Ahmad, Irfan. 2011. “The (In)visible in Indian Terrorism”. Al-Jazeera (English) 16 September. (original) (raw)
Related papers
In post-9/11 India, scores of individuals (including minors under the age of 18) were arrested, tortured, imprisoned and killed in “encounters” as “terrorists”. Though some have been released from prisons, most continue languishing in jail. A running thread behind all these cases of arrest, torture, killing –beyond the divide of region, language, profession, age and gender –seems to be the intertwining theme of “treason” and “terrorism” which media, security agencies, institutions of law, and police collaboratively manufacture, rather than report, in such a way that terrorism and Islam or Muslims become synonymous. It is because of this invisible logic that media comfortably blame “Muslim terrorists” even for the deadly explosions in a mosque or graveyard. I argue that Indian media discourse on terrorism is linked to West’s discourse on War on Terror so intimately that one might substitute the other; both painstakingly produce and distinguish “good Muslims” from “bad Muslims” and thereby vilify Islam. Based on the thick description of the dynamic amongst, terrorism, nation and media, I demonstrate how the post-9/11 political-legal landscape of India is perfectly Kafkaesque. I present qualitative data from media reports on terrorism and testimonials about and by terrorists, to illustrate my contention about the Kafkaesque landscape of media discourses on terrorism in India. As a case study, I analyze an important NDTV talk-show (of 2001) on Muslims and terrorism. Next I focus on Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and Indian Mujahideen (IM) – two most-discussed terrorist outfits – to show inconsistency, inaccuracy, even contradiction, in media reports on them. I also discuss what remains invisible in media – the repression of evidence, secret torture chambers and illegal means deployed against “terrorists”. Critical to my analysis is also how media reporting on Muslim terrorists bears important markers of their cultural identity as well as how the mediatized discourses on terrorism may impact the judicial processes.
Theories of Militancy in Practice: Explanations of Muslim Terrorism in India
Focusing on the interpretation of the increased frequency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article examines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising Muslim militancy in the country. Di erent state agencies operate with di erent theories about the links between processes of radicalization and terrorist violence. The scenarios of radicalization underlying legislative e orts to prevent terrorism, the construction of motives by the police, and the interpretation of violence by the judiciary all rely on assumptions about radicalization and violence. Such narratives are used to explain terrorism both to security agencies and to the public; they inform the categories and scenarios of prevention. Prevention relies on detection of future deeds, planning, intentions, and even potential intentions. "Detection" of potential intentions relies on assumptions about speci c dispositions. Identi cation of such dispositions in turn relies on the context-speci c theories of the causes of militancy. These determine what "characteristics" of individuals or groups indicate potential threats and form the basis for their categorization as "potentially dangerous." The article explores the cultural contexts of theories of radicalization, focusing on how they are framed by societal understandings of the causes of deviance and the relation between the individual and society 1 quency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article exam-responses to militancy in India. Focusing on the interpretation of the increased frequency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article examines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising quency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article examines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising This article analyzes the interaction between theories of radicalization and state responses to militancy in India. Focusing on the interpretation of the increased frequency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article examines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising Muslim militancy in the country. Di erent state agencies operate with di erent theo-This article analyzes the interaction between theories of radicalization and state responses to militancy in India. Focusing on the interpretation of the increased freries about the links between processes of radicalization and terrorist violence. The sce-ries about the links between processes of radicalization and terrorist violence. The sce-Muslim militancy in the country. Di erent state agencies operate with di erent theories about the links between processes of radicalization and terrorist violence. The sce-Muslim militancy in the country. Di erent state agencies operate with di erent theories about the links between processes of radicalization and terrorist violence. The sce-Muslim militancy in the country. Di erent state agencies operate with di erent theo-Muslim militancy in the country. Di erent state agencies operate with di erent theo-Muslim militancy in the country. Di erent state agencies operate with di erent theo-Muslim militancy in the country. Di erent state agencies operate with di erent theo-Muslim militancy in the country. Di erent state agencies operate with di erent theo-Muslim militancy in the country. Di erent state agencies operate with di erent theo-ines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising Muslim militancy in the country. Di erent state agencies operate with di erent theo-ines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising ines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising ines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising ines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising ines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising ines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising ines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising ines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising quency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article examines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising quency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article examines the narratives surrounding those classi ed as terrorists in the context of rising quency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article exam-quency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article exam-quency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article exam-quency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article exam-quency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article exam-responses to militancy in India. Focusing on the interpretation of the increased frequency of terrorist attacks in Indian metropolises in the last decade, the article exam-responses to militancy in India. Focusing on the interpretation of the increased fre-responses to militancy in India. Focusing on the interpretation of the increased fre-Tseng Proof • 2012.05.
