The clash-of-civilizations lens recodes sexualized torture as generic information-gathering.

Evidence

The ‘clash of civilizations’ approach to torture reinforced the idea of their barbarism at the same time that it enabled the West to remain on moral high ground. Through the idea of cultural difference, sexualized torture became something more generic – torture for the purpose of obtaining information. Sexualized torture, then, was meant simply ‘to attack the prisoners’ identity and values.’ — Sherene Razack, Casting Out, 155

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to how the civilization/barbarism binary recurs across Razack’s critique of racialized governance; parallels Said’s orientalism and arguments about culturalist excuses for violence. — connects to: The Arab Mind’s homogenizing caricature was instrumentalized to design US torture. — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of…, 206