"The late political scientist Samuel Huntington?s "Clash of Civilizations" thesis has sometimes been dismissed by critics as mistaken and inaccurate. But in today?s Myanmar, many proud pro-democracy activists are convinced that cultures do indeed clash and can be inherently incompatible when forced to co-exist. Specifically, many of them reject the notion that the alleged rising persecution of Muslims in Myanmar is symptomatic of a mindless suspicion or misunderstanding on the part of the Buddhist majority. Privately they say the friction signals a deep and justified anxiety over an encroaching alien culture..."