Worldwide numerous terrorist attacks have shattered societies. In recent time, especially those generating a sense of the West versus the Muslim world, gained large public attention such as the attacks of the World Trade Center in New York City in 2001 and the bombings of Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005. Attacks, such as these, have not only happened on ‘Western ground’, but also Indonesia has been a victim of several terrorist attacks mainly targeting sites predominantly visited by Westerners, such as the hotel bombings in Jakarta in 2009 and the Bali Bombings in 2002 and 2005. The initiator of these terrorist attacks was the Islamic group Jemaah Islamiah with its spiritual leader Abu Bakar Bashir (West, 2008). This organization strives for an introduction of Shariah law in Muslim nations and perceives the Islamic faith to be oppressed by increasing influence of Western values in the Islamic World (West, 2008). Jemaah Islamiah, thus, justifies its attacks as defending the religion of Islam and its values from the perceived thread of the Western influence. Large attacks such as these in Indonesia lead to a large media attention, especially the random and high number of foreign victims lead to worldwide attention (Blakesley, 2007; Crenshaw, 2000; Turk, 2004). Therefore following definition of terrorism by Gibbs (in Turk, 2004, p. 284) will be used in this paper:
Terrorism is threatening, perhaps illegal, clandestine (avoiding conventional warfare) violence against human or nonhuman objects that is intended to change or maintain some belief, law, institution, or other social "norm" by inculcating fear in persons other than the immediate targets.
Gibbs, therefore, considers an attempt for social control as a possible base for explanatory theory (Turk, 2004). Johnson (1994 in Crenshaw, 2000, p. 415) states how the loss of order and control leads to an exaggeration of the likelihood of such an attack. Destabilizing society by shattering its moral values is used to put forward a political message.
“’Memory is the meaning we attach to experience, not simply recall of events and emotions of that experience' (Stern, 2004 in Barbara, 2009, p. 83); and is thus necessary to make sense of the present; it provides a time and space reference and is therefore also crucial in order to build the future” (Barbera, 2009, p. 76). Halbwachs distinguishes between autobiographical memory which is the memory of our firsthand experience, historical memory which is gained thr
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Methodology
3. The Case: Bali Bombings of 2002 and 2005
4. Why do we remember events?
4.1. Terroristic Attacks Lack Meaning
4.2. A Sudden Loss of Security
4.3. Media Attention
4.4. Embodiment of Memory
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper explores the sociocultural dynamics of collective memory by examining how the 2002 and 2005 Bali bombings are remembered or forgotten. It investigates the intersection of personal trauma, media framing, political agenda-setting, and cultural commemoration practices to understand how societies construct and contest narratives surrounding major terrorist attacks.
- The theoretical basis of collective vs. individual memory.
- The impact of extreme violence on societal security and ontological stability.
- The role of media attention in shaping the public perception of terrorism.
- Cultural differences in commemorating traumatic events.
- The function of remembrance as a political tool for legitimization.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1. Terroristic Attacks Lack Meaning
What are the reasons for a terrorist attack to become an event of commemoration? In order for people to use memory as a reference for time and space it is necessary to attach meaning to these memories. However no meaning can be attributed to an event of extreme violence as it cannot be attributed to common ethics and values and thus it cannot turn into discursive memory (Argenti & Schramm, 2010). Holocaust survivors describe their time in concentration camps as a counter-time, a time that hinders “normal progress through ‘ordinary’ time” (Argenti & Schramm, 2010, p. 10). A holocaust survivor describes that she does not live with Auschwitz, but it lives with her, this demonstrates how the memory is out of her control, but at the same time a part of her (Argenti & Schramm, 2010).
