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CJ513
Unit 2
Discussion topics support this unit’s objectives and should be completed after reading all materials. Your responses should include original evaluation, synthesis, or analysis of the topic and contribute to the weekly Discussion in a meaningful way. Refer to the Discussion Board Rubric in Course Documents for additional requirements.
PART 1
TOPIC 1: Current Policy in the Middle East
Discuss a specific current policy from one Middle Eastern country. What are the impacts of the policy within the respective country, the Middle East, and the world? How does the selected policy relate to terrorist activities? You may choose to discuss a policy that promotes or support terrorism or a policy designed to prevent terrorism.
PART 2
TOPIC 1: RESPOND TO STUDENT #1 (RESPOND TO Eric)
Eric Vanburger
Terrorism is a plague that affects everyone worldwide. Unfortunately, most terror attacks that happen on a daily basis occur in the Middle East. There are countries that are being seized by militant, terrorist groups, governments being overthrown, etcetera. However, the specific Middle Eastern country that will be discussed with policies of terrorism prevention is Israel. The history of terrorism in Israel dates all the way back to the establishment of the nation in the region. The Israeli’s had put forth many efforts to diminish terrorism, but their efforts were not noticed until after September 11th, 2001. Israel currently has many preventative policies for terrorism in their nation.
The longest and most significant policy that has been in Israeli legislation is Israel’s Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance. This piece of legislation has been enacted since 1948 and states that “management or membership in a terrorist organization is punishable by imprisonment up to 20 years or 5 years” (Bhoumik, 2004, p. 324). As time went on, there were many changes made to this legislation over the years due to the changing nature of terrorism. An example of a change is when a “1980 amendment to the Ordinance also made public displays of support, such as displaying a flag or slogan, a criminal act” (Bhoumik, 2004, p. 324). This policy started the increased security measures that the nation of Israel took for preventative action against terrorism in their country or their territories. To this day, they still face terroristic threats and will continue to use this policy and many other policies/services such as: “the General Security Service (GSS, or SHABAK), the Israeli Defense Forces Intelligence Branch, and the Mossad (Israeli intelligence services)” to combat terrorism (Ghoumik, 2004, p. 325).
Bhoumik, A. (2004). Democratic responses to terrorism: A comparative study of the United States, Israel, and India. Denver Journal of International Law & Policy, 33(2), 285-345.
PART 2
TOPIC 1: RESPOND TO STUDENT #2 (RESPOND TO Elizbeth)
Elizabeth Stuart
According to Adubisi (2018), Saudi Arabia’s official stance on terrorism remains one of condemnation. However, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has historically been ineffectual on counterterrorism efforts (Byman, 2016). Until the early 2000s, Saudi Arabia remained passive on efforts to eradicate terrorism. As Adubisi (2018) described, current counterterrorism policies in this country are contrary to the actions displayed by the government. Not only do human rights gripes fall on deaf ears, but the government essentially denies these problems exist (Adubisi, 2018). Saudi Arabia has a history of supporting extremists and even funding their terrorist plots (Byman, 2016). This has led other countries to question the true intentions of the Kingdom. The United States in particular has been influential in swaying Saudi Arabia to contribute to counterterrorism efforts (Byman, 2016).
To this day, it remains unknown what the true motives of the Saudi government are. While the Kingdom’s official policies condemn terrorists and the violence they inflict, their actions might suggest otherwise. The Bureau of Counterterrorism’s (BOC) report on Saudi Arabia in 2019 suggests recent attacks against their own country have spurred them to take action. Numerous terrorist attacks in 2019 involved ISIS sympathizers attacking Saudi Arabia. This resulted in Saudi Arabia prosecuting terrorist cases with its relatively new counterterrorism law created in 2017 (BOC, 2019). While Saudi Arabia may have an unpredictable agenda regarding terrorism, their official public stance decries extremists and their acts of violence.
Adubisi, A. (2018). Counter-terrorism in Saudi Arabia: Going around in circles and hidden agendas. Wisconsin International Law Journal, 35(3), 485–514.
