WHOSE TERRORISM?

Since George W. Bush declared a “war on terrorism” following 9/11, the words “terrorism” and “terrorists” have been used to justify wars, incite violence, detain, torture, and kill. Through a role play activity, this lesson gives learners an opportunity to critically analyze the word “terrorism” and understand how the use of this word has played out in the lives of Muslims and those targeted as Muslim since 9/11. 

“Whose Terrorism? Part II” is an extension of the lesson “Whose Terrorism?” by Bill Bigelow, included in the Rethinking Schools curriculum Teaching About the Wars (2013). Bigelow’s lesson asks important questions in our inquiry into Islamophobia: Whose terrorism makes the headlines? Whose terrorism is labeled as such? Whose terrorism do we sanctify and whose do we punish? What if, instead of asking who is a terrorist, we asked who is being terrorized? The lesson gives learners an opportunity to challenge the “good guys versus bad guys” dichotomies that are ubiquitous in discussions about 9/11.