The Muslim World and the West
Ever since the publication of Samuel Huntington’s book "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order" in 1996, there has been a widespread perception that the relationship between the Muslim World and the West is a problem.
Events such as the 9/11 attacks in New York and Washington, the subsequent US-led invasion of Iraq, the London bombings of 2005, and the Regensburg lecture of Pope Benedict XVI in 2006 may appear to support the thesis that there is an essential clash of both interests and values between the World of Islam and the West.
Are the tensions in the relationship, however, caused by issues of religion (i.e. the relationship between Christians and Muslims), by issues of culture, or by issues of politics? And is this the whole picture anyway?