Islam-West conflict is a civilizational clash beyond policy or issues

Evidence

It should by now be clear that we are facing a mood and a movement far transcending the level of issues and policies and the governments that pursue them. This is no less than a clash of civilizations—the perhaps irrational but surely historic reaction of an ancient rival against our Judeo-Christian heritage, our secular present, and the worldwide expansion of both. It is crucially impor­ tant that we on our side should not be provoked into an equally historic but also equally irrational reaction against that rival. — Bernard Lewis, From Babel to Dragomans, 1587

Categorization

• XREF: This is the origin passage of the ‘clash of civilizations’ framing later popularized by Huntington.