By Dr. Salam AL Rabadi
The Clash of Civilizations: is a high-impact theory in the
interpretation of geo-political conflicts. This 21st century theory claims that
future conflicts will take place largely in cultural lines between countries
and communities or within the same community.
This theory believes that immigration and multiculturalism will lead to
the creation of new minorities and ethnicities. It will work to tear
communities and nations.
It is likely to continue to cling
to the idea or strategy that political boundaries should be compatible with the
cultural borders internally and externally. Therefore, the European countries
should be ready to deal with such crucial issues which have profound political
implications. Which are closely linked with the path of the thorniest
issues such as: Security, Immigration and Integration, Multiculturalism and
Human rights, Demography and Welfare State.
Do we need to try new and
different ways in how understand the future of Europe? Historically,
the reality of the extinction of people’s culture and civilizations is not
impossible. It could happen. That’s it historical constant? This fact must be
taken into account when trying to address the issue: How for the first time
the birth rate in the West has fallen below replacement level? Based on how to deal with the inter-relationships
between each of the demography, politics, culture, economy, security and human
rights we can put a set of strategic controversial questions:
A) Where are the
limits of cultural demographic security? Can use multiculturalism policies in
influential political activities able to fold European countries? Why the
normative dimension is the main absentee when discussing multiculturalism issues
in European countries?
B) Why do most
academic studies focusing on economic analysis only when dealing with issues of
migration and demography? Why there is not focusing on political vision? As
well as the direct disregard of cultural analysis?
C) How will
European leaders and elites face all of these challenges and crises?
It seems that traditional basis of sociology and
political science (study of society and the state) are outdated. Because we
live in a world without borders. This requires moving away from social
or societal inertia. So the focus should be on the study of material and
cultural movement. And develop a new social science: Science Beyond the
Communities. Accordingly, there are methodological difficulties that we
face in the demographic issue:
A) How can
discuss and analyse a range of approaches and phenomena correlated
significantly to some extent. Although it is methodologically it may serve
different analytical purposes extends beyond the boundaries of academic
philosophy?
B) The nature of
the relationship between European Communities and immigrant communities
reflects a new phenomenon adding a new dimension to the theoretical
understanding of the process of social identity and making Anthropology in
contact with law studies and political science and a controversy among the
branches of scientific knowledge.
C) The boundary
between what seen as the biological differences between the groups and cultural
differences acquired are often blurry in practical terms.
Thus, demography problematics
(since it contains a new threat to the European Union) can not be understood
without the presence of a new kind of political analysis. As the crisis
of demography and migration are becoming visible in many European societies, so
that it became impossible to ignore those issues. And logically this
demographic reality puts a lot of models and ideas in the case of the dialectic
with what could be called: the demographic complexity. And this new
route requires the adoption of a new vision to be more accommodated to
developments at the local and global levels.
Remaining possibilities of
optimism or pessimism are subject to the balance of interests between
countries. But at the community level within Europe the results will depend on
how to find solutions or explanation for the
following discrepancy. How can we adopt the principles of the free
market economy to strengthen the welfare state and in contrast, at the
political level, we want to stay in a closed club on the same culturally and
nationally? And now often seen for immigrants in Europe as a source of
threat (example: demonstrations against foreigners. as PEGIDA Movement). Seems
to be on Europe find a new way to deal with immigrants. Before reaching the
time maybe we wonder:
Who needs to merger: Immigrants or
European people?