Deconstructing The ‘Muslim Problem’: Who All Are ‘Suspects’ In India?
Muslim identity is exposed to a unique triangulation of vicious ‘state repression’, ‘societal vigilantism’ and ‘malicious propaganda’ serving the dreams of international military-security complex worldwide. It is evident that nascent Islamophobia is hegemonic to the extent that it even enters Muslim ‘kitchen’. The dangers inherent in the ‘politics of imperialism’, and generalized logic of dehumanization may become a primary step of an unfolding ‘genocide’. What we see in India today is a process of delegated hate crimes that has the potential to trigger an informal warfare in the sub-continent.
Nature of Terrorism in India: Islamic Extremism and Terrorism
Terrorism in India poses a serious threat to the people of India. This phenomenon, disregarding the government's far reaching effort to contain it, has been spreading its horrendous impact and increasing its support base among the conflicting religious groups in many parts of the nation. Terrorism can be said to be a well-thought strategy in which terrorists use violence to create terror and fear among the civilians. This article attempts to bring out the impact of religious terrorism in India. More specifically, threat arising from Islamic Extremism in India in the form of terrorism.
Ahmad, Irfan. 2022. "Q&A: Understanding India’s crackdown on Muslim groups." Al-Jazeera. 19 October
India’s government late last month banned the Popular Front of India (PFI) and affiliated organisations for five years, accusing the groups campaigning for Muslim rights of involvement in “terrorism”. Authorities also arrested dozens of members of the nine outlawed organisations after conducting raids across the country. Al Jazeera spoke to Irfan Ahmad, professor of sociology and anthropology at Ibn Haldun University in Istanbul and an expert on Indian politics and Islamist parties in India. The conversation is about the whys and hows of the ban, imposed on the charges of terrorism but Ahmad argues how the charges are flimsy. Ahmad also discusses the terror unleashed by the government against Muslims and others -- the terror which remains undiscussed in the public.
The evolution of Lashkar-E-Tayyiba in India and the road to 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks
2021
Though Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) has acted as the best organized, best trained, most heavily armed, and indeed most prolific terrorist organization operating from Pakistan, it only began to gather significant international attention following the brutal and audacious terrorist attacks of 26 November 2008 in Mumbai. In order to carry out the attacks, ten terrorists, landed by sea, divided into five pairs and carefully targeted selected places in Mumbai. The attack lasted nearly for 66 hours and ultimately resulted in death of 166 people and 238 people injured, including civilians and security personnel. After the attacks, the evidence from the investigation overwhelmingly pointed to the Pakistan-based group, LeT, as the perpetrator of the attack. However, the 26/11 attack is not the first LeT-supported attack in India. India has been facing terrorist attacks (cross border-terrorism) for several years. This paper seeks to understand the evolution of LeT in India and map the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. Secondly this paper will try to propose how the 26/11 attack is different from the previous attacks and why Mumbai has been targeted several times and what is the real motive behind.
