Very interesting. Thanks.
Thoughtful, and beyond the "it's all about __________" (Israel, USA, Chechnya, Timor, etc.) school of academic mediocrity.
He does jump on the ritual Huntington-bashing westen academics relish in. But then he says "The interesting irony in all this is that the Islamists find themselves in full agreement not only with Huntington’s basic thesis but with its theoretical implications and practical applications as well."
It's not "ironic" except from the position behind the desk and thinking everything must be caused by or reflect thoughts and actions of the West. The "clash of civilizations" predate Huntington and an authentic Koranic interpretation. Huntington's metaphor can be read as not a concoction of Western ideation, but a correct and rational assessment of what the other side, that defines itself an other side, thinks.
The fact that Khatami "called for a dialogue of civilizations instead" is a reaction to his own culture, the "clash of civilizations" ideology of Khomeini himself.