Kilgore College Islamic Terrorism Discussion

The textbook reading assignment for chapter 29 discusses the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. in 2001. Much like those individuals who were alive in 1963 when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX, I still remember very vividly where I was and what I was doing that morning when radical Islamic terrorists hijacked several planes and crashed them into the World Trade center towers and the Pentagon building. That event changed the course of American history, with both the United States and the rest of the world still feeling the ripple effects even today—to prove the point go ahead and Google the terms “islamic terrorism” and see how many hits you get that are related to events going on now. As the textbook explains, a large majority of the American public became nearly instantly galvanized against oppressive radical Islamic terrorism—an expression of national unity that hadn’t really existed since World War II—and the government launched the war on terror (including conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and even the struggle against ISIS today) and dramatically increased its surveillance of both its enemies and its own citizens (via the Patriot Act, in particular). Not only did these things affect the American people on a large scale—for example, a greater share of tax dollars were increasingly diverted toward military expenses to fund the war on terror—, but even mundane, everyday activities were significantly altered. For instance, post-9/11 airport security was drastically increased, with vehicles being inspected as they pulled onto airport premises and airplane passengers being required to remove shoes and other articles of clothing/jewelry for inspection. With this information in mind, answer the discussion questions below:

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

(1) Analyze the political cartoon in document 29.7 on page 998 in the textbook, which compares Japanese-American internment camps in World War II to the way in which some American Muslims were treated post-9/11. What are the similarities between these two episodes in American history? What are the differences between the two?

(2) Read the testimony of Khaled El Fadl in document 29.6 on page 997 in the textbook. How did being an American Muslim influence El Fadl’s reaction to the 9/11 attack?

(3) Read Edward Snowden’s interview in document 29.8 on page 999 in the textbook. What did this one-time intelligence contractor for the U.S. government do that was so controversial? How did Snowden justify his actions? Do you personally think that Snowden should be considered guilty of treason?

Instructions Reminder:When a student is ready to post his/her answers to the discussion board questions above then select the chapter discussion board link written in large, bold lettering at the top of this section and then select “create thread.” Remember that each student is required to do two things when responding to the discussion board questions: (1) Post your initial answers to the questions anytime before 11:59 p.m. on the assigned due date (2) Once you answer the questions the discussion board will allow you to view your classmates’ responses. During the assigned 24 hour window of time, select at least one of your classmates’ or the instructor’s responses and reply to it. Also, remember to read the instructor’s comments and try to answer any follow-up questions that the instructor may ask Click here for instructions for discussion board