ASST3018 The War on Terror: A Clash of Civilisations?

2015

4.5

1 x 50-minute tutorial weekly
1 x 2-hour seminar weekly

ASST3046 has been successfully completed

Al Qaeda's spectacular and deadly attack on the United States on 11 September 2001, and subsequent declaration of a 'war on terror' and identification of an 'axis of evil', raises serious questions about the extent to which the world was transformed irreversibly by those events. This topic questions whether there is a clash of civilisations between Islam and the west, and questions the nature of the 'war' and the 'enemy'. This is of particular importance to Australia and Southeast Asia because of the region's large Muslim populations and the US claim that Southeast Asia is the 'second front' in the war on terror. Does this make any sense and what is Australia's attitude? This topic explores the difficulties defining terrorism, the historical teachings of Islam on violence, the meaning of jihad, and the centrality of the Israeli/Palestinian problem in negative perceptions of the west in the Middle East. How do we understand the phenomenon of suicide bombers and is torture of terrorist suspects justified? What is the nature of the insurgency in Iraq and what does it reveal about the 'Bush Doctrine'?

The aim of this topic is to provide students with a critical understanding of the contemporary phenomenon of international terrorism, the role of Islam and the war on terror, as it relates to Southeast Asia.

Students will be provided with a supportive learning environment that will encourage them to develop independent research and communication skills, and the ability to identify and assess competing perspectives on the war on terror and the role of Islam in society, especially in Southeast Asia. Students will be able to

• identify and critically assess underlying assumptions that may inform particular arguments about the war on terro
• access important sources of information and the scholarly literature
• discriminate between different web sites and media devoted to the war on terror
• identify any 'institutional affiliation' of participants in debates on the war on terror, and use that knowledge to assess particular arguments

Students should be able to demonstrate these learning outcomes in both their small group discussions and presentations, and written research for the topic. In particular, they should be able to

• discuss the different ways in which terrorism is understood
• evaluate scholarly debates surrounding the 'Clash of civilisations'
• appreciate the historical teachings of Islam on war and peace
• appreciate the historical relationship