Islam and violent jihad: Western policy responses

Emerging from the failure of certain states in the Middle East, such as Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen, renewed authoritarian entrenchment after the disappointments of the Arab Spring, and politicised sectarianism, violent jihadism has gained a new life. With its sheer brutality and territorial gains, the ‘Islamic State’ (IS) has captured attention with startling rapidity and effect. But al-Qa‘ida and other groups also continue to pose a formidable challenge to the security of both local and outside powers, while the drive for a Caliphate seems threatening to the very idea as well as stability of the interstate system. The response of local and Western powers, to date, has been militarily limited and strategically vague. It is no wonder that President Obama has characterised the current situation as particularly dangerous since ‘what we are seeing is the old order not working, but the new order not being born yet’.

This one-day workshop will look at the evolution of radical Islamic doctrines and their misuse, the regional and international responses to the perceived threat of extremism in the name of a radical new Islamic order, and implications for Australian security both at home and abroad.

Speakers include: Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs Director and Professor of International Relations, Michael Wesley, and Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies Director and Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Amin Saikal. They will be joined by world renowned specialist on Islam, Professor James Piscatori; specialist on jihadist ideology and strategy in Indonesia, A/Professor Greg Fealy; CAIS adjunct professor and former Australian ambassador to Jordan, Egypt and Syria, Professor Bob Bowker; an authority in community engagement, countering terrorism and violent extremism, Professor Michele Grossman; a specialist on US domestic policy, Dr Jeremy Youde; an expert on sectarianism, political Islam and studies of religious institutions, Dr Raihan Ismail; a specialist on the politics of religion and the international relations of the Middle East, Dr Vanessa Newby; an expert on insurgent ‘information operations’ and movements, Dr Haroro Ingram; and the director of Muslims for Progressive Values Australia, Ms Reem Sweid.

The conference is jointly presented by two of The Australian National University’s leading institutions in these fields – the Coral Bell School of Asia Pacific Affairs, Australia’s leading centre for international, political, societal, diplomatic and strategic affairs of our region, and the Centre for Arab and Islamic Studies, Australia’s premier location for studies of the Arab and Muslim world.