Bureau of Counterterrorism. (2019). Country reports on terrorism 2019: Saudi Arabia. U.S. Department of State.
https://www.state.gov/reports/country-reports-on-terrorism-2019/saudi-arabia/
Byman, D. L. (2016, May 24). The U.S.-Saudi Arabia counterterrorism relationship. Brookings. https://www.brookings.edu/testimonies/the-u-s-saudi-arabia-counterterrorism-relationship/
PART 2
TOPIC 1: RESPOND TO STUDENT #3 (RESPOND TO Angie)
Angie Georgi
Good afternoon Professor and Fellow Classmates:
The Middle Eastern country of Yemen is one full of turmoil, war, and struggling government and policy. The impacts of this are felt far and wide, throughout the country, the Middle East, and the world. The country of Yemen is racked with problems with the largest humanitarian crisis in the world as one of them. The Houthis is continuing to keep the country at war with itself while the government Republic of Yemen Government is trying to reestablish and reunite the country (President Biden, 2021). Meanwhile, the US is continuing to send aid to the country for everything from basic needs to medical. For all my research, I cannot find a policy within the country that is promoting or preventing terrorism. The US policy is trying to remain diplomatic with the country, while trying to aid in the internal conflict. President Biden has recent discussed his plans for Yemen, and ending the war, which include “we are ending all American support for offensive operations in the war in Yemen, including relevant arms sales (President Biden, 2021).” This is in an attempt to return back to a strictly diplomatic place with Yemen, rather than an offensive one.
N.A. (2021, May 28). Yemen - United States Department of state. U.S. Department of State. https://www.state.gov/countries-areas/yemen/.
President Biden, J. (2021, February 5). Remarks by President Biden on America's place in the world. The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2021/02/04/remarks-by-president-biden-on-americas-place-in-the-world/.
Part 1
TOPIC 2: The Evolution of Global Jihad
Discuss the evolution of global jihad since the Iranian Revolution of 1979. Provide at least three specific examples of events that occurred in the Middle East and discuss the ways these events influenced global jihad. How has each of these events contributed to the continued turmoil in the Middle East?
TOPIC 2: RESPOND TO STUDENT #1 (RESPOND TO DAVID)
David Carusotto
Hello All,
Jihad can be translated to defending oneself. In the Quran, it states that Muslims must engage in Jihad when in need to protect themselves (Levy, 2014). This is relevant to the Iranian Revolution of 1979 because the people of this time overthrew their government for a new government called the Islamic Republic, which means that the government followed the law of Islam (Levy, 2014). The following example that played a role in the evolution of Jihad is the creation of Al-Qaeda during the Afghan War. During this time, the Afghan militias fought off Soviet Troops in Afghanistan who supported the Afghan communist group of the time (Aliyev & Ashifa, 2021). The United States at this time funded Al-Qaeda by providing them weapons to help overthrow their communist government (Aliyev & Ashifa, 2021). After the Afghan War, Al-Qaeda continued to gain steam and helped keep foreign powers out of Afghanistan (Aliyev & Ashifa, 2021). This translated into the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 after the attacks on the World Trade Center.
The United States invaded the country to break up the terrorist group and restore democracy in the country. However, at this time, Al-Qaeda continued to become more of a terrorist group, even attacking their own at times to get their Islamic view heard (Levy, 2014). Most recently, the most extreme version of Jihad was established by the group Islamic State of Iraq, or better known as ISIS. This terrorist group uses the most extreme Jihad to date by having their message of extremist Islam heard through violence such as beheadings.
Thank you,
Dave
Aliyev, A., & Ashifa, M. K. (2021). internal and external factors determining foreign policy of Iran: Prospects and Perspectives. Journal of Contemporary Issues in Business & Government, 27(3), 1158-1167.
Levy, R. A. (2014). The idea of jihad and its evolution: Hasan al-Banna and the society of the Muslim brothers. Welt des Islams, 54(2), 139-158.
