This article examines the rising divergence but convergence of selfdetermination and secessionist... more This article examines the rising divergence but convergence of selfdetermination and secessionist campaigns in Nigeria. For a contextual analysis, it turns to Edward Azar’s protracted social conflict (PSC) theory, exploring the connections between communal disgruntlement and self-determination. The analysis indicates a significant relationship between communal dissatisfaction and self-determination. Through purposive sampling, it selected 44 in-depth interview respondents to obtain complementary qualitative data that were content analysed. In contrast to the 1960s secessionism, which was largely restricted to Eastern Nigeria, combined with the legacies of colonial rule, popularity of ethno-religious politics, an increase in insecurity and violence, economic hardship, communal insecurity, and deeper perception of ethnic marginalisation, the current wave of selfdetermination is more contagious and politically attractive in three (South West (SW), South East (SE) and South (SS) –) of the existing six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The article concludes, returning to the erstwhile regionalism will salvage Nigeria from territorial disintegration.
Policy Perspectives: The Journal of the Institute of Policy Studies, 2015
Of recent, newspapers across Europe carry headlines portraying Muslim radicalism. This is true gi... more Of recent, newspapers across Europe carry headlines portraying Muslim radicalism. This is true giving the complicity of Muslim youth in various violent attacks. The headlines resonate amidst the growing nationalism in Europe, deeply tainted and lanced with conservatism. The Charlie Hebdo attack equally reiterated the protracted debates on the extent to which Islam is compatible with Western ethos. The attack further brought to surface the issue of freedom of expression, an essential part of Western democracy. This raises questions such as: who determines and what constitutes the public sphere; what are the lines of distinctions between the private and public domains; should there be a level of shared respect between the majority and minority; are European Muslims an integral part of the mainstream European society; what factors shape the radicalization of European Muslim youth; does religion actually have huge space in their minds; and, how much does constructivism present and resol...
Policy Perspectives: The Journal of the Institute of Policy Studies, 2017
Among other compelling factors, the ramifications of the Eurozone crisis and a contentious refuge... more Among other compelling factors, the ramifications of the Eurozone crisis and a contentious refugee crisis at the European shores and borders gave incentive to the re-assertion of European populism. Across continental Europe, populist politics is undoubtedly gaining political spotlight; though they remain peripheral within the large political sphere. Arguably, these parties often exhibit certain traits, which lead to their monolithic description, yet there is incongruity amongst them. In as much as democracy allows the freedom of expression and liberal political participation, it is nevertheless embedded with degree of contradictions. The narratives and actions of European populist parties and their constituents embody those contradictions. These contradictions by extension contrive radical effects on the European political theatre. Radical populist politics that now inundates European political landscape is actually spirited by the existence of hibernated but political radical germs...
For quite too long, the West has portrayed itself as the custodian of civilization and civility w... more For quite too long, the West has portrayed itself as the custodian of civilization and civility worthy of emulation by the rest of the world. Such characterisation of itself explains the epoch of European colonialism and the successive Western policies that have not only exponentially underdeveloped the Global South, but also caused an intellectual and cultural inferiority complex. While this debate may not be uniquely unknown, this paper problematises the concept of cosmopolitanism, a long debated idea believed to have originated from the West that has been globalised through colonialism and the Eurocentric international system. This paper explores the dichotomous representation of cosmopolitanism vis-à-vis diversity and inclusion. To place the discussion in perspective, the paper addresses the issue of populism, COVID-19, racism, and refugee crisis to expose several embedded contradictions and inconsistencies. It concludes arguing for a more inclusive and transparent representatio...
This article shares empirical data about the returned and resettled natives and communities of No... more This article shares empirical data about the returned and resettled natives and communities of North Waziristan Tribal District in Pakistan, which are undergoing the processes of post-conflict reconstruction and development. In order to present an analysis of the impact of prolonged conflict-induced displacement on the spatially excluded (or bounded) communities of North Waziristan, an inductive approach utilising qualitative methods and semi-structured interviews has been adopted to establish detailed accounts of the ‘networks of interactions’ and ‘displacement-induced exposure’. The findings further suggest that these interactions and networks are transcending and redefining the margins (viz. material space), and the social space of North Waziristan since the natives have expressed growing inclinations towards movement in mainstream Pakistan. The aforementioned arguments establish new perspectives—admittedly controversial—where prolonged conflict-induced displacement has attribute...
