From Conflict to Convergence

Industrial rock had developed into a powerful underground subculture by the end of the 1980s, and Front Line Assembly was one of the bands to enjoy this rabid following. At the time, they were helping to create the image of industrial rock, experimenting with samples and drum machines in a time when only a handful of bands were trying it.

We are told that Western/Christian and Muslim/Arab civilizations are heading towards inevitable conflict. The demographics of the West remain sluggish, while the population of the Muslim world explodes, widening the cultural gap and all but guaranteeing the outbreak of war. Leaving aside the media's sound and fury on this issue, measured analysis shows another reality taking shape: rapprochement between these two civilizations, benefiting from a universal movement with roots in the Enlightenment.