On October 19, Raza Rumi - scholar in residence at Honors Program - spoke at a conference on international rule of law and counterterrorism organized by Arizona State University and the New America Foundation in Washington D.C. He was part of a panel on local effects of U.S. counterrorism policies.
Raza Rumi spoke about the impact of counterrorism policies on Pakistan and how the semantics and policy instruments used by the United States had gained currency in the country and the broader South Asian region. From detention, targeted killings and other punitive measures, the states were using precedents by U.S. to curtail civil liberties. It was vital to reconfigure the instruments of counterterrorism and think beyond military solutions. The panel was moderated by Julia Fromholz, Director and Professor of Practice, Rule of Law & Governance Program, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law, Arizona State University and Dr. Aykan Erdemir a Former Member of the Turkish Parliament.
The event featured scholars, practitioners, and former senior government officials who explored whether U.S. counterterrorism policies and activities are consistent with the rule of law, how other countries are affected by these policies and efforts, and their impact on the United States' ability to help strengthen legal systems around the world.
The proceedings of the conference can be viewed online here.
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20161020175157422