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The relationship between the Western world and the Islamic world is a complicated matter which has raised many questions allover the world. These bloody relations have been characterised by consistent confrontations that have existed between the two sides for many centuries.
Muslims, who appears to be on the receiving end of these confrontations, have always viewed this as a one-sided onslaught by the Western world, probably owing to their culture and religion.
The other possible reason which has contributed toward these Islam-Western confrontations is the Muslim perception that the main reason as to why Western countries would invade their territories was to plunder their rich resources and take full control of their markets. However, the issue of this tense Islam-West relationship being an insoluble problem is a far-fetched issue.
This is because there is a big contrast in the way the two repelling sides treat each other. For instance, while the attitude of the Westerners toward the Muslim societies appears to be more positive, Muslims have viewed Westerners as their biggest antagonists in life, and have always defined them with negative characteristics.
In other terms, Muslim societies have always felt more embittered toward the Western world than vice versa, where the Islamic followers seem to blame the West for the bloody relations between them. This is owing to the US foreign policy which appears to punish Islam, and also for their decision to consistently support the UK and other allied dictators from the Western region against the Muslims.
Despite the constant wars against Muslims, which seems to take many forms, there have also been plans and negotiations all over the world to establish a permanent solution to this progressive issue.
Moreover, the rapid wave of globalisation taking place in the current world has promised to change many things including the bad relations that have existed between some countries and communities. In this regard, Islam-west relations are likely to improve in the near future as a result of globalisation.
Globalisation, as we all know, involves bringing nations and communities together using processes which are likely to promote global exchanges of important aspects of life. Globalisation involves removing existing barriers to pave way for harmonisation among people of different ethnic groups, religions and culture.
As a matter of fact, protests against Islam are taking place in various forms in the West. An example is the insulting form of resistance which the people of Islamic culture have to put up with in some Western countries, due to hatred and discrimination.
Most of these discrimination cases are said to be common in work places, learning institutions and shopping zones, among other places of common interest where people are likely to meet (Blankenhorn 59). Even though there have never been serious cases of Muslim discrimination from Western governments, Islam followers have always associated Westerners with all sorts of negativity.
One of the major concerns that have been expressed by the Muslims against the Western world is that, the latter has been hostile towards them. This, however, has been one of the many issues that have necessitated repression of the Arabs by the Western world.
Apart from the several reasons that have been expressed earlier on, these anti-Muslim attacks have also been necessitated by the Western belief that some Muslims societies have been supporting terrorism and other acts of violence happening the world today.
These sentiments of enmity against the Muslims have occurred following the belief that Muslim followers have constantly being involved in major terrorist attacks around the world.
This antagonistic way of life between the Muslims and the West has led to devastating issues and events that would necessitate bloody relations between the two sides. In fact, the world has not forgotten the implications of the recent US disarmament war on Iraq – a devastating exercise which has left the Muslim world almost torn apart into pieces.
After many years marked by wars and riots over speculated weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, most people in the world are still convinced that the relationship between Muslims and the West is generally worse these days than before. Even though past attempts to unite the two sides have proved futile, there is optimism that the future holds much hope for the Islam-Western relations.
This is possible, considering the current aspects of globalisation which have continued to play a significant role in bringing further interdependence of cultural and economic activities in the world (Center 87).
As it would be observed, globalisation offers a promising basis upon which the current Western-Islam state of affairs can be addressed and resolved collectively. For instance, the current aspects of globalisation have made it easier for peaceful negotiations aimed at uniting the two sides to be conducted.
As mentioned earlier, globalisation involves the destruction of old habits and adoption of new styles in aspects of social life, politics and the economy, among other things. These changes are likely to occur as a result of current advancements in technology, which appears to be taking place so fast across the world.
As it would be observed, the rampant technological wave allover the world is characterised by significant developments and advances in transport and telecommunications infrastructure. As Lyons observe, the use of engaging aspects of interaction such as the internet have played a key role in enhancing communication by increasing the flow of information among people allover the world (102).
