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Abstract
The terrorist attacks of September 11 have become a defining moment not only in the history of the US where they took place, but also in the history of Muslims around the world, particularly those living in Western countries. Muslim diasporas in the West have found themselves at the heart of global events and networks: a global war on terrorism, global flows of images and ideas, and a global Muslim community or Umma. Central to these various processes is undoubtedly the role played by new media and communication technologies, mainly transnational TV channels. Thus, based on an ethnographic study conducted in the city of Leeds, this paper explores the dialectic between local and transnational media, particularly British media and Arab satellite television channels, and the extent to which they have shaped identity building among British Muslims after September11. It argues that the use, appropriation and consumption of these media do certainly have a significant impact on how British Muslims define themselves. However, it demonstrates also that this role is far from being deterministic and it is only one among many other factors that condition identity building among British Muslims.
Highlights
The September 11 terrorist attacks were one of the most mediated events in history
The study has addressed the role of media, both local and translocal in shaping identity construction among first generation Arab Muslim diaspora in Britain
While the study has pointed out the complexity of Muslims’ experience and identification process in Britain, it demonstrated that the key unifying component in the Muslim identity is the feeling of victimhood and narrative of defiance vis-à-vis dominant representations and perceptions
Summary
The September 11 terrorist attacks were one of the most mediated events in history. They targeted the heart of a major Western megalopolis that is a global economic, cultural, and media centre. Shock, and suffering were displayed on TV screens and newspapers’ front pages for a very long time. It was a major media spectacle in modern history that “unfolded in a city that was one of the most media-saturated in the world and that played out a deadly drama live on television” It was a major media spectacle in modern history that “unfolded in a city that was one of the most media-saturated in the world and that played out a deadly drama live on television” (Kellner, 2004, p. 43).One of the major consequences of this media coverage is that it brought Muslims and Islam to the fore in western societies. Akbar (2001) aptly maintains that “the terrible and tragic events of September 11 have opened a Pandora’s box of questions about Islam.”
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