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Shingetsu Electronic Journal of Japanese-Islamic Relations,
Volume 1, 2007 |
Research Papers
Editorializing 9/11: A News Discourse Analysis of the Asahi Shinbun, the
New Straits Times, and the New York Times
By Tan Chee Kuan and Tan Ban Chong
Abstract: This study analyzes interpretations of 9/11 in the editorials
of the Asahi Shinbun (Japan), the New Straits Times (Malaysia) and the
New York Times (U.S.) for a two-month period from September 12 to
November 12, 2001. News discourse analysis methods are applied to
examine textual structures for topics or themes beyond sentences within
the editorials. This study seeks to analyze the overall characterization
of 9/11, the contextualization (causes) of the event, and the perceived
consequences and recommended response by the newspapers. The findings
suggest that the newspapers have limited news frames in their
contextualization of 9/11, with the differences in their arguments
reflecting their respective country’s national interests, and to a
certain extent, the cultural values of their society. In the aftermath
of 9/11, terrorism has become more of an imminent peril than a
theoretical one for many people around the world. The news media may
report on people being terrorized by a wide range of events, but it is
the limited framing of such events in the news that runs the risk of
stoking public fears.
Tan Chee Kuan is an editorial staff member at the Kuala Lumpur Bureau of
the Nihon Keizai Shinbun.
Tan Ban Chong is a teaching assistant at the Department of Japanese
Studies, National University of Singapore.
The
U.S.-Japan Security Alliance and the Decision to Deploy the GSDF to Iraq
By Michael Penn
Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to examine Tokyo’s decision to
send elements of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Forces (GSDF) to the city
of Samawa, al-Muthanna Province, Iraq. In particular, the focus here
will be on the American factor; that is, to what degree and in what ways
the U.S.-Japan security alliance conditioned Tokyo’s responses to this
issue. The paper finds that the U.S.-Japan security alliance was indeed
the main factor determining Tokyo’s choices in this period—particularly
because it coincided with a crisis on the Korean peninsula. However,
this study finds that the role of Prime Minister Koizumi, Tokyo’s desire
for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council, and the rising
influence of Japanese neo-nationalists also played supporting roles in
these decisions. Finally, the paper suggests that Japanese
neo-nationalists are most likely to be the main political beneficiaries
of the Koizumi Administration’s policies toward Iraq.
Michael Penn is the Executive Director of the Shingetsu Institute for
the Study of Japanese-Islamic Relations.
Diversity as
Advantage in a "Homogeneous" Society: The Educational Environment for
Muslims in Japan
By Hideki Maruyama
Abstract: Japan is one of the most homogeneous major nations in the
world and needs to take action against population decline in order to
maintain its economic future. Education based on efficient
teacher-centered approaches accelerated past economic development, but
today's dynamic world requires more flexibility in coping with rapid
changes. The number of children is decreasing in Japan; and meanwhile,
the proportion of non-Japanese children is increasing. These children
represent different cultures and bring the necessity for change in
schools. However, school administrations and classroom teachers have not
accumulated and shared enough experience to understand different
cultures such as Islam. This article focuses on the educational
environment for Muslims, and the potentials for endogenous development
of the Japanese educational system. The author briefly summarizes the
concepts of Islam and education, the Muslim experience of Islamophobia,
and human resources development for both Muslim and non-Muslim students.
He suggests that Muslim students can be key people in shaping the future
of a more tolerant Japanese society.
Hideki Maruyama is at the National Institute for Educational Policy
Research (NIER). |
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Source: Shingetsu Institute |
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