After Shock September 11, 2001 – Global Feminist Perspectives by Susan Hawthorne and Brownwyn Winter, eds. (Toronto: Raincoast Books, 2003. 557 pages.)

Abstract

This anthology, a feminist standpoint on the 9/11 terrorist attacks, engages
critical feminist voices to counteract the United States’ specious justifications
of hatred, violence, and vengeance against Afghanistan and Muslims
in general following the tragedy. The authors relate the preeminence and
politics of the West to violence in the Middle East, parts of Asia, Africa, and
South and Central America. Their objective is to deconstruct the hypocrisy
entangled in the West’s politics, particularly the Bush administration’s unilateral,
patriarchal, misogynist, and masculinist foreign policies and actions
that help create and sustain terrorism. The authors also seek to show that
9/11 is not the only act of terrorism; rather, there are different acts of terror
inflicted on innocent people globally.
While many writings have condemned 9/11, only a few depict
women’s perspectives. Much of the literature focuses on men’s views
about the war. Moreover, non-western women have hardly written anything
that could be said to document feminist viewpoints on the war. After
Shock: September 11, 2001 – Global Feminist Perspectives reveals the
invisibility of women’s voices in condemning terrorism and in formulating
responses to the terrorist attacks. The anthology utilizes the voices of
women from different nationalities, professions, and cultural backgrounds,
and thus fills a significant gap: feminist voices on terror and war.
This book is one of the most welcome developments in voicing women’s
perspectives on terrorism.
The anthology is divided into two parts. Part 1, “Reactions,” has three
sections framed by three questions: “Whose Terrorism? 12 September to 7
October; Whose War? 8 October to 13 November ; and Whose Peace? 14
November to 8 March.” Captivating pieces in the first section include Robin ...