Wars of Terror

ISBN-13: 9780857851055 / Angielski / Miękka / 2015 / 160 str.

Gabriele Marranci

Opis

Analyzing the role of rhetoric and ideology in the western 'war on terror' and Islamic 'jihad' in the aftermath of 9/11, Gabriele Marranci shows that we are not experiencing a 'clash of civilizations' but a clash among 'civilizers' who believe they have the power to define how to be human. Seeing themselves as 'under attack' from a globalizing world that threatens to dilute their identity and very existence, both sides employ a civilizational rhetoric to support its recourse to political violence.Examining why some individuals are radicalized to take violent action while the majority are not, the author compares the case of self-identified crusader Anders Breivik with an example from his own fieldwork. He shows that emotions such as indignation, sense of injustice and reaction to the killing of civilians play an important role in underpinning violent acts - as do the views presented by the 'civilizers' on the other side. Over time, this leads to ever-greater escalation as one side calls for more jihad and the other for greater anti-terrorism measures, drone attacks and bombings. Based on twelve years of research and fieldwork in western countries as well as South and Southeast Asia, Wars of Terror shows the impact labels, stigma, conspiracy theories and stereotypes have in maintaining this ongoing global conflict. A fascinating anthropological study which makes a vital contribution to our understanding of one of the most important issues of our time.

Spis treści

Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The Concept of Civilization Chapter 3: Labels, Stigmas and Ethos Chapter 4: Occidentalism, Conspiracism and Jahiliyya Chapter 5: “Your Women are Oppressed, but Ours are Awesome” Chapter 6: Drones, Jihad and Justice Chapter 7: Conclusion References Index

O autorze

Gabriele Marranci is Director of the Study Contemporary Muslim Lives research hub at the Department of Anthropology, Macquarie University, Australia. He is author of Jihad Beyond Islam (Bloomsbury, 2006) and The Anthropology of Islam (Bloomsbury, 2008). He also holds an honorary senior affiliation at the Centre for the Study of Islam in the UK, Cardiff University, and is Founding Editor of the journal Contemporary Islam: Dynamics of Muslim Lives.