In response to the tragedy in New York, members of the Hamilton community gathered in the Chapel for an open forum, "Terrorism: Thinking About the Attack on the U.S."
Shoshana Keller, associate professor of history, opened the session by noting the quick rise of attacks against Arab and Moslem Americans, cautioning the audience against blaming innocent people for the violence.
Russell Blackwood, emeritus professor of philosophy, provided an overview of a few major trends of Islamic theology, especially the common misconceptions of "jihad," as well as Islam's close relationship to Judaism and Christianity.
Tolga Koker, visiting assistant professor of economics, gave a broad description of the Islamist movement within the broader Islamic world, and the desparate conditions that lead young men to support its more violent factions.
Keller outlined the history of Afghanistan since the Soviet invasion of 1979, reminding the audience of the U.S. role in funding and training a variety of "muhajaddin" in the 1980s, including Osama bin Laden for a time.
Yael Aronoff, assistant professor of government , presented a series of questions and policy dilemmas facing U.S. policy makers, as well as laying out the major possible causes underlying the tragedy.
Steve Orvis, associate professor of government, moderated the hour-long discussion that followed. The discussion brought out a number of other points of importance. A student noted, and Koker agreed, that the Islamist movement itself has factions within it, many of which do not support the horrific violence of this week. In response to other questions, panelists connected the long history of oppressive governments and economies of the region with the rise of the violent Islamic movements; raised concerns about the dangers of an excessive and purely military response to the crisis; and cautioned the audience against becoming so overwhelmed by fears that we give up our basic freedoms in the name of safety.
The forum was supported by the Arthur Levitt Public Affairs Center and the Kirkland Project for the Study of Gender, Society and Culture.
