Wednesday 16 January, 2002
Islam versus Secularism? - East Asia after September 11th
More than a decade ago, the Japanese American philosopher and historian, Francis Fukuyama, sparked furious controversy with his book "The End of History". His central argument was that, after the collapse of communism, the world was moving inexorably towards one dominant civilisation based on capitalism and liberal democracy. After September 11th, he's been forced to address new questions.
Can radical Islam pose a challenge to western democracy and capitalism?
Or were the terrorist assaults on America no more than the desperate expression of a religion in crisis?
Christopher Gunness spoke to Francis Fukuyama and asked him first whether all East Asian countries, including Indonesia and Malaysia, could be drawn into his vision of a single global system of governance.
To debate Francis Fukuyama's thesis, Christopher Gunness spoke to Satish Kumar, editor of Resurgence Magazine in Britain, and the Malaysian commentator, Farish Noor. They argue that a new world order should be built from the ashes of September 11th, and that Islam can be the basis for a new, enriched form of governance in East Asia. First, Farish Noor responds to Francis Fukuyama's assertion that Islam is a religion in revolt against modernity.
|
 |
|
