14 September 2010 MEI Current Affairs Roundtable 9/11….Nine Years Later By Mary E. Stonaker

The inaugural Middle East Institute Current Affairs Roundtable on Monday, Sept 13th addressed the attacks of September 11th, 2010 and the aftermath from four perspectives. The speakers provided a comprehensive evaluation of the global effects of this monumental event in American and global history. Professor Michael C. Hudson, Director of the Middle East Institute (MEI), chaired the discussion and addressed of the fallout of 9/11 from the American perspective. Professor Ataur Rahman, Senior Visiting Research Fellow at MEI, delineated the challenges posed by 9/11 to the Ummah, the global Muslim community. Mr. Mohamed Feisal Bin Mohamed Hassan, Senior Research Analyst at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), focused on the recruitment and rehabilitation of terrorists and extremists. Ambassador Verghese Mathews, Deputy Director of MEI, articulated the Southeast Asian perspective of 9/11 and its aftermath to conclude the presentations.

The American Perspectives presented by Prof. Hudson focused on the nature of the American reaction to 9/11. He raised the following questions: Is it possible to declare war on an ideology (terrorism)? Can Americans truly declare Mission Accomplished nine years after 9/11? Prof Hudson concluded by commenting, ‘Networked extremism is still the Number 1 US national security risk, but a succinct definition is still evading’ the American government and the world.

Prof. Rahman presented the Islamic Perspectives which encouraged and reminded the participants that the events of 9/11 were devastating to Muslims around the world as well as the victims and American public. He emphasized the need for greater inter-faith dialogue and deep reforms within the mindsets of global public society.

Presenting a unique perspective of ‘Terrorism’, Mr. Mohamed Feisal focused on the rehabilitation of terrorists and its effects on the global order. He questioned the dominance of extremist images of Islam in the media. Mr. Mohamed Feisal echoed Imams from around the world, ‘Can Islam have one united voice?’ In addition to rehabilitation, he challenged nations, especially in the Middle East, to improve governance methods in order to prevent the radicalization of today’s Muslim youth.

The Southeast Asian Perspectives were presented by Amb. Mathews and sought to highlight the effects of 9/11 on this region of the world. He highlighted, among many ideas, a cause for misunderstanding between Southeast Asian nations, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, and the United States: freedom of speech. While Americans understand that one radical preacher in Florida has constitutional rights to speak his mind, non-Americans may misinterpret these comments, made internationally known by the media, as representative of American policy.

A hearty discussion followed the presentations and seemed to follow one major theme: the need for greater inter-faith and inter-national dialogue to lead to greater understanding. Professor Hudson concluded the Roundtable in agreement to that theme: the future of such integration between cultures.