The impact of Australian counter-terrorism measures: a qualitative study of the perceptions of young Arab Muslims and the discourse of Islam in news media

Abstract: This master thesis address the issue of what it means to be a young Arab Muslim in the context of Australia's “war against terrorism” and ask how these young citizens perceive and experience the impact of the current counter-terrorism machinery. Since the interview results illuminated the role of media in shaping the perceptions of these young Muslims, patterns in and across Australian news media are analysed in order to identify discursive representations of Islam and Muslims. The hypothesis is that Islam and Muslims may be misrepresented in Australian media and that there is a stereotyping and negative reporting of Muslims, due to various types of linguistic choice. Under the joint theoretical leadership of Van Dijk and Said, the thesis was carried out using critical discourse analysis and the notion of Orientalism as a theoretical framework. Methodologically, the research design is of qualitative character. Semi-structured interviews were conducted in order to meet the first objective and a qualitative discourse analysis was performed to meet the second. Two themes, including a range of sub-themes, were prevalent in the interview material: Psychological effects and social impact. One of the major findings is that, not only law and policy but also the media and news media discourses impact on the lives and perceptions of young Arab Muslims in Australia. The critical discourse analysis reveals that ideological elements are reflected in news media representations of Islam and Muslims, and these in turn impact on the lives of young Arab Muslims. Nevertheless, the analysis also reveals elements of counter discourses, which resonates with the narratives of the young Muslims. These highlight, among other things, the fact that generalizations about Islam are counterproductive and likely to foster friction and tension within our societies.