by Seifudein Adem, PhDBinghamton University

adems@binghamton.eduPresentation Presented at a Workshop for Community College Faculty on the theme of “Global Islam: Borders, Boundaries and belonging/s,” Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, November 16, 2013. The presentation, re-titled “Ali A. Mazrui and Reflections on the Revolutions in North Africa “is being prepared for publication.

Islam between the end of history and the clash of civilizations: an international relations perspective

End of history (Fukuyama) Clash of civilizations (Huntington) Discourse on Islam (the Arab Spring) Drawing the balance sheet (Rosenau) Conclusion: lessons learned (Mazrui)

Partially based on:

“ON THE END OF HISTORY AND THE CLASH OF CIVILIZATIONS: A DISSENTER’S VIEW,”

JOURNAL OF MUSLIM MINORITY AFFAIRS, VOL. 21, NO. 1, 2001, PP. 25-38.

Outline

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The “End of History,” Fukuyama (1989)o victory of political and economic liberalismo “Endpoint of humankind’s ideological evolution”

The critiques:o pre 9-11/empiricalo post 9-11/interdependence/vulnerability/actorso post Iraq War

The “end of history”

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Fukuyama’s response to critics

“Of course, much of the world is indeed mired in history,

having neither economic growth nor stable democracy nor peace.

But the end of the Cold War marked an important turn in international

relations, since for the first time the vast majority of the world’s great powers were stable,

prosperous liberal democracies. While there could be skirmishes

between countries in history, like Iraq, and those beyond it,

like the United States, the prospect of great wars between

great powers had suddenly diminished.” The Return of History and the End of Dream (2009)

The “end of history”

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S. Huntington (1993)o “…the clash of civilizations will dominate global politics.”

Major critiques: Pre-9-11

o the “logic”: increased interactions … increased conflicto intra-regional trade: misleading data; kin-country syndromeo Confucian-Islamic connection

Post 9-11: “paradigm shift”o impulse for changeo absence or removal of obstacle for changeo engine of change

The clash of civilizations

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Did the idea of clash of civilizations

influence US foreign policy?

Most probably.

The evidence:o similarity in terms of the discourseo “Axis of Evil” vs. “Islamic-Confucian” connectiono Huntington’s endorsement of Bush’s foreign policy o Huntington’s visit to the White House (Nov 2001)

The clash of civilizations

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Fukuyama, Huntington and the Arab Spring

o what is the Arab Springo meta-narratives: predictive and prescriptiveo MENA seemed impervious to end of history o protest not single-mindedly for liberal democracy (Fukuyama) or against

it (Huntington)o “skill revolution” (James Rosenau)

Situating the discourses on Islam (Arab Spring)

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Arab Spring and James Rosenau’s “skill revolution”

o “…the world’s peoples are not so much

converging around the same values as they

are sharing a greater ability to recognize

and articulate their values.”

o “…from constitutional and legal to …performance criteria of legitimacy”

TURBULENCE IN WORLD POLITICS (1990)

o Toward typology of protest…

Drawing the balance sheet

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The Arab Spring and Ali Mazrui’s ”theory of protest”

o Conservation: aroused by sense of impending perilo Restoration: nostalgic seeking to restore the pasto Transformation: profound disaffection with existing system of valueso Corrective measures: an ad hoc demand for a particular modification in the

system

The Arab Spring as a multi-faceted protest within global Islam PROTEST AND POWER IN BLACK AFRICA (1970)

“EDMOND BURKE AND REFLECTIONS ON THE REVOLUTION IN THE CONGO, “COMPARATIVE STUDIES IN SOCIETY AND HISTORY (1963)

Conclusion: lessons learned

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