Terrorism - Is it over?

More than 3 years have passed since the horrible happenings of September 11. In this period of 3 years and so, so much has happened around the world. The launch of a War Against Terrorism, the struggle of so many nations to find a stand in this campaign so aggressively supported by the USA, the Bali Bombings, the Iraq Hostage Crisis, the attacks in Russia, the bombings in Indonesia, these simply consist the tip of the iceberg labeled as the “Post September 11 World”.

It is of no doubt that the “Post September 11 World” is a huge concept. It is a huge issue; something akin to a huge octopus whose far-reaching tentacles have touched upon so many aspects of society. It touches on violence, belief systems, tolerance, the individual, the list goes on. But before we move into explaining these details of the “Post September 11 World”, perhaps we should look at why this is such a crucial issue to discuss.

For this purpose, I will be basing my discussion on examples and case studies in Singapore. The reason for this is to start from an aspect which we, as students living and studying in Singapore, can easily identify with. Some people might call this myopic and consider it a severe oversimplification of dealing with this issue, but I feel that only through this approach can we come to terms with the “on-the-ground” kind of emotions i.e. the implications on the average Singaporean.

In the Context of Singapore

Singapore is very well informed of what has happened all over the world through the media. For sure, every time we see footages of explosions and suicide bombings, or hostage incidents, our hearts go out to those innocent people who are affected. But no matter how many bombings go on in the Middle East, how many people are taken hostages by terrorists or how many terrorists have been captured by international authorities, life still goes on as per normal here. True we’ve had a close shave and scare when the Yishun MRT Station bombing plot by members of the Jemaah Islamiah was uncovered. We’ve had heightened security and constant emphasis on security, and so far we seem to be coping well in Singapore. Life at the very basic and mundane level seems back to normal; or so we think.

How many of us have actually noticed the absence of dustbins in MRT stations these days? I was not aware of this change (even though it was publicized in the media) until that very day when I had to blow my nose while waiting for the train to arrive. Being the conscientious citizen who does not litter, I looked around for a dustbin to dispose of my tissue, only to realize that there was none on the platform. Silly as it might sound, I had to travel more than 10 stations to my destination to dispose of that tissue in a toilet dustbin. From this minor incident, I then went on to find out that there were no dustbins at some bus interchanges as well. Suddenly, I also noticed the posters and announcements at MRT stations urging passengers to report any suspicious looking objects. Once in a while, I would even chance upon one of the MRT personnel patrolling the platform. All these incidents might seem quite minor and uninteresting on their own, but when you look at them from a general perspective, the social implications are definitely there.

For one, they just go to show how the global issue of terrorism has permeated our society. These acts are carried out with the objective of creating a safer environment for Singaporeans through heightened security. They are part of a nation’s response and reaction to a world in which planes crashing into skyscraper towers are no longer “just part of a video”; a world in which any man, woman or child can blow up a street with explosives; in other words, a Post Sept 11 World.

These incidents also lead me to question the real motives of terrorism. Terrorism, according to http://dictionary.cambridge.org/, is defined as “(threats of) violent action for political purposes”. In my opinion, despite the presence of the term “political purpose”, the main disruption in which terrorism results is more to the everyday routine of life and not so much to the political beliefs or structures in a country. Terrorism essentially results in the disruption of routine; it instills an additional sense of inconvenience and uncertainty in what we see and do.

When several parts of Singapore were plunged into darkness due to a power plant failure, many Singaporeans actually called in to question if this was an act of terrorism. The authorities had to assure them that it was due to a technical fault and not some attack on our infrastructure. Similarly, when the Nicol Highway collapsed, there was a fear of whether the collapse was the result of a terrorism attack.

Paranoia is the word that springs to mind. These incidents clearly show that there is a sense of fear and uncertainty that has been unconsciously weaved into the social fabric of Singapore due to the many drastic events occurring around the world. We do not talk about this fear very openly, but it is apparent in how we deal with life today. The suspicion felt upon seeing an Arab at the airport, the uncertainty of whether a particular individual’s briefcase might contain a bomb, the inconvenience of having extra security measures. Life is no longer as basic or mundane as it was before; and it is here that terrorism has truly succeeded. Terrorism has made its mark on Singapore’s society, on our individual lives. It presents itself as a constant reminder that life will never go back to how it was before September 11, 2001. It challenges our beliefs and values by forcing us to rethink our definitions of security, of religious understanding, of tolerance.

Singapore’s precautionary measures might be considered quite encompassing by most standards; we have been able to protect ourselves against potential physical attacks so far. But in this Post Sept 11 World, no one is 100% safe. And it is the knowledge and acknowledgement of this in our daily lives that threatens the very foundations upon which our society is based. This is the real danger of terrorism.