2. Muslim women and the War on Terror, with Shakira Hussein

Sub Rosa Podcast

In this episode, Kate spoke with Shakira Hussein, a researcher at the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute and author of the recently released book From Victims to Suspects: Muslim Women Since 9/11. We discussed her new book’s main theme - the transformation of Muslim women in the public eye since 9/11, from being helpless victims awaiting rescue, to becoming potential threats to be monitored and kept under control. The episode covers her research on Muslim women in Pakistan, and how the War on Terror has effected the lives of women there. We then discuss how counter terrorism (CT) and countering violent extremism (CVE) has changed the aid landscape in Pakistan, before discussing recent developments in the Australian government approaches to CVE, including the dilemmas of funding community programs with CT money and the potential that CVE policy-initiatives targeting the Muslim community have for securitising them and further alienating some people. Finally, we discuss the role of women in terrorist organisations, Western-raised women who have offered themselves as ‘Jihadi Brides’ to the Islamic State, and the way the participation of Muslim women in acts of violent extremism received a greater degree of attention because of the perception of such acts being an aberration of Muslim gender norms.