Critical Terrorism Studies Working Group

@amnakaleem.bsky.social @marinegueguin.bsky.social @rmkhan.bsky.social @aliceellafinden.bsky.social @mcneilwillson.bsky.social @mybisa.bsky.social @cmsbisa.bsky.social @gnobisa.bsky.social

We’re now on LinkedIn!

The Critical Studies on Terrorism (CTS) Working Group has officially joined LinkedIn — and we’re thrilled to share updates from our growing community.

Follow us there for regular updates on our work, our conferences, and how to get involved!

www.linkedin.com/in/cst-bisa-...

Our third panel brought together excellent papers speaking to digital and algorithmic #counterterrorism from Islam al-Khatib and Alp Cenk Arslan and also student activism and #Palestine encampments from Sophia Butt and Mariyah Ali.

The second panel of annual conference focused on the framing of #terrorism regarding #occupation and #Colonialism with papers from Rohi Jehan, Meabh Shearer, Hope Johnson and Abdul Rehman on #Kashmir, #Northern Ireland and #Kenya

Our first panel of the CTS annual conference 2025 critically engaged with #proscription and #definitions of terrorism. We heard about how #counterterror is used to shut down speech. Feat @mcneilwillson.bsky.social @kamrank.bsky.social Kyle Matthews Carlota Sallach and
Haris Bin Aziz.

We started off our annual conference this morning saying a fond farewell and thank you to our wonderful outgoing convenor @amnakaleem.bsky.social and welcoming two new convenors @marinegueguin.bsky.social and @mcneilwillson.bsky.social who will be joining Rabea and Alice @mybisa.bsky.social

📢📢Call for Papers!

This year's CTS Annual Conference will take place online on 9 September.

➡️Submit an abstract by 30 July

Deadline coming up soon, send in your nominations today!

📢📢Call for Papers!

This year's CTS Annual Conference will take place online on 9 September.

➡️Submit an abstract by 30 July

Join the Critical Studies on Terrorism convener team!- Critical Studies on Terrorism (CST) | BISA - Critical Studies on Terrorism (CST) Working Group

🚨Become a co-convenor for @ctsworkinggroup.bsky.social🚨

2025's WG of the year winners is looking for a new co-convenor! Post starts September for a three-year term 🎉
Deadline to apply 20 July 2025 🌟

Apply - buff.ly/SsW597x

@aliceellafinden.bsky.social
@amnakaleem.bsky.social
@rmkhan.bsky.social

Our working group programme for #BISA2025 Conference is out. In addition to our regular panels & roundtables, we are very excited to be hosting a roundtable & panel on Anticolonial Solidarities & Resistance with Colonial, Postcolonial & Decolonial Working Group. @mybisa.bsky.social shorturl.at/vAM3I

We as scholars of Critical Terrorism Studies call upon the UK government to intervene for the immediate and unreserved release of British-Egyptian human rights advocate Alaa Abd El-Fattah. We are deeply concerned for both the rights, freedom and safety of Alaa and of his mother, Professor Laila Soueif, who was recently hospitalised in London after more than 240 days of hunger strike. Over the past decade, Alaa Abd El-Fattah has been subject to arbitrary arrest, illegal imprisonment, torture and other human rights abuses in Egypt. He was held in detention in Egypt for more than two years after his arrest in 2019 for exercising his freedom of speech and expression. He was then sentenced to five years in prison for ‘terrorism-related’ offences. The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled Alaa’s ongoing detention unlawful and to be a circumvention of the Egyptian Criminal Penal Code. Egyptian anti-terror laws provide broad definitions of terrorism that allow for the detention of a wide range of people, from members of political groups to journalists, NGO workers, trade unionists and students. The scope of anti-terror legislation in Egypt has been cited by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and the Special Rapporteur on Counter Terrorism and Human Rights as providing serious concerns for freedoms of expression and assembly. Professor Laila Soueif, mother of Alaa, has been on hunger strike protesting her son’s illegal incarceration for more than 240 days now. Her health has deteriorated to the point where she has been hospitalised and there are serious fears for her life. The UK Foreign Office has suggested that it is committed to securing Alaa’s freedom, however, this has not been followed up by tangible action. The UK government must take clear and direct action immediately to prevent the worsening of Laila’s health and to make it clear that the illegal detention of a British citizen warrants serious political repercussions.

We join voices around the world calling upon the UK Govt to intervene for the immediate release of Alaa Abd El-Fattah from prison in #Egypt. We are concerned for the health and freedoms of both Alaa and his mother, Prof Laila Soueif at this critical moment.

 The deadline for registration is Friday 31 January 2025 and slots will be given on a first come first served basis.

Critical Studies on Terrorism work-in-progress session- Critical Studies on Terrorism (CST) | BISA - Critical Studies on Terrorism (CST) Working Group

The work-in-progress session will start with a quick presentation from the author with the remaining time dedicated to discussion and constructive feedback by all participants.

Sign up now, limited spaces available ⬇️
www.bisa.ac.uk/members/work...

Critical Studies on Terrorism work-in-progress session- Critical Studies on Terrorism (CST) | BISA - Critical Studies on Terrorism (CST) Working Group

Are you interested to learn more about “Nationalism as Anti-Americanism in Pakistani Political cartoons”? Join us for our next online session on 11 February 1pm, delivered by PhD researcher Saadia gardezi from the University of Warwick.

Editors’ Introduction: Decoloniality, criticality, and abolition - can Critical Terrorism Studies remain “critical”? Published in Critical Studies on Terrorism (Ahead of Print, 2024)

If you care about abolishing and critiquing idea of the war on terror as a political project , you should give my colleague @rmkhan.bsky.social a hearty follow. She and @sarahgharib.bsky.social just published an amazing special issue, me and several others are part of : doi.org/10.1080/1753...

As critical scholars of terrorism, we are deeply concerned about the broad use of "terrorism" as a label to justify collective punishment in #Gaza and #Palestine. Our thoughts are with those affected and mourning at this time.

I’ve created a starter pack for those working on terrorism, counterterrorism, etc. let me know if you’d like to be added !

go.bsky.app/XNdPyw