Many existing studies and researches have shown the link between vaccine hesitancy and rurality. ... more Many existing studies and researches have shown the link between vaccine hesitancy and rurality. To test the validity of this assertion, this paper uses COVID-19 vaccine as a reference case and tries to understand vaccine hesitancy in urban communities through the conceptual lens of post-truth. The argument enunciated in the paper is based on data gathered through an online survey, conducted from May to October 2021. Thematically, this paper identified two themes: ‘mistrust’ and ‘misinformation’, revealing the coupling effect of the themes and the intersection of vaccine hesitancy and post-truth in two urban (Islamabad and Rawalpindi) communities of Pakistan. While the discussions were contextual, this paper epistemically shows that the reality of COVID-19 was blurred by misinformation which translated into cynicism, mistrust and hesitancy for COVID-19 vaccine and the outcome proved why health security must be taken seriously, especially in the post-truth era.
History of tense relations between India and Pakistan dates back to the time of independence of b... more History of tense relations between India and Pakistan dates back to the time of independence of both the states from the British Raj in 1947. Nonetheless, attempts have been made to pave the way for peace and trust building but in vain. This study looks at idiosyncrasy in policy making by looking at three different attacks that took place in India and the response of New Delhi to each. It further explores the personality of Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi vis-à-vis his religious and ideological beliefs and also analyses the extent to which these factors sway Modi in formulating policy particularly towards Indian minority (Muslims) and neighbours like Pakistan. Employing content analysis of the daily Dawn with the timeline of 2001 to 2019, the paper methodologically looks at three significant attacks in Indian administered territories till the Pulwama bombing. To have a perspective of the latter, this paper raises the question why the attack on the Indian parliament and Mumbai...
The paper explores the recent invasion of another Muslim state under the auspices of UNSC's r... more The paper explores the recent invasion of another Muslim state under the auspices of UNSC's resolution 1973 and shouldered by NATO. The crisis in Libya leading to the invasion demands deeper understanding of the societal foundation of this North African country. It is equally important not to analyze the events in isolation and independent of the unfolding realities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Libya crisis is significant because unlike similar uprising in the region, it was singled out for foreign intervention. Thus, this piece is therefore looking at the invasion with a multifaceted lens by exploring competing worldviews on the intervention. This piece will also not fail to identify the possible fallouts of the invasion, keeping in view the opportunists and losers of the intervention. This paper argues that the military intervention in Libya depicts the continuous transformation facing the modern state system and more particularly contributes to our understa...
The unabated and incessant conflicts emerging from the Middle East are quick reminders amongst th... more The unabated and incessant conflicts emerging from the Middle East are quick reminders amongst the observers who espouse the view that the region will always remain conflict ridden. The history of the larger Middle East (Middle East, North Africa, and countries sharing cultural and historical identity with the Middle East) has always been crafted, shaped, constructed, and reconstructed not just by the domestic stakeholders but has equally been swayed by structural systemic factors. Rather than construing the Middle East crisis as mere spontaneous happenings, effort is made to contextually and theoretically put the crises in perspective. The utility of the latter is not just a raw academic venture that tends to generate discussion for the sake of argument; instead the attempt is geared at shaping a holistic understanding of conflict in the Middle East by bridging history and contemporary realities. The paper theoretically sheds light on the conflict in the Middle East, focusing on re...
Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, 2022
Since making it out as the most powerful nation following the Second World War, Washington has de... more Since making it out as the most powerful nation following the Second World War, Washington has demonstrated and employed two independent yet interlocking policies of Exceptionalism and Containment in its foreign policy. American exceptionalism is ingrained in its pride as the most powerful military and economic power, and a champion of democracy. While Washington sees itself as exceptional, it also believes that the fruition of its national interest and strategic objectives depends on bestowing friendly states with exceptional code. To place the discussion in perspective, we take Iran as a case study and explore the transition of Iran from being a recipient of American exceptional code, a strategic tool of American containment policy, to becoming an object of containment itself. The article applies George Kennan’s exceptionalism and containment strategy on USA–Iran relations in both Shah’s rule and post-revolution era. We conclude that decades of US exceptionalism in the region have...
