Non-Western Responses to Terrorism

One consequence of the US declaration of the war on terror after the September 11 attacks was the rapid globalization of counterterrorism policy. Almost overnight, counterterrorism, long considered a residual law enforcement issue for many states, became a top national priority and the focal point of intense diplomatic pressure from the United States and its allies. This edited collection surveys how non-Western states have adapted to the threats of domestic and international terrorism since that point. It presents a series of eighteen case studies of counterterrorism theory and practice across the non-Western world, with a broad range of countries including China, Japan, Russia, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Brazil. These case studies, written by leading country experts and drawing on original language sources, show that non-Western societies have conceptualized, recast and responded to the threat of terrorism in unique ways. 

Each case study explores a number of drivers – historical, political, cultural and religious – that determine how that country ‘sees’ terrorism and develops its policy response. These case studies challenge the unspoken assumption that the Western theory and practice of counterterrorism is universal, and instead they show how non-Western responses to terrorism have been mediated by their own distinct yet under-explored factors.

'The field of Terrorism Studies has long been dominated by Western scholars and perspectives, despite the fact that the vast majority of terrorism occurs in non-Western societies. Non-Western Responses to Terrorism provides a timely and helpful antidote to the current imbalance in the literature on counterterrorism. With an exceptional line-up of researchers, including important voices from the global south, the volume provides a highly relevant overview of the state of the art, and a wealth of informative case studies. Highly recommended.'

Professor Richard Jackson, University of Otago, New Zealand

'Michael Boyle has produced an outstanding volume of contributions examining the complex regional and global dynamics of counterterrorism. An essential text of importance not only to terrorism and security scholars, but counterterrorism practitioners and policymakers worldwide.'

Professor John Horgan, Georgia State University, USA

'Michael Boyle shines a brilliant light on one of the most poorly-understood frontiers of terrorism: how countries outside of the West grapple with this threat. In this fascinating book, a superb line-up of experts bring to life the counterterrorism experiences, successes and failures of an eclectic mix of countries. Deeply refreshing and wildly eye-opening, we have been waiting for a book like this for far too long.'

Professor Andrew Silke, Cranfield University, UK