Page Title

Text Box: The Critical Criminologist

Text Box: A Note on Violence By Gregg Barak, Eastern Michigan University In the wake of the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks by Middle Eastern terrorists on September 11, 2001, President Bush and other political leaders have been busy preparing the nation for a long and forthcoming war on international terrorism. The war is expected to last some five to ten years, well after the “dead or alive” capture of Saudi extremist Osama bin Laden. By the weekend following the terrorist destruction, the President had made it a point to visit the mosque at the Islamic Center of Washington to condemn the increased violence aimed at innocent American Arabs and Muslims. At that time, the U.S. Attorney had already stated that the FBI had initiated some 40 hate crimes investigations involving reported attacks on Arab American citizens and institutions, including the murdering of a Pakistani Muslim store owner in Dallas, Texas and a Sikh gas station owner in Mesa, Arizona, most likely an immigrant from India.

Text Box: In addition, the Council on American-Islamic Relations said that it had received reports of more than 350 attacks across the country, ranging from verbal harassment to physical assaults. In Palos Hills, Illinois, for example, two Muslim girls were beaten at Moraine Valley College. The Council had also received reports of dozens of mosques firebombed or vandalized, including a man in Evansville, Indiana who had driven his car 80 mph into a mosque. In each of these cases, police had quickly arrested suspects. At the Washington mosque, escorted by Islamic clerics and quoting from the Koran’s prohibitions against evil, President Bush made such statements as: “the face of terror is not the true faith of Islam” and “Islam is peace.” He further stated that women who cover their heads should not fear leaving their homes and going out into the community. Speaking from a lectern in front of the qibla, the altar worshipers face when praying in the direction of Mecca, Bush stressed the importance of treating Muslim doctors, lawyers, soldiers and parents respectfully: “Those who feel like they can intimate our fellow citizens to take out their

Text Box: From the Editors We were contacted about running a series of essays about the terrorist attacks of September 11th in an effort to begin dialogue among Division members. This issue contains all such essays that have been sent to us by Division members. In addition, two other pieces were “reprinted” from another forum (i.e., the Progressive Sociologist List-serve) with the permission of the authors. One was written by the Marxist Humanist Forum at Northern Illinois University, the other by Bertell Ollman, Professor of Political Science at New York University. We would like to thank both Kevin Anderson for his work on behalf of the Marxist Humanist Forum at NIU, as well as Bertell Ollman for their generous contributions. Our hope is that the essays contained in this issue might set the tone for further discussions at the upcoming ASC meeting in Atlanta. As always, we encourage readers to send responses, commentaries, or essays to the editors for inclusion in the next issue of the Critical Criminologist.

Beyond Discontent Frank Butler	2
Aging America and CJ System Pamela Peston	3
Table of Contents, Critical Criminology 10(2)	6
For a New Society Free of War and Exploitation Anderson et al.	8
On Terrorism, Reason and Social Justice Raymond Michalowski	9
Explanation Yes; Justification, No Bertell Ollman	10
Message from the Chair Marty Schwartz	12