Ethnic Conflict and Multiculturalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Ethnic Conflict and Multiculturalism - Essay Example This essay stresses that admittedly, there are enough instances in history that substantiate Huntington’s theory. But as many instances, if not more, can be presented that contradict the thesis. For example, there is undue stress on the apparent incompatibility of Islamic and Western civilizations and the resultant conflict between the two entities. But a brief look at twentieth century political history would suggest several instances where these two seemingly incompatible entities do successfully cooperate. In other words, the seemingly strong ethno-nationalistic bond within the Islam dominated countries of the Middle East would overwhelm opportunistic commercial alliances between the two ethno-national groups. This paper makes a conclusion that in the prevailing world order, the fight for supremacy in the realms of ideology, material wealth and territorial conquest have superseded conflicts on the basis of differing ethnicity and its attendant attributes such as religion, culture, language, etc. Of all the constituent elements that comprise a particular nationalism, its identification with religion, ethnicity and culture form the core. A nation’s affiliation with these elements is constantly being challenged by forces of change in the economic and ideological domains. In this scenario, justifications for aggression in the name of nationalism seldom holds true. Claims such as ‘aggression is defence’ are not only irrational, but also devoid of merit.