Derrida uses the analogy of a ‘crypt’ to refer to deep memory as “a place hidden within or beneath another place, a place complete unto itself, but closed off from that outside itself of which it is nevertheless an inherent part”, in other words by trying to silence traumatic memory someone does not manage to simply forget the event but instead stores it deep inside oneself (Argenti & Schramm, 2010, pp. 11-2). ‘Normal’ memory generally is subject to introjection, however, traumatic memory may stay incorporated and fail to achieve a process of introjection (Argenti & Schramm, 2010). In case of the death of a close family member that dead can “become the living-dead inside oneself” (Argenti & Schramm, 2010, p. 12). The book Remembering Josh: Bali, a Father’s Story (Deegan, 2004) demonstrates how a violent experience stays with a person, as in this case the father who cannot deal with his son’s loss.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter provides an overview of international terrorist attacks and establishes the research focus on the Bali bombings within the context of collective memory theory.
2. Methodology: The author outlines the use of literature review, journal articles, and media analysis as the primary method for examining the commemoration of the Bali bombings.
3. The Case: Bali Bombings of 2002 and 2005: This section details the events of the 2002 and 2005 bombings, focusing on the victims, the perpetrators, and the strategic timing of the attacks.
4. Why do we remember events?: This chapter explores the theoretical underpinnings of memory, identity, and the sociopolitical reasons why societies choose to commemorate certain traumatic events.
4.1. Terroristic Attacks Lack Meaning: This section discusses the psychological and philosophical challenges of attributing meaning to acts of extreme violence and how these memories remain incorporated in individuals.
4.2. A Sudden Loss of Security: The author examines how terrorist attacks shatter the sense of routine and ontological security required for a stable society.
4.3. Media Attention: This chapter analyzes how terrorists exploit media coverage to reach international audiences and how media reporting shapes the public framing of terrorism.
4.4. Embodiment of Memory: The final section of the fourth chapter focuses on rituals, festivals, and state-sponsored commemorations as ways to embody memory and serve political agendas.
5. Conclusion: The paper summarizes how the Bali bombings continue to be remembered or forgotten based on personal, political, and cultural motivations.
Keywords
Bali bombings, collective memory, terrorism, trauma, identity, commemoration, media attention, ontological security, counter-memory, Jemaah Islamiah, Kuta Karnival, remembrance, social control, narrative, political tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The work examines the sociocultural processes behind why and how the Bali bombings of 2002 and 2005 are remembered, focusing on the interplay between individual trauma and collective narrative construction.
What are the central themes discussed in the paper?
The paper covers collective memory theory, the impact of terrorism on societal security, media representation of violence, and the role of cultural practices in legitimizing or contesting official memories.
What is the core research question?
The research seeks to explore why terrorist attacks are remembered, how they are integrated into public memory, and how different social actors use these memories to achieve political or social goals.
Which methodology is employed in the study?
The author uses a qualitative literature review approach, analyzing books, journal articles, news reports, interviews, and the film "Long Road to Heaven" to perform a case study analysis.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body investigates the lack of inherent meaning in violent events, the resulting loss of ontological security, the strategic use of media, and the embodiment of memory through rituals and festivals like the Kuta Karnival.
Which keywords best characterize this research?
Key terms include collective memory, terrorism, trauma, Kuta Karnival, media attention, and political narrative construction.
How does the paper differentiate between Balinese and Western perspectives on commemoration?
The paper notes that while Western views often emphasize traditional mourning, Balinese perspectives—as seen in the Kuta Karnival—focus on rebirth and the economic necessity of re-establishing Bali as a "peaceful paradise."
How is the concept of a 'crypt' used in the analysis of traumatic memory?
Drawing on Derrida, the author uses the 'crypt' analogy to explain how traumatic memory is often stored deeply within an individual when it cannot be integrated into normal experience, leading to the haunting of the survivor.
What role does the Indonesian government play in the memory of the Bali bombings?
The paper argues that the government utilizes memory to promote political stability and ensure the continued economic success of the tourism industry, sometimes at the expense of addressing deeper traumatic issues.
- Quote paper
- Angela Kuhnert (Author), 2014, Remembering International Terrorist Attacks: A Case Study of the Bali Bombings, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/280167
