Ioannis Tellidis

The power of words: the deficient terminology surrounding Islam-related terrorism

Terms usurped and capitalised upon by Al-Qaeda and other similar terrorist and extremist organisations have a special place in Islamic culture and a particular resonance with Muslim populations. The aforementioned terrorist groups normally utilise these terms in order to further their objectives and gain, first, the support of larger audiences and, ultimately, legitimacy for their actions. At the same time, Western policy makers, security agencies and, crucially, the media have also used and regurgitated the same terminology in an uncritical fashion. This article explains the semantic nuances behind terms like “Islamic”, “Islamist”, “fundamentalist”, “Salafi”, “Wahhabi” and “jihadi terrorism”, and the potential that such use has for the alienation of moderate segments of the Muslim creed and the obstacles it raises for intercultural counter-radicalisation efforts. The article then suggests the adoption of a more-nuanced term by Western circles – one that is equally embedded in Islamic culture and its value system and one that is not as negligent or power-related as the ones that are currently used.

Information and communication technologies in peacebuilding: Implications, opportunities and challenges

Despite the volume of research exploring the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for destructive purposes (terrorism, crime, war propaganda) on the one hand, and development (ICT4D) on the other hand, very little has been said about the role that traditional, and especially new social media, can play for the transformation and prevention of conflicts. This paper recognises ICTs as a tool, thus accepting their multi-level and multi-dimensional potential in the transformation as well as the intransigence and promotion of conflict. The paper seeks to explore: (a) whether ICTs can empower marginalised actors to transcend the peacebuilding and statebuilding processes, and lead to a more locally-owned, more representative transformation of the conflict; (b) whether ICTs can foster more hybrid forms of peace; and (c) whether they can be co-opted as a platform by donors to promote their agendas and impede resistance.

Terrorist Conflict vs. Civil Peace in the Basque Country

In an era when the study of terrorism has become fashionable, to the extent that more and more institutions now offer modules on the topic, this chapter employs the Basque case in order to explain the processes under which terrorism is taken up as an option by an ethno-nationalist movement, and the circumstances under which violence substitutes for the means and becomes the end. It is my contention that such processes do not exclusively lead to violence, but instead can be inverted to adopt more civil postures, as is the case in the Basque country, where the civil society seems to have found itself in the middle of two discourses: that of a state that does not recognise calls for independence, even from anti-violent moderates, basing its arguments on the extensive autonomy already granted; and that of a terrorist organisation that has shown no remorse for its selection of targets, including anti-violent moderates. More concretely, this chapter aims to question the power relationships under examination and intends to offer an understanding of their emergence’ and the reasons behind the specific interpretation of the ‘facts’,2 and seeks to determine which elements are universal and which are ‘historically contingent’.3 The implication of the findings is that there are both scope and potential for both civil society and the state to collaborate in the redefinition of the discourse used to manifest concrete political grievances.

Editor's introduction: Terrorism and peace and conflict studies: investigating the crossroad

The articles in this special issue are drawn from papers presented at a conference titled Terrorism and Peace and Conflict Studies: Investigating the Crossroad. The conference was organised by the Conflict Analysis Research Centre at the University of Kent and the Critical Studies on Terrorism Working Group of the British International Studies Association and was held at the University of Kent from 10 to 11 September 2012. The conference aimed to highlight and explore the empirical, methodological, ontological and epistemological points of interjection of the two fields through the engagement of scholars, postgraduate students, national and international policy and civil society actors. The articles in this issue reflect those aims.

From paramilitarism to peacebuilding in Northern Ireland: an interview with Noel Large

The articles in this special issue are drawn from papers presented at a conference titled Terrorism and Peace and Conflict Studies: Investigating the Crossroad. The conference was organised by the Conflict Analysis Research Centre at the University of Kent and the Critical Studies on Terrorism Working Group of the British International Studies Association and was held at the University of Kent from 10 to 11 September 2012. The conference aimed to highlight and explore the empirical, methodological, ontological and epistemological points of interjection of the two fields through the engagement of scholars, postgraduate students, national and international policy and civil society actors. The articles in this issue reflect those aims.