Countering racism in counter-Terrorism and surveillance discourse comment

Abstract

The war on terror prompted a surge of counter-Terror measures across Western democracies in the campaign to contain extremism. The effects of this increased securitization has had major consequences for Muslim and racialized populations more generally, who have found themselves caught up in state surveillance and counter-Terror operations. Loose and vague definitions of extremism have meant that the category of 'terror suspect' continues to be underpinned by Orientalist, racist, and Islamophobic articulations. This paper offers an introduction to an article collection that seeks to critically address the historical shifts and contemporary developments in counter-Terrorism discourse, and their impact upon racial groups in national and international contexts.