Terrorists as Monsters: The Unmanageable Other from the French Revolution to the Islamic State - Paperback

by Pinfari (Author)

This book helps the reader understand what lies behind the use of monster images in relation to terrorism, exploring why media and government officials present or frame terrorists as monsters, but also why terrorists themselves sometimes try to act as such. Marco Pinfari argues that portraying terrorists as unmanageable monsters typically serves specific political agendas that, in turn, are designed to legitimize specific counter-terrorist policies. For terrorists, acting in ways that can be perceived as uncontrollable and inhumane is a rational tactic that has many precedents in the history of terrorism. By exploring the rational processes that lie behind the portrayal (or self-representation) of terrorists as inhumane, brutish and monstrous beings, this book challenges several common perceptions of the nature of contemporary terrorism.

Author Biography

Marco Pinfari is Assistant Professor of International Relations at the American University in Cairo (AUC). His research focuses on regional security, terrorism, and domestic conflict, with a regional specialization on the Middle East and North Africa. He has published widely in journals such as the Journal of Conflict Resolution, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, and Terrorism and Political Violence.