Since 9/11, a vast array of legislation, policies, actors, and practices have emerged under the banner of counterterrorism (CT). This paper conceptualises CT as a distinct social phenomenon, focusing on criminal legal responses as a biopolitical dispositif that deploys “counter-terror power” (CTP). CTP operates differentially, due to its reductionist emphasis on jihadist terrorism. The study examines how…
Tag: radicalization
Engaging with politico-ideological violence and politico-ideological mobilisation in relation to the Arab World
This chapter discusses scholarly and international definitions of terrorism, extremism, radicalisation and proposes a new definition of politico-ideological violence and mobilisation. The pertinence of taking the Arab World as a focal point for this study of grievances is elaborated on. ON a global level, political violence and mobilisation since 9/11 have been significantly impacted by…
The instrumentalisation of Taqiya in counterterrorism discourse and practice
While the US’s war in Afghanistan appears to be drawing to a close, elsewhere it is business as usual for the Global War on Terror. Suspicion based on racial-cultural traits – particularly those associated with “Muslimness” – is a key feature of counter-terrorism policies which have turned inwards, away from neo-colonial expeditionary projects in Afghanistan…
Leaving peace for war: An exploratory study of Swiss men’s trajectories toward engagement in Arab conflicts
While the issue of foreign fighting has been very present in Swiss public discourse in recent years, little is known about the actual trajectories of young men who engage in this particular form of political violence. Based primarily on face-to-face in-depth interviews with four Swiss male nationals who travelled to conflict zones in the Arab…
Politico-ideological violence and mobilisation in the Arab World: All in (Routledge, 2023)
This book presents a study of politico-ideological mobilisation and violence by focusing on the life stories, trajectories and narratives of individuals who mobilised for causes and conflicts in the Arab World. It provides a greater understanding of the biographical, sociological, political and historic factors pertinent for their radicalisation processes. What makes individuals identify with suffering…