Social and Political Practices of Dealing with Islamist Extremism since 9/11

Abstract

Over the last two decades, considerable attention has been paid to Islamist extremism within politics, the media, and society across Europe. Different strategies against Islamist extremism range from prevention by civil society groups to state coercion; for example, in the form of tighter criminal law and a general trend towards the expansion of police and intelligence powers. Dealing with Islamist extremism has thus always touched on fundamental questions of liberal and pluralistic societies, such as security and freedom and the challenges to the rule of law. However, how are these measures justified, and what kinds of demands does society put on the state to deal with the issue of political violence perpetrated by Islamist extremists? This panel aims to explore these issues further by taking stock of the last two decades and focusing on the following key areas: Islamist activities; the kinds of demands articulated through the media; threat perceptions conveyed by the public and security authorities; and the operationalisation of counter-measures. The papers in the panel reflect different methodological perspectives, including discourse analysis, socio-legal approaches, media analysis, as well as interview and survey data. Providing insights from Germany, the UK, and France, we aim to shed light on the practices and narratives in various contexts.

Title	Details
Marketing Terror: How ISIS utilise political marketing to gain support among Western audiences	View Paper Details
Islamist Activities and (Re-)Actions of State Actors	View Paper Details
Support for Repressive Measures Against Different Forms of Extremism in Germany	View Paper Details
Governing Threats through Ambiguity: The Construction of the Dangerous Person in German Counter-Terrorism	View Paper Details