The Clash of Islam with the West?

Thesis advisor: Paul T. ChristensenThe terms “jihad” and “Islamic fundamentalism” appear to dominate world news today. After the September 11th terrorist attacks, people began to wonder if the world of Islam and the world of the West were diametrically opposed and thus doomed to collide. In this thesis I study the work of Samuel Huntington, the leading theorist on the clash between Islam and the West, and his critics. Through case studies of Algeria, Indonesia and Lebanon, all predominantly Muslim countries, I argue that there is not a fundamental clash between these cultures. The conflict that is occurring today is a result of factors such as US foreign policy decisions, and not an existential culture clash.Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2004.Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: Political Science.Discipline: College Honors Program