The Case For Islamo-Christian Civilisation
by Richard W. Bulliet
Published by Columbia University Press
New York, August 2004
THIS is an important new book published by a professor of history at Columbia University, at a time when much of the Western world is focusing on Islam.
It calls for a complete rejection of the 'clash of civilisations theory', and for greater recognition to be given to Islam's contribution to the modern world.
The use of the term 'Islamo-Christian civilisation' is a positive and sensible way of looking at our shared history and values.
As a Muslim convert living in Asia who grew up in a Christian family in Australia, this terminology fits very well with all that I have known and learnt from my 10 years in Singapore. The shared basic principles of these two great religions are often completely overlooked when people blame Islam for terrorism and violence.
I feel that the ideology of Islam is not at fault; the misguided views of some Muslims on how to respond to physical threats are the real problem. This is very important in deciding how best to confront terrorism: Threats or even perceived threats to Islam will only make things much worse rather than better.
Professor Bulliet is very critical of the way the Western alliance has conducted the 'war on terrorism', particularly the invasion of Iraq because he believes it was largely based on the premise of Samuel Huntington's book, The Clash Of Civilisations And The Remaking Of World Order.
In building his case for the world view of Islamo-Christian civilisation, he points out that people would not be so quick to rush to war for 'regime change' if they did not regard Muslims as being 'others', and who are different from 'people like us'.
He details the historical parallels of the two major religious groups in the Middle East and Europe over the last 14 centuries. To see their shared history as simply a long list of battles and wars is to ignore the much longer periods of peaceful co-existence. Instead he characterises them as 'siblings in step' with each other that faced the same crises with different responses, which led to sibling rivalry in recent times.
He concludes that the Islamo-Christian world has more binding it together than forcing it apart. The past and future of the West cannot be fully comprehended without appreciating its twinned relationship with Islam over some 14 centuries.
The second chapter is a very sound and complete refutation of much of the published work of Professor Bernard Lewis, especially his book, What Went Wrong. Instead of blaming Islam for the failures and collapse of the Ottoman empire, Prof Bulliet points out the narrowness of Prof Lewis's scholarship.
Prof Bulliet provides a more comprehensive and different historical analysis of what went on in the lead-up to the fall of the Ottoman empire. Prof Lewis, of course, was the originator of the term 'clash of civilisations'. He is reportedly still an active adviser to the Bush administration.
The chapter 'Looking For Love In All The Wrong Places' is largely a response to the harsh criticism in Martin Kramer's Ivory Towers On Sand: The Failure Of Middle East Studies In America. Dr Kramer, a senior associate of the Moshe Dayan Centre for Middle Eastern and African Studies at Tel Aviv University, and his colleague Daniel Pipes, have often attacked the professionalism and integrity of those critical of the Israeli government.
Prof Bulliet sees the failure of most of American Middle East experts to understand the rise of political Islam in recent years as largely 'looking for Muslims that American can love', rather than accepting differences in religion and culture as immutable.
His final chapter focuses on the future of the relationship between the Western world and the Islamic parts of it. While he does not prescribe answers, he suggests that answers to some of the problems are more likely to arise at the 'edges' of the Islamic world rather than at its centre.
By this, he stresses the importance of contemporary Islamic scholars who can act as an interface with the West if the Western world is willing to talk to them.
As he points out, terrorists are not driven by a 'hatred of freedom' as President George W. Bush likes to claim. Instead, terrorism is driven by the lack of freedom that dissidents are faced with in many Middle East countries. The way out is for the Middle East regimes to allow for some political liberalisation, even though it may appear to threaten their very existence.
Political Islam may be part of the solution rather than the source of the problem. If Islamic political parties were allowed to be part of the democratic process, then they would be forced to compete for votes rather than resort to extra-legal means of challenging the incumbent powers.
He also discusses the 'crisis of authority' that he sees as existing now in the Muslim world due to the spread of modern communication technology. But he is also confident that new Muslim leaders will arise to help their communities find a peaceful path to co-existence with the West.
The writer is deputy director-general of the Centre for Contemporary Islamic Studies and an executive committee member of the Muslim Converts Association of Singapore.
Give More Recognition To Islam's Contribution To Modern World (9th January, 2005)