US Policies, Ensuing Terrorism and Anti-Americanism: Some Reflections

Abstract

[The dawn of 21st Century was hailed by the people around the world with the hopes that it would be a millennium of global peace, justice and human development, but the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and disastrous US response to them set it off with terror, insecurity, injustice and economic collapse. The discourse on terrorism has generally been guided by the power-elite responsible for escalating violence. There is a need to provide appropriate space to alternate voices to counter the ‘intellectual terrorism’, to examine the causes of growing anti-Americanism, and to understand the relationship between US policies and terrorism. While the disapproval of US policies by the people worldwide began after the World War II, its intensity has increased manifold in response to the US policies framed in the post 9/11 scenario. While recent surveys show that ideology does play an important role in people’s public and private lives, not only in the Muslim World but in the US as well, it would be naïve to attribute anti-American sentiments to a particular religion, or followers of a particular religion. The US administration and policymakers need to go beyond the superficial analyses and understand the causes of terrorism and anti-Americanism. – Ed ]-