[Opinion] Let`s Talk about `Co-Existence of Civilizations` Now

There is a strange atmospheric trend in people`s eyes that look at the attacks against Afghanistan. This is because it is possible that increasing anti-U.S. sentiment may bring about another terrorist attack or unexpected instances to make things worse. The world was shocked when the world trade center collapsed. The global community has been still for one month since the attacks. As the U.S. retaliation begun, people of the world expressed a deep concern rather than relief.

Although no country dared to oppose to the anti-terrorist attacks, countries must have felt frustrated since the fire force belched forth from the advanced arms could spark the holy war by trampling on Islam`s pride. Even the scheme of the Gulf War, which was called the first war between civilizations, was not difficult. Through the Gulf War, the U.S. safely secured the enormous oil resources in the Persian Gulf and Kuwait, while Hussein of Iraq rose as the hero of Islam. The Gulf War was the war through which the two parties at least obtained different trophy of war.

However, there is nothing to gain in this war. What the U.S. demands is Osama bin Laden, dead or alive, and the elimination of the terrorist groups led by bin Laden. The U.S. intends to eradicate the root of terrorism in the international society. Mohammad Omar of Taliban, who is a mere leader of the outer area in Islam world, is the fundamentalist who has carried out anti-U.S. war risking the destruction of the country. Such a worldview of Afghanistan was already shaped when Afghanistan won the war against USSR. Afghanistan defeated one of the two super powers of the world, and has pulled its force together to fight against the other super power. What lies behind is antagonism against the U.S., which was believed to have despised Islam.

Having been conscious about such antagonism, the U.S. is paying attention not to disperse the international alliance by deploying a complex strategy of dropping both missile and food and by narrowing down the purpose of war to be anti-terrorist. The Taliban and bin Laden are seeking for not only the pan-Islamic solidarity but also the cooperation from the third world by magnifying their fight as the righteous challenge of the Islam civilization against the super power. Although anti-terrorist war is being justified at this moment as the humanitarian anger against the terrorism has not faded away yet, it is possible that people`s views on war may lean toward the Islam side if the war becomes long-term and the atmosphere to connect the dark side of the globalization to the terrorism expands. If this becomes true, anti-terrorist war is highly likely to be `clash between civilizations`, as Samuel Huntington was worried. The problem is that factors that hurry up the clash between civilizations are scattered here and there in Islam world.

Racial solidarity beyond the national boundary requires the most attention. While the Western world, represented by the U.S. was securing markets and resources, and was even dividing the Islam countries following its own benefits, the line of solidarity was rather strengthened. Since racial solidarity often leads to the war between races, the Islam countries used to gain the reputation that they cannot co-exist with the neighboring countries. Although it is a matter of time to destroy the Taliban through the U.S. air strike, it is clear that the stabilization of the Islam world would be threatened if war consciousness of the Suni line Islam expands, and the violent protest of the ultra fundamentalist continues. Majority of the Arab Islam countries, who are establishing pro-U.S. line, may be shaken by the opposition scheme of `the West versus the non-West`.

What the U.S. is worried about the most is the possible bonding of such an atmosphere in Islam world with the anti-globalization sentiment, which is prevalent. Anti-war demonstrations took place in Europe countries, such as Britain, Germany, and Italy, and the anti-globalization solidarity is showing a sing of joining. Although the U.S. George W. Bush administration is said to have soften its self-righteous attitude since the incident, anti-terrorist war is at danger of being viewed as a war that intends to eliminate obstructions that block the globalization, and to grant `permanent freedom` to the U.S. capital. People`s sympathy on the retaliation against terrorism also included the pan-human wariness of the U.S. supremacy.

The U.S. is in the middle of a complicated war that has so many things to consider. What the U.S. has to be most cautious about is to prevent the global expansion of `bloody borderline`, which was made by the world super powers in the Islam world. That may cause another bloodshed war or lead to the daily anti-U.S. terrorist attacks. It seems that the possibility of `co-existence of civilizations` is on the experiment stand beginning with the anti-terrorist war.

Song Ho-Keun (Professor of Sociology at Seoul National University)