Mumbai terrorism impact on conference agenda

Thursday, 4 December 2008

The shockwaves being felt after the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India will be the focus of a keynote talk today (Thursday 4 December) at a conference being held in Adelaide.

The talk, "Bombs and Militants in South Asia: Before and After Mumbai", is part of the Globalising Religions and Cultures in the Asia Pacific conference being hosted by all three of the State's universities.

The talk will be given by Michael Roberts, Adjunct Associate Professor in Anthropology at the University of Adelaide, at 10.00am in the Ligertwood Building, North Terrace Campus.

Associate Professor Roberts is an expert on terrorism, including the tactics used by terrorists and the political, cultural and social ramifications of terrorism. A key focus of his research has been the campaign of terror used by the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka and the impact of terrorism on cricket tours in the subcontinent.

Associate Professor Roberts will look at the reasons for the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, with emphasis on the undermining of Indo-Pakistan relations.

However, he says: "Because such events are global in their significance, this is not just about militant extremism in India/Pakistan/Sri Lanka. There are wider issues at play, with the potential for aftershocks to be felt right across the world socially, culturally and economically."

He will discuss the likely effect on cricket tours in India after this attack and whether this highlights "double standards" in reactions to terrorism and bombs in the subcontinent compared with tours of England.

"Unfortunately, the world has been experiencing terrorism in one form or another for decades, and we must learn to live with such extremism. That has certainly been the attitude taken in cricket tours of England, which has often been a target of extremism to devastating effect, but the same approach has not been taken with countries like Pakistan and India," he says.

WHAT: Bombs and Militants in South Asia: Before and After Mumbai by Adjunct Associate Professor Michael Roberts (Discipline of Anthropology, University of Adelaide)
WHERE: Lecture Theatre, Level 3, Ligertwood Building, North Terrace Campus, University of Adelaide
WHEN: 10.00am-11.00am Thursday 4 December

For more information about the Globalising Religions and Cultures in the Asia Pacific conference, visit the website: www.adelaide.edu.au/sigevent08

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