The University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Russia, East Europe and Central Asia hosted a panel discussion Tuesday to examine terrorism and the possible motives behind the recent Boston Marathon bombings.
The panel consisted of Political Science professor Andrew Kydd, Sociology professor Theodore Gerber and Middle East Studies professor Uli Schamiloglu, who discussed the history of terrorism throughout Central Asia.
Panelists focused on past terror attacks that occurred or were the consequence of groups from the same region as the Tsarnaev brothers, who committed the Boston Marathon bombings.
Kydd emphasized the fact that this latest attack, while tragic, is not as severe as past terrorist attacks in the United States.
During his speech, Gerber focused on the Tsarnaev brothers’ ethnic relation to the Chechin province of Russia and how many media outlets played up their ties to the location to prove the bombings were an act of terror. However, Gerber said he does not believe the brothers were well trained at all, which is inconsistent with terrorist plots originating from that area.
Schamiloglu primarily focused on the relationship between religion and terrorism, specifically that of Islam. He said media outlets quickly focused on the Tsarnaev’s Muslim faith to portray the bombings as an act of jihad. However, Schamiloglu suggested that since the act has no clear political motive, unlike most attacks, the bombings could be attributed more to the brothers’ mental instability and self-radicalization than a planned terrorist attack.
Associate Director of CREECA Jennifer Tishler said her department organized the event to help students to understand terroristic acts from multiple perspectives and realize the events are more complex than they seem.
“Part of the mission of our center is to do this kind of community outreach,” Tishler said. “When there is a big event in the news, like the recent bombings at the Boston Marathon we feel that it is our responsibility to respond to that and to allow people to learn more about it.”
