darker the space between us, the better their chances of playing one against the other. They start by demonizing the different other, allowing our good self to accept the fight, the killing and the destruction. Under patriotic and religious banners, using fear, hate, vanity and jealousy, they make the best do the worst and be proud.
How do we deny them our souls and destiny? Knowledge comes first. If we go around and about, if we use today transportation and communication to learn about the world around us first hand, not through the media they use to poison us, we shall ultimately reach the truth. The truth, will, then, set us free from their misinformation, scares, and spills.
The discovery of “bridge-building” brought divided worlds closer, and allowed strangers and enemies to become partners, traders and families. Today, we need to reinvent the bridge. We need to rediscover the language, the speech, the magic of an easy smile and a warm handshake. When I met with Americans in the business of cultural bridge building, during a visit to the States last month, I was asked: What can we do to help?
I told the good people in the National Democratic Institution, the National Endowment for Democracy and the International Research and Exchanges Board: Let’s teach each other. Come to us as educators and trainers, not as soldiers and occupiers, and learn more about our culture and ways of life. Explain your perspective and understand ours. Learn to speak our language and teach us to speak yours. In no time, I promise you, we won’t have many differences to solve and gaps to bridge. But we will have many solid bridges to maintain and cross every day. Then, and only then, will we all cross over to the camp of those who believe in ending the clash of civilizations, and isolate those who insist on winning it.
Labels: Political
posted by HRM Deborah of Israel and the Messenger of Peace at 6:22 PM
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