World order can be remade on civilizational peace, not clashes

In his famous book “The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order,” Samuel P. Huntington argued that future global conflicts would not be driven by economic necessities, but rather that cultural and religious identities would be the primary source of conflict in the post-Cold War world.

One of the examples used to back up this theory is the Iraq War of 2003 to 2011 following the US-led invasion. Saturday’s visit to Iraq by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres marked the end of the 22-year mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq. Arguably, this is a historic milestone that ends the epoch of “clashes” and allows us to consider the possibilities for peace among civilizations to remake the world order.

The peace agenda was key to the discussions Guterres held with the leaders of three Middle Eastern countries — Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iraq — during visits over the last week. During Guterres’ meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the two sides discussed “ways to support efforts to enhance global security and stability.” The head of the UN stressed the importance of the organization’s long-standing partnership with the Kingdom and his hosts’ support of multilateralism.

Among the examples of the need for diplomatic collaboration, Guterres mentioned the conflicts in Yemen and Sudan. “The war in Sudan is horrific and must stop,” he concluded. The UN warned this month that “war-torn Sudan is in the midst of arguably the gravest human rights crisis of our time.” This conflict has already resulted in the displacement of more than 12 million people.

It is time to turn this region’s trauma and its order of violence into a successful story of peace and prosperity

Dr. Diana Galeeva

During his meeting with Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Guterres reportedly thanked Oman for its constructive and balanced foreign policy and its efforts in promoting dialogue, meditation and diplomatic solutions regionally and worldwide. The secretary-general was conferred with the Oman Civil Order (First Class) in recognition of his well-recognized political and diplomatic role.

Prior to the meeting, it was expected that the conflict in Yemen would be on the agenda, as it has escalated since the beginning of December. In May, Oman mediated a de-escalation agreement between the US and Yemen’s Houthi movement. Muscat has also been mediating with the Houthis over the release of UN staff held by the rebels.

Oman, with its quiet diplomacy, has been called “the Switzerland of the Middle East” by the Harvard International Review, while its mediation efforts were acknowledged internationally at the time of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.

Both Saudi Arabia and Oman deeply understand the conflicts in Yemen and Sudan and, without their diplomatic efforts and mediation, it seems impossible to end these two wars.

Nobody better understands this than the people of Iraq, where tragic times of violence have been left in the past. As Guterres ended the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq in Baghdad, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein stressed that the mission’s conclusion illustrates the country’s ability to manage its national policy and boost its constitutional institutions and sovereignty.

Guterres promised that the UN would continue to support Iraq through new engagements aligned with the next stage, prioritizing sustainable development and increasing global collaboration. The UN chief also recommended former Iraqi President Barham Salih for the post of head of the UN Refugee Agency. If approved by the organization’s executive committee, he will become its first non-Western leader in half a century.

The leaderships of Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Oman can benefit their foreign policies by bringing peace to ‘their’ Islamic civilization

Dr. Diana Galeeva

The Iraq War is one of the most catastrophic case studies of violence in recent history. Within the last 80 years, the Middle East has experienced so many heartbreaking conflicts and wars. These include the Arab-Israeli conflict, the North Yemen civil war (1962-1970), the Dhofar War (1962-1975), the Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990), the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), the Gulf War (1990-1991), the 2006 Lebanon War and the Syrian Civil War (2011-2024). It is time to turn this region’s trauma and its order of violence into a successful story of peace and prosperity.

This can be done by revising Huntington’s well-known argument, which has become outdated as it described the process rooted in the end of the Cold War more than 30 years ago. The cure for modern politics can also be in civilizations. The urgent conflicts in Yemen and Sudan both involve the Middle East, which was included in Huntington’s “Islamic civilization.” He allocated to this Islamic civilization, which is defined by a shared heritage of Islam, an ability to influence social and political processes in the Middle East, parts of Asia and even Europe.

Key regional actors that are familiar with the region’s dynamics can become strategic players in finding solutions to conflicts. In other words, the leaderships of Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Oman can benefit their foreign policies by bringing peace to “their” Islamic civilization.

Also, in comparison to Huntington’s argument, rather than “clash” with other civilizations — e.g., Western, Sinic, Hindu-Buddhist, Orthodox, Latin American and sub-Saharan Africa — the key regional players can collaborate with the international community and “other” civilizations, especially under the UN agenda, to solve painful conflicts. This can be done either at the state level (through mediation) or individually (by bringing representatives of the region to top global positions, giving them the ability to make changes toward peace in the region and worldwide).

Rather than waiting for a cure from the international community — which is still thinking based on realist foundations, prioritizing violence — the Middle East’s leaders can use the formula of “the peace of civilizations,” in contrast to Huntington’s “clash of civilizations.” The region’s countries can become pioneers by implementing this revised logic in their foreign policies. The coming year can be a fresh start for remaking the world order based on peace.

• Dr. Diana Galeeva is an academic visitor to the Center of Islamic Studies at the University of Cambridge.