What is interesting about these improvements however is that, they have opened up important avenues through which the international communities can take part in healing the wounds, simply by posting ideas that could help improve the Muslims’ relationship with the Western world.
It should be observed here that, these improvements have made human improved human interactions in the world, compared to the past where effective interaction and communication would be a serious challenge.
One important aspect of these interactions is that they have helped in establishing and strengthening cross-cultural contacts among people allover the world. More importantly, these developments have widely been used to spread democratic ideas which are aimed at resolving the progressive conflicts existing between the Muslims and the Westerners, thus enhancing social benefits between the two sides.
Even though both the Western and the Muslim worlds appears to have a common agreement in the perception that the Muslim societies should be more economically stable than they are today, there are also varied reactions from the two sides against each.
According to Hunter, while the Westerners have expressed concerns that Muslims have consistently resisted their policies and plans to help them get rid of the harsh economic challenges facing them, Muslim publics have dismissed these claims, blaming the West for their lack of prosperity with their so-called policies (24).
In other terms, majority of the Muslim societies have remained adamant in the perception that Western policies are the major cause of the vast economic challenges observed in their region nowadays.
On the contrary, majorities of the Western nations such as the U.S., France and the UK have constantly argued that Muslims are in fact the ones to blame here, presumably owing to the corrupt nature of their governments and the inadequate levels of education observed in many Muslim nations. In real sense, this is arguably the highest level of misunderstanding which can occur between any two countries or communities.
This actually is where the idea of globalisation comes in. It is time for the two repelling sides to have more in common than they do differ, and there is no way this can be achieved, except by adopting and embracing the aspects of globalisation which are likely to speed up global interconnection.
One effective approach here is for both Muslims and the West to make good use of the interactive platforms offered by globalisation to convince one another of their best plans and opinions towards each other. This will not only enhance understanding between the two regions, but it will also give way for improved relations between them.
As a matter of fact, globalisation also involves the process of increasing interdependence of production, commodity marketing, financial markets and national economies among other keys aspects of development. Naturally, the concept of globalisation plays a key role in drawing attention to technological and economical aspects of life (Mayall 244).
In this regard, globalisation remains a key factor when it comes to building and strengthening international relations between communities and people of different cultural identities. The idea of globalisation has proved to be effective in facilitating the ability of Muslim societies and the Western world to converge into economical and political grounds.
This continued integration and active participation through social matters in the light of globalisation are likely to generate new thoughts, especially positive ones, thus helping in eradicating the negative perceptions that have existed between the West and the Muslims.
More importantly, these varied interactions on economical grounds have also added up to establish a new order of relations by which the two regions are likely to become united through the activities of transnational business.
As it is observed in this paper, the idea of globalisation and its positive aspects in life are likely to play a significant role in determining Western-Muslim relations in the near future.
Tension between the two powers, which appears to have heightened in the last one decade or so are likely to lessen in today’s turbulent world, where matters of international affairs and relationships have been prioritised as key issues that must be given much concern and attention.
As the West and the Muslim societies adapt to the changing demands and interests of the international community, they are able to discover new lessons through different levels of interactions. These interactions, as observed in this paper, are some of the vast ways through which the concept of globalisation applies in linking cultures and international relations.
No matter all the formidable obstacles and challenges, the relationship between the Muslim world and the Western world is likely to take a different course in the near future, owing to the current aspects of globalisation.
Works Cited
Blankenhorn, David. The Islam/West Debate: Documents from a Global Debate on Terrorism, US Policy, and the Middle East, Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005. Print.
Center, Pew. The great divide: how Westerners and Muslims view each other, New York: Pew Research Centre for the People and the Press, 2006. Print.
Hunter, Shireen. The future of Islam and the West: clash of civilisations or peaceful coexistence? Westport: Praeger Publishers, 1998. Print.
Lyons, Jonathan. Islam through Western Eyes: From the Crusades to the War on Terrorism, New York: Columbia University Press, 2012. Print.
Mayall, James. “Globalisation and International Relations.” Review of International Studies 24. 2 (1998): 239-250. Print.
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