In order to better understand the argument, the distinctions between the so-called “West” and Muslim cultures must be first defined. The West is considered to be made up of liberal, democratic and capitalist nations including, among many others, the United States, Great Britain and France. Primarily the focal poin

t of the West is the U.S., where individualism and religious and intellectual freedom are fundamental characteristics. Conversely, the Islamic world is not so easily defined. As there are a great number of Muslim nations and a variety of cultures that adhere to the religion, it is impossible to make a generalization of what represents the entirety of the Islamic school of thought. From the strict enforcement of the Shariah in Nigeria to the Islamist state of Iran to the secularism of Turkey, Islam cannot be characterized by one single political movement or view of the future. One cannot assume that the Islamists speak for the majority of Muslims. It is with this in mind that the belief in a “clash of civilizations” is on shaky ground.

One only needs to read the writings of a few Islamic scholars, those that have lived as a Muslim, those that have seen the increasing popularity of Islamists firsthand, for proof that there exists a different line of reasoning. Bassam Tibi is one such author. In his book, “Islam between Culture and Politics”, Tibi argues that the current crisis in Islamic society can be attributed to the politicism of Islam and that this has become the greatest barrier to the continued modernization of Muslim cultures. Tibi shows that this politicization “is an expression of a revolt against the West against the value system related to them” (pg. xii - Tibi), but not as an inherent threat to the West as a whole. Due to the establishment of globalization, the structural mapping of the world in favor of the West, and not towards universalization, or the acceptance of social values across all hum

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