The Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi and the Experimental Creativity Centre, Moscow have initiated a collaborative research project on Radical Islam. The first meeting under this project took place in Moscow on the 8th and 9th of October, 2009.
The Observer Research Foundation, New Delhi and the Experimental Creativity Centre, Moscow have initiated a collaborative research project on Radical Islam. The first meeting under this project took place in Moscow on the 8th and 9th of October, 2009. The ORF team was led by Mr Vikram Sood and included Mr Saeed Naqvi, Mr Wilson John, Mr Samir Saran, Mr Ashok Singh and Mr Indranil Banerjee. The ECC scholars were led by Mr Sergey Kurginyan and included Mr Yuri Bialy, Mr Yury Bardakhchiev, Mr Vladimir Novikov, Ms Anna Kudinova, Ms Maria Mamikonyan, Ms Irina Kurginyan, Ms Maria Ryzhova and Ms Maria Podkopaeva.
Moving away from the conventional narrative of Radical Islam as a security threat, an alternate perspective was offered that would place Radical Islam into a wider geo-political framework. Here, the larger narrative is the progress or unfolding of Modernity (understood in the sense of Westernisation) and Radical Islam is viewed as a phenomenon that is, at the same time, a challenge and an instrumentality. At another level, Radical Islam can also be viewed as being essentially a political ideology emerging perhaps from alienation from existing socio-economic contexts. Given these frameworks, some of the speakers sought to examine the contexts, the causes and the processes that lead to radicalisation.
Geographically, the processes of radicalisation amongst Muslims are taking place in very diverse areas ranging from South Asia, particularly the Afghanistan - Pakistan region, through Iran, the Middle East and Europe. Interestingly, each of these geographies offers a somewhat differing (if not unique) environment and context for the development of Radicalisation. The participants in the conference attempted to outline the various area studies in order to understand the elements that contribute to radicalisation.
Equally important are the processes through which Islam and its contemporary environment are mediated - how are Islam itself and its radical dimension portrayed by outsiders and what Images does Radical Islam construct of its world. Participants at the conference sought to examine some of these issues and attempted to evaluate the extent to which such mediation contributes to Radicalisation. Some of the speakers also sought to demonstrate how Radical Islam is appropriating history and weaving it selectively into its own narrative.
Radical Islam presents a range of security threats and challenges - some more obvious than others. The everyday security threats aside, the gravest challenge is in the nuclear domain. Clandestine proliferation has led to the emergence of Pakistan and Iran as the most immediate nuclear threats. Given the known tactics and inclinations of Islamist Terror networks, a very real threat of the terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons has emerged. However, our studies need to transcend the specific weapons capabilities that the terrorists might acquire; and seek to understand how the contemporary challengers will seek to deploy chaos and disruption as instrumentalities towards their objectives - particularly in sensitive domains like transport and energy corridors.
This initial interaction will be followed by an extended research phase culminating in a conference in March 2010 in New Delhi. The proceedings are intended to be published in book form in English and in Russian.
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Geographically, the processes of radicalisation amongst Muslims are taking place in very diverse areas ranging from South Asia, particularly the Afghanistan - Pakistan region, through Iran, the Middle East and Europe. Interestingly, each of these geographies offers a somewhat differing (if not unique) environment and context for the development of Radicalisation. The participants in the conference attempted to outline the various area studies in order to understand the elements that contribute to radicalisation.
Radical Islam presents a range of security threats and challenges - some more obvious than others. The everyday security threats aside, the gravest challenge is in the nuclear domain. Clandestine proliferation has led to the emergence of Pakistan and Iran as the most immediate nuclear threats. Given the known tactics and inclinations of Islamist Terror networks, a very real threat of the terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons has emerged. However, our studies need to transcend the specific weapons capabilities that the terrorists might acquire; and seek to understand how the contemporary challengers will seek to deploy chaos and disruption as instrumentalities towards their objectives - particularly in sensitive domains like transport and energy corridors.
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