The gaze of us and Indian media on terror in mumbai: a comparative analysis1
Expanding Peace journalism: Comparative and …
To contribute to growing knowledge of how journalists fail to contribute to global reconciliation and peace and move outside the dominant scholarly focus on Western media, this chapter critically analyses and compares editorial commentary about the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, India, in leading newspapers in India and the United States. Examining how media of a dominant Western and a dominant non-Western nation represent terror events, this chapter explores distinctions in the embedded ideology of terrorism and the (mis)alignment of the two nations' media commentary with the tenets of war or peace journalism. Since the terror event occurs outside the geographic and ideological West, a concept utilising a binary of the 'West and the Rest' to emphasise European uniqueness and non-Western inferiority, this chapter illuminates the representation of terror events from two opposing ends of this constructed binary. Our findings suggest that media in both India and the US perpetuate global ideological discourses around terror that reify social identities, promote nationalistic support for government actions, and call up religious and political divisions between India and Pakistan as a primary cause for the terror attacks. The newspapers differ, however, in their proposed solutions to terrorism and their proximity to the 1 A different version of two short sections from the Background and Method section in this chapter appear in the Sudeshna Roy and Susan Ross co-authored article titled 'The circle of terror: strategic localizations of global media terror meta-discourses in the US, India and Scotland' in Media, War & Conflict, 4(3).
UNRAVELING THE SHADOWS OF TERRORISM AS A CRIME IN INDIA
International Journal for Legal Research & Analysis, ISSN: 2582-6433, UGC Approved Journal , 2023
India's independence in 1947, it has cultivated a secular, multifaceted, culturally rich, and dynamic democracy that has made it the enmity of many unconventional and extremist ideas and faiths that attempt to establish order using fourth-generation combat techniques like Jihad and "Proxy War." The fights that Jehadi groups like the Lashkar-e-Taiba alongside other proxy groups backed through the Pakistan Inter-Services Intelligence Agency are waging disregarding India are ordinary examples of those types of disputes. Despite certain preventative measures put in place by the Indian government in the wake of the assaults in Mumbai on November 26, there is no well-defined counter-terrorism strategy that has been formulated in the form of a theology or white paper. India's administration must be very clear about its position on terrorism if it wants to shed its reputation as a "soft state". This academic paper offers a thorough examination of terrorism as a criminal offense in India. It examines the legal foundation for terrorism-related crimes under Indian law, concentrating on the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA), and the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The essay also looks at how terrorism has changed through time, the difficulties in identifying and convicting terrorists, and the function of international law in the fight against terrorism. This article tries to give a detailed knowledge of the legal complexities pertaining to terrorism in India via a synthesis of legislative provisions and pertinent case laws.
The Mumbai Attacks: Making Sense of Global Terror
Communication Currents
The Mumbai attacks are an important moment for the study of global terror, as the methods, motives, and coverage of the attacks marked changes in how international terrorism was represented. Recently published in Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies, my essay attempts to show how Western interests, through news reports published in Indian outlets, defined the popular terms for understanding both terrorism and reactions to it. Articles in The Times of India, Indian Express, and Daily News and Analysis created a context constructing Indian institutions, government officials, and civilians as reliant upon Western power to formulate a reaction to the attacks. Representations of Mumbai moved between general categories of victim and battle site; the city often became a character in the story, standing in for the human suffering felt by the victims of the violence. At other times, it symbolized the luxury historically associated with the city, taking on the character as an exoticized other when seen through the eyes of Westerners who appear in the news coverage. Throughout the coverage, an American-centric perspective emerges. Through this perspective, the significance of the attacks and possible reactions were constructed.
Interrogating the Muslim Terrorist in Bollywood
In this essay, I intend to draw together cinematic representation and the question of constructing identities through media in order to posit the inevitability of viewing the cinematic text as a visual historical document. As such, contextualizing Indian or South Asian cinema as the landscape for further analysis of a particular religious group, its construction and representation through the moving image remains the main focus of this paper, the imagination and portrayal of the Muslim terrorist in Indian (read popular Bollywood) films being of particular significance. It begins with the evolution of the on-screen Muslim, from the portals of “empire cinema” to post-colonial representations, and then moves on to further reading of film texts focusing on terrorism, and especially to the fear and anxiety of a minority community that is cinematically framed as aggressors, usurpers and in general, violent individuals.