photpgrapher: Marwan Musselmani

I had a discussion 2 days ago with someone i met,who pleasently agreed to summerize the points we discussed..

this article is addressed to all people intrested in having a wider picture of the conflict that is going on ,between what we may call the east and the west ...maybe the first paragraph is more addressed to the west,mean while the second one for east, in attempt to allow the wise ones to see between the lines. it includes some facts and statements published by the elite thinkers (names mentioned),yet with a personal openion based on his reading .i hope you enjoy it as much as i did,it contains no harm to any one , just simple facts and theories.

Since the reduction of distances between the corners of the globe, and since the increase of growth of societies, and since the increase of communication between societies, the human being started looking around his environment in an attempt to define his identity.

Some Western elite thinkers opted to define the identity through determining what is different from it. Hence, developing a bi-polar system built upon “us” and “them”, or “west” and “east”. In this system, the “us” is applied to everything that relates to the superiority of the western human being. This racist point of view led the west to look at the world as divided into a superior civilized west, and an inferior undeveloped east.

Those elite thinkers of the west started a huge operation to widen the gap between the east and west. This operation was carried out by portraying the eastern human being as inferior and as a representative of evil; in contrast with a radiant picture of the western human being, the representative of good throughout the world.

The gap reached its peak when the west gave itself the right to control the east under the sign of “civilization attempt”, and calling this right “the white mans burden”. This is the school of Orientalism which lasted for decades with a goal to paint the current picture of the east in the western society’s view (Refer to ‘Orientalism’ by Edward Said).

The result of this Orientlism took shape in the form of the crusades and colonization endeavors, in an effort to control the east through continuous waves. All these waves came under different justifications, while they had the goal of control and colonization.

In a quick analysis of the last five centuries, we find that the western control project was at times under a religious cover and at other under an occupation cover; until our present time where it takes a cultural form.

- The American philosopher ‘Francis Fokoyama’ saw that the fall of the Soviet Union, along with its satellite states, the end of the cold war, and the control of the west represented in the Great power, as the end of history. The end of history meaning the end of the progress of human ideology and setting liberal democracy as the governmental standard for the whole world to follow. He also says that world conflict is at an end, save for a few skirmishes that might surface in the third world.
From this point of view, we can sense a new western control project over the east, this time, under the cover of spreading western liberal democracy, even if force is to be used to end conflict between people. Isn’t it clear that this is an introduction to a new conflict between people who support this theory and want to force it upon the world, and those who refuse this new control project?

- ‘The clash of civilizations –remaking of world order’ which is offered by the American philosopher Samuel P. Huntington, sees the world as divided into numerous cultures, and hence numerous civilizations. The world is divided into eight civilizations: Western, Confusionist, Japanese, Hindu, Orthodox, Latin America, African, and Islamic. The source of danger of this theory stems from the fact that Huntington sees a clash between all of the above civilizations, and between the Confusionest and Islamic civilizations, owing this to the inherent evil in these two civilizations, and their inability to achieve the same civilized standard enjoyed by the west.

This is politics again, opportunism by definition, the art of managing interests, but every time with a new cover under which they hide an attempt to exercise the control over others.

The presence of such pilots on the west’s ship will steer it in the direction of more disparities leading to a clash of civilizations with the east.

The printing of the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammad (PBUH) in most western countries, and in clear provocation of the Muslim emotions, if not an unorganized mistake, then it is a push by some western groups towards a greater clash of civilizations by directing a greatly calculated deed and waiting for a response, which they hope to be violent, in order for it to be used by those who exercise this control as an additional stepping stone towards the clash that they desire to happen soon.

There is no doubt that an appropriate response to this intentional insult is necessary. However, the required response must be properly calculated in order for the muslims not to fall into the trap of a violent response that the supports of the clash of civilizations are waiting for. With the muslims falling into this trap, the supporters of the clash of civilizations will get the results needed to unite themselves against what they call ‘the danger from the east’. A proper and calculated response is a duty of the muslims, which will waste this golden opportunity for who believes in the clash. In defending the prophet (PBUH), this response is at a higher level then a response fueled by emotions, and higher then economic boycotts whose effects will fade with time, bearing in mind that boycott is the accepted, peaceful expression of anger..

Why we do not see a group of enlightened thinkers coming out, a group that is familiar with the west and can speak their language, a group that can discuss this insult logically, to go as an envoy and meet with the moderates of the west and explain to them about this person that was in an unrealistic, untrue image.

It is certain that their lack of knowledge about the savior of humanity prevents them from seeing the insult they caused to his person, and to 1.5 billion muslims. If they knew him, they would only be able to love him. The west’s lack of knowledge about our religion, our prophet, and our holy places is a factor behind a deed like this, and the worst of my fears is that a similar ignorance on our side causes an uncalculated response that would have negative consequences. These emotional responses would be employed by people in different camps for their own benefits.
In our holy book (Qouran) , these issues were clearly addressed:
‘Discuss with others in better ways’
‘good and bad cant be the same ,respond in a good way,you turn your enemy into a close friend’
‘a good statement is a good tree,with a strong root,and branched into the sky,giving fruits everytime’

Hope this data enlighten our minds to what mistakes all people might fall in,bearing in mind that we live on one land ..the earth....