Abnormality and Terrorism

Soo Lee

A002

Week 6

In the article, “Monster, Terrorist, Fag: The War on Terrorism and the Production of Docile Patriots” Jasbir K. Puar and Amit S. Rai investigate a strong relationship between the notion of sexuality and gender with terrorism. By incorporating Foucault’s theory of Western construction of what is normal and abnormal, Puar and Rai explains how the construction of terriorm relies on the sexual perversity. Several important claims are made to support this theory, and one is looking at how the characteristics of monster “terrorist” are created in U.S. One component that sticks out to me is the idea of normal is created and directly associated with sexuality and gender – heteronormativity. What “normal” is constructed and protected within the realm of law within the specific(e.i. Western) sovereignty. And based on the juridical irregularity, the idea of abnormal (non-heterosexual-male identity) becomes monstrous and is subjected to corrected, demonized, and murdered.

Another way to connect the “terrorism” and sexuality is by looking at the tone and the language of these “terrorists” in our media. The representation of Osama bin Laden after 9/11 is emasculated, sodomized, and racialized, thus subjected to demonize. Then the logic follows that, going against what has been created to be “normal” in terms of sex, gender, race, and more makes one much more vulnerable to be conquered.

(This article is too amazing throughout that I am having hard time writing a summary and analyze) 

Is idea of normalcy inevitable? I acknowledge that I can only think within the frame of western knowledge of the 21^st century, which tells me that “normal” is a social construction strongly based on sex, gender, race, age, ability, and class. Then I wonder without such constructed basis, the idea of “normalcy” in different setting will still exist.