The Cultural War on Terror: Race, Policy, and Propaganda

The “war on terror” has been as much a war over culture and identity as it has been a military project. In Europe and the United States, government agencies have developed various strategies aiming to shape the cultural lives of young Muslims and promote opposition to extremism, drawing in part on similar initiatives pursued during the Cold War. But cultural forms, such as hip hop, have also provided spaces for creative critiques of racism, Islamophobia, and empire. In this discussion, Hisham Aidi and Arun Kundnani analyze the contours of the cultural war on terror and its potential pitfalls.

Speakers

• Hisham Aidi, Author, Rebel Music: Race, Empire, and the New Muslim Youth Culture, Open Society Fellow (2010–2012)
• Arun Kundnani, Author, The Muslims Are Coming: Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror, Open Society Fellow (2010–2011)
• Peter Beinart (Moderator), Contributor, Atlantic Media; Editor, The New Republic (1996–2006)