“We need to understand how 13 years of securitization attached to militarization has worked to prevent insurgencies. We’ve responded with wars and the problem has proliferated.”-Professor Karim H. Karim
Carleton Communication Studies Professor Karim H. Karim made his case for better communication between Western and Muslim communities at the “Preventing Future Insurgencies” event on Tuesday as part of FPA Research Month.
Karim addressed the topic along with Stephane Pressault and Nadia Hai of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women.
Pressault coordinates the council’s Resilient Communities Project, which has held 16 consultations with youth around the country and is funded by Public Safety Canada. He told the sizeable crowd from Carleton and the broader community that the challenge is showing at-risk youth the path to resilience rather than radicalism.
“These youth are not connected to mainstream organizations, so we’re training young people who have a foot in the mainstream and a foot in the grassroots world, as well, to offer a different model.”
Pressault, who collaborates with Professor Karim, said most youth he met didn’t want to talk about extremism, but wanted to take action to help their communities. “Across the country, they are incredibly discouraged because they don’t have defined roles.”
Meanwhile, members of the public expressed their concern that certain media engage in stereotyping of the Muslim community.
Professor Karim’s response: “The media is plural. We have to look for the journalists who want to understand and do a good job.”
Karim H. Karim is a Professor of Communication Studies and Director of Carleton University’s Centre for the Study of Islam. He co-edited two books with Mahmoud Eid of the University of Ottawa: Re-imagining the Other and Engaging the Other.
Books available here: http://www.palgrave.com/page/detail/engaging-the-other-karim-h-karim/?K=9781137403681
http://www.palgrave.com/page/detail/?K=9781137403674
Wednesday, February 25, 2015 in FPA Research Series, News
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