Reality Check

British Prime Minister David Cameron thinks multi-culturalism is a failure. He goes on to explain connection between Islamic insurgency in the UK with freedom to enjoy a different culture. His premise that Muslim and Western cultures are incompatible is exactly what Osama Bin Laden and the al-Qaeda stand for.

If New Yorkers were told in 1990 that they would be demonstrating against building a place of worship, they would have laughed it off. If Europeans were then informed that they would judge architectural decisions on religious basis, it must have been an offensive comment. If Afghans were told in 1980s that they will be bombed to nothing by the Americans, they would have doubted your sanity.

Since 9/11, the world has increasingly changed and perceived to be divided in Islam versus the West terms. Dangerously enough, the perception is generalized and being used as basis for opinion and analysis. Beyond any realm of rapprochement, neither analysts shudder nor do leader sugarcoat describing incompatibility between two cultures. Britain’s Baroness Warsi calls this phenomenon "hostility to Muslims passing the dinner table test".

Regardless of one’s perspective, the ugly face of clash of civilizations is becoming more and more overwhelming for the world leaders. In retrospect, the reaction to 9/11 turned out to be disproportionately high. Too many decisions were left in the hands of those who preferred war for one reason or the other. The military hardware simply created more enemies on both the sides. Extremists seem winning the battle by widening gulf between civilizations. The next phenomenal threat may not come from al-Qaeda but ultra-right wing hawks, led by un-elected and unaccountable establishments.

The best example at hand, ironically, comes from the Obama administration’s bid to seek release of Raymond Davis, who appears to be a low-level intelligence operative of a US contracting company and being tried in Pakistani metropolis of Lahore for killing two men with an illegal weapon in broad daylight. While Islamabad keeps a mum, Washington brand this man as a diplomat who acted in self-defence by going around with two loaded guns, a dagger, make-up kit, head lamp, maps of sensitive installations to name some of the 007 stuff.

Regardless of the accused’s immunity rights as per the Vienna Convention or what are the ‘ground realities’ of the bilateral situation, his actions are least compatible with norms of diplomacy. The Obama administration halts its high priority CIA-operated drone attacks in a bid to secure illegal release of Raymond and save many more under-cover operatives in Pakistan. Damn with rule of law in Pakistan or democratic youth in the Middle East and North Africa!

While the world enters the 10 th anniversary year of 9/11, it’s about time to walk back from here. Clash of civilizations shouldn’t be looked as an eventuality that we have to resign to, but a threat we need to work against.

Killing the hopes of multi-culturism in the UK is not way forward but pushes social globalization in Islamabad, in Paris and Copenhagen.

A clash between a billion Muslims and a billion Christians might seem glorious to some psychopaths which rest of the world many not really buy it. Decade-long war against terror and stereotyping demands some genuine introspection. The notion and perception of clash of civilizations need to be confronted in a unified manner as the climate change.

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