14 years ago
Monday, May 10, 2010
On the "Otherization" of Muslims
Read the attached article for Gerstein's discussion of otherization, "Islamist," and for an introduction to the Center for the Study of Islam and Democracy. Does the definition of otherization used by the speaker Gerstein is describing, White House lawyer Rashad Hussein, help you understand otherization and the other? Do Gerstein's discussions of "Islamist" and the phrase, "violent extremism" in place of the term, "terrorism" help advance your understanding of Professor Akbar Ahmed's introduction to Islam in Islam Under Siege and of the uses of rhetoric in our grappling with terror?
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While Gerstein's discussion of 'otherization,' is useful in understanding what the term means, I found it lacking in relation to the broader significance of otherization in this instance. I am tempted to agree with Obama's critics on this issue that actively avoiding the label of 'terrorist,' in describing the suicide bombings or IED tactics as anything short of terrorism is misleading and pandering at best, and perhaps dangerous at worst in the face of a continued war in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
ReplyDeleteWhile the definitino of "terrorism" can be rightly debated, are there any definitions that exclude suicide bombings of civilian populations? The use of 'Islamist' is confusing (where does it even come from?) and 'violent extremism' is vague and leaves the audience wondering - in an objective sense - to whom does this term apply and in what situation? We'd be faced with yet another rhetorical definition debate such as that faced by 'terrorism'.