Prerequisites:
None.
Course Description:
Suicide terrorism in its modern form appeared in the early 1980s. The first organization to use it was the Shiite Hezbollah in Lebanon. Later, it was adopted by many groups in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. The fact that the majority of these groups were either Arab or Muslim led scholars to emphasize the role of Islam in the emergence and proliferation of the phenomenon. The general purpose of the class is to reassess the root causes of suicide terrorism at elite, community and rank-and-file levels. It will juxtapose the role of religion, and specifically Islam, in generating suicide terrorism, which is represented by the primordial cultural approach, with coercion theories, power struggle explanations and social networks approach. It will also address the perplexing question of whether suicide terrorism is an unbeatable weapon.
Grading Policy:
This course combines Quizzes, Exams, Participation, and Reading questions. The breakdown for the course is as follows:
I. Class attendance and active participation: 20% Class attendance is mandatory and will be recorded, your attendance at, and participation in, lectures are crucial to the success of this course.
II. Weekly Reading and Questions: 20% Course readings are a vital part of this class and should be completed prior to the class meeting listed on the syllabus. Each week you will be responsible for formulating an answer to a question based on that week’s readings. Your answer should be one to two double spaced pages and are due at the end of class every Thursday. I will grade your answers on a scale of 0 to 2, with 2 being excellent work and 0 being unacceptable. These are designed as engaging and thought provoking questions to help you navigate the course and the exams. Please note: We do not accept late work.
III. Quizzes: (10% each for 20% total): There will be two quizzes given during the semester. These will cover some of the basic backgrounds and key foundational concepts that will be needed in order to proceed in the course. The format will be a combination of fill in the blank and multiple choice.
IV. Exams (20% each for 40% total): There will be two exams given during the semester. These will cover the larger conceptual and topical aspects of the course. They will incorporate the ideas we have learned through the lectures and readings and ask you to comment on the contemporary debates and issues in the study of suicide terrorism. The format will be a combination of multiple choice and essay questions.
Texts All the texts will be posted on Canvas.
Topic 1 – CONCEPTS AND CONTEXT
Assaf Moghadam. “Defining Suicide Terrorism” in Ami Pedahzur (ed.). Root Causes of Suicide Terrorism: The Globalization of Martyrdom. London: Routledge, 2006: 1-19.
Topic 2 - Culture
Raphael Israeli. “Islamikaze and their Significance”. Terrorism and Political Violence, Vol. 9 No. 3 (1997): pp. 96-121.
Mohammed Hafez. 2006. “Dying To Be Martyrs: The Symbolic Dimension of Suicide Terrorism”. In Pedahzur (ed.). Root Causes of Suicide Terrorism: The Globalization of Martyrdom. London: Routledge. 54-80.
Topic 3 - Psychological/Individual Approach
Lankford, Adam, and Nayab Hakim. "From Columbine to Palestine: A Comparative Analysis of Rampage Shooters in the United States and Volunteer Suicide Bombers in the Middle East." Aggression and Violent Behavior 16, no. 2 (2011): 98-107.
Topic 4 - The Strategic Approach
Robert A. Pape. “The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism”. American Political Science Review, Vol. 97 No. 3 (2003): pp. 343-361
Assaf Moghadam. “Suicide Terrorism, Occupation, and the Globalization of Martyrdom: A Critique of Dying to Win”. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Vol. 29 No. 8 (2006): pp. 707-729.
Horowitz, Michael. "Nonstate Actors and the Diffusion of Innovations: The Case of Suicide Terrorism." [In English]. International Organization 64, no. 1 (Win 2010): 33-64.
Topic 5 - The Outbidding Thesis
Mia M. Bloom. “Palestinian Suicide Bombing: Public Support, Market Share, and Outbidding”. Political Science Quarterly, Vol. 119 No. 1 (2004): pp. 61-88
Robert J. Brym and Bader Araj. “Palestinian Suicide Bombing Revisited: A Critique of the Outbidding Thesis”. Political Science Quarterly Vol. 123 No. 3 (Fall 2008): pp. 485-500.
Topic 6 - Communities
Ami Pedahzur, Arie Perliger and Leonard Weinberg. “Altruism and fatalism: The characteristics of Palestinian suicide terrorists”. Deviant Behavior, Vol. 24 No. 4 (2003): pp. 405-423.
Ami Pedahzur and Arie Perliger. “The Changing Nature of Suicide Attacks.” Social Forces, Vol. 84 No. 4 (2006): pp. 1983-2000.
Topic 7 - The road to 9/11
Assaf Moghadam. “Motives for Martyrdom; Al-Qaida, Salafi Jihad, and the Spread of Suicide Attacks.” International Security (Winter 2008/2009).
Marc Sageman. 2006. In Pedahzur (ed.). “Islam and al-Qaeda” Root Causes of Suicide Terrorism: The Globalization of Martyrdom. London: Routledge. 122-131.
Topic 8 - The War on Terrorism and its Outcomes
Bruce Hoffman. 2008. “The Myth of Grass-Roots Terrorism: Why Osama bin Laden Still Matters” Foreign Affairs (87)3: 133-138.
Marc Sageman. “Does Osama Still Call the Shots? Debating al Qaeda’s Containment and Grass-roots Jihad” Foreign Affairs Vol. 87 No. 4 (2008): pp. 1-3.
Yoram Schweitzer. 2006. “Al Qaeda and the Global Epidemic of Suicide Attacks” in Ami Pedahzur, Root Causes of Suicide Terrorism. 132-151.
Topic 9 – The Consequences of Suicide Terrorism
Canetti-Nisim, Daphna. Mesch, Gustavo. Pedahzur, Ami. 2006. “Victimization from Terrorist Attacks: Randomness or Routine Activities?”. Terrorism and Political Violence. Vol. 18. No. 4. Pp. 485-501
Feniger, Yariv, and Ephraim Yuchtman-Yaar. "Risk Groups in Exposure to Terror: The Case of Israel's
Citizens." Social forces 88, no. 3 (Mar 2010): 1451-62.
Berrebi, Claude, and Esteban F. Klor. "Are Voters Sensitive to Terrorism? Direct Evidence from the Israeli Electorate." American Political Science Review 102, no. 03 (2008): 279-301.
Topic 10 - Counter-terrorism and Anti Terrorism
Perliger, Arie. Pedahzur, Ami. 2006. “Coping with Suicide Attacks: Lessons from Israel”. Public Money and Management. Vol. 26 No. 5. Pp. 281-286.
Max Abrahms. “What Terrorists Really Want; Terrorist Motives and Counterterrorism Strategy.” International Security (Spring 2008).
Chenoweth, E., N. Miller, E. McClellan, H. Frisch, P. Staniland, and M. Abrahms. "What Makes Terrorists Tick." [In English]. International Security 33, no. 4 (Spr 2009): 180-86.
Topic 10 - The Future of Suicide Terrorism
Martha Crenshaw. “Explaining Suicide Terrorism: A review essay” Security Studies, Vol. 16 No. 1 (2007): pp. 133-162.
Audrey Kurth Cronin. “How al-Qaida Ends: The Decline and Demise of Terrorist Groups” International Security Vol. 31 No. 1 (Summer 2006): pp. 7-48.