West and Islam Not at Odds, Most Believe

Fears of a "clash of civilisations" between the west and Islam may be exaggerated, according to a global survey that shows a majority of people see positive links between cultures and believe that politics rather than religion is the primary cause of international disputes.

A Globescan poll of 28,000 people in 27 countries for the BBC World Service found the most common view to be that tensions between Muslims and the west arise from "conflicts about political power and interests" - endorsed by 52%. Three in 10 (29%) blamed "differences of religion and culture".

Asked if violent conflict was inevitable between Muslim and western cultures or whether it was possible to find common ground, an average of 56% believed the latter - the most common response in 25 countries. Some 28% thought violent conflict was inevitable. Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, was the only country where this view predominated.

"Most people round the world clearly reject the idea that Islam and the west are caught in an inevitable clash of civilisations," said Steven Kull, director of the Programme on International Policy Attitudes at the University of Maryland .

The concept of a "clash of civilisations" originated with the Harvard thinker Samuel Huntington who argued that conflict between cultures was replacing the old cold war battles between east and west.