TOPIC 2: RESPOND TO STUDENT #2 (RESPOND TO KEITH)
Keith Hamilton
Good morning class,
“The 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran has proved one of the most consequential events in the history of modern terrorism” (Byman, 2019). This revolution led to terrorism that has been led by Iranians and continues to this day. Other groups in other countries like Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia began to look to Iran for leadership and began their revolutions, contributing to the problem of terrorism. One example that influenced the Jihad was the assassination of the Egyptian President in 1981. The turmoil increased in this part of the world because at that time the President of Egypt had made peace between Israel and Egypt.
Another example that influenced the Jihad is the Hama massacre in 1982. This incident occurred when the Syrian army besieged the town of Hama for almost a month. They did this to stop an uprising from the Muslim brotherhood against the government. Hundreds of people were killed, and this created much turmoil throughout the Middle East.
The 1979-80 hostage crisis on the U.S. embassy in Lebanon was another huge contributor to the turmoil that was happening in the Middle East. This was deemed the deadliest attack in U.S. history. Over 300 Americans were killed throughout the entire event.
Reference
Byman, D.L. (2019) The Iranian revolution and its legacy of terrorism. https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2019/01/24/the-iranian-revolution-and-its-legacy-of-terrorism/
TOPIC 2: RESPOND TO STUDENT #3 (RESPOND TO DAMON)
Damon Bradshaw
The Evolution of Global Jihad
According to Ramlan and Hakim (2016), Jihad is an Islamic teaching that is mentioned in various verses of the Quran, Hadith, and ijma’as. The term Jihad has been heavily influenced by the acts of terror carried out by Muslims in the name of Islam. (Ramlan & Hakim, 2016), acts that have caused the term to be used negatively. The 1979 Iranian Revolution was the first of mass civil uprisings that would overthrow authoritarian governments in various countries in the Middle East over the next 30 years. Unlike the other uprisings, which were triggered by the failure of their government to implement liberal democracy, the establishment of authoritarianism (Zunes, 2009) triggered the Iranian movement. The Islamic revolution led to a rise in Iranian-backed terrorism, which is still happening despite different forms of operations, provoking a response by various militant groups leading to the rise of Sunni Jihadistism (Stephen, 2009).
The US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, the Western Forces invasion of Iraq in 2003, and the Syrian uprising in 2011 are some of the key events that occurred in the Middle East that influenced global Jihad, further worsening the turmoil in the Middle East over two decades. According to Hassan (2013), the successful mobilization of Muslims during the Soviet-Afghan war has been attributed to the non-ideational factors that contributed to the spread of militant Jihad in the country. Hassan (2013) claims that some of the key consequences of the influx of non-Afghan volunteers to fight in Afghanistan were exposure to militant ideology, the circulation of militant propaganda through various public lectures and conferences, and the raising millions of dollars for ideological propagation. These events led to the sprouting of Al Qaeda, ISIL, and ISIS, respectively, who interpret Jihad based on extremist ideologies (Ramlan & Hakim, 2016). As shown by Hassan (2016), the Islamic State (ISIS) has identified the enemies of Islam as the westerners and the Shia Muslims, believing that focusing on the enemy of the west and ignoring the other Muslims in the region is ineffective. Therefore, this has fueled the turmoil in the Middle East.
Hassan, M. H. (2013). Mobilization of Muslims for Jihad: Insights from the Past and their Relevance Today. Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, 5(8), 10-15
Zunes, S., 2009. The Iranian Revolution (1977-1979) | ICNC. [online] ICNC. Available at: <https://www.nonviolent-conflict.org/iranian-revolution-1977-1979/> [Accessed 10 August 2021].
Ramlan, T. and Hakim, N., 2016. The Concept of Jihad In Islam. Journal Of Humanities And Social Science, 21(9), pp.35-42.
Hassan, H., 2016. The sectarianism of the Islamic State: Ideological roots and political context. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.
Stephan, M. (Ed.). (2009). Civilian Jihad: Nonviolent struggle, democratization, and governance in the Middle East. Springer.