Terrorism is not a clash of civilizations

French President Francois Hollande has vowed to fight terrorism. His pledge came at the recently concluded World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, two weeks after the terrorist attack on the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris. But is there a fear that Europe's "war on terror" will turn into a "clash of civilizations"?

For decades, European countries have been home to to millions of Muslim migrants. But despite enjoying the social security and other benefits of living in developed countries, many Muslim migrants and their descendents have not assimilated into Western societies; some have even fallen prey to terrorist organizations looking for cannon fodder to "promote" their cause. While some Islamic extremists have launched attacks on anybody they consider "enemies" - Charlie Hebdo being one - others have gone to Syria or Iraq to join the Islamic State.

In this atmosphere, the long-term effects of the Charlie Hebdo attack on French politics should not be underestimated. A few days after the attack, France sent an aircraft carrier to east Mediterranean to take part in the global fight against terrorism. That move was necessary to let people know the ruling party was obliged to protect them and thus prevent them from voting for far-right parties such as Front National, which could lead to antagonism within the French society.