Liberal democracy is hailed as one of the finest systems of government; it allows for differences... more Liberal democracy is hailed as one of the finest systems of government; it allows for differences of political views, and hence, the incursion of radical views punctuates political landscapes all over the world. The assertiveness of contemporary European populism exemplifies the embedded permissiveness of democracy, though such tolerance paves the way for populist political rhetoric geared at further breaking already ruptured socialisation structures. The strength of contemporary European populism can be fairly explicated through a constructivist prism. In addition to contributing to socialisation breakdown, populism has demonstrated how socially constructed narratives can redefine democracy, cause political infection, and create a new normal. Populism also proves that European electorates are rational political consumers, rational enough to change loyalty and accommodate a new political product.
This article examines the rising divergence but convergence of selfdetermination and secessionist... more This article examines the rising divergence but convergence of selfdetermination and secessionist campaigns in Nigeria. For a contextual analysis, it turns to Edward Azar’s protracted social conflict (PSC) theory, exploring the connections between communal disgruntlement and self-determination. The analysis indicates a significant relationship between communal dissatisfaction and self-determination. Through purposive sampling, it selected 44 in-depth interview respondents to obtain complementary qualitative data that were content analysed. In contrast to the 1960s secessionism, which was largely restricted to Eastern Nigeria, combined with the legacies of colonial rule, popularity of ethno-religious politics, an increase in insecurity and violence, economic hardship, communal insecurity, and deeper perception of ethnic marginalisation, the current wave of selfdetermination is more contagious and politically attractive in three (South West (SW), South East (SE) and South (SS) –) of the existing six geopolitical zones in Nigeria. The article concludes, returning to the erstwhile regionalism will salvage Nigeria from territorial disintegration.
Policy Perspectives: The Journal of the Institute of Policy Studies, 2015
Of recent, newspapers across Europe carry headlines portraying Muslim radicalism. This is true gi... more Of recent, newspapers across Europe carry headlines portraying Muslim radicalism. This is true giving the complicity of Muslim youth in various violent attacks. The headlines resonate amidst the growing nationalism in Europe, deeply tainted and lanced with conservatism. The Charlie Hebdo attack equally reiterated the protracted debates on the extent to which Islam is compatible with Western ethos. The attack further brought to surface the issue of freedom of expression, an essential part of Western democracy. This raises questions such as: who determines and what constitutes the public sphere; what are the lines of distinctions between the private and public domains; should there be a level of shared respect between the majority and minority; are European Muslims an integral part of the mainstream European society; what factors shape the radicalization of European Muslim youth; does religion actually have huge space in their minds; and, how much does constructivism present and resol...
Policy Perspectives: The Journal of the Institute of Policy Studies, 2017
Among other compelling factors, the ramifications of the Eurozone crisis and a contentious refuge... more Among other compelling factors, the ramifications of the Eurozone crisis and a contentious refugee crisis at the European shores and borders gave incentive to the re-assertion of European populism. Across continental Europe, populist politics is undoubtedly gaining political spotlight; though they remain peripheral within the large political sphere. Arguably, these parties often exhibit certain traits, which lead to their monolithic description, yet there is incongruity amongst them. In as much as democracy allows the freedom of expression and liberal political participation, it is nevertheless embedded with degree of contradictions. The narratives and actions of European populist parties and their constituents embody those contradictions. These contradictions by extension contrive radical effects on the European political theatre. Radical populist politics that now inundates European political landscape is actually spirited by the existence of hibernated but political radical germs...
For quite too long, the West has portrayed itself as the custodian of civilization and civility w... more For quite too long, the West has portrayed itself as the custodian of civilization and civility worthy of emulation by the rest of the world. Such characterisation of itself explains the epoch of European colonialism and the successive Western policies that have not only exponentially underdeveloped the Global South, but also caused an intellectual and cultural inferiority complex. While this debate may not be uniquely unknown, this paper problematises the concept of cosmopolitanism, a long debated idea believed to have originated from the West that has been globalised through colonialism and the Eurocentric international system. This paper explores the dichotomous representation of cosmopolitanism vis-à-vis diversity and inclusion. To place the discussion in perspective, the paper addresses the issue of populism, COVID-19, racism, and refugee crisis to expose several embedded contradictions and inconsistencies. It concludes arguing for a more inclusive and transparent representatio...
This article shares empirical data about the returned and resettled natives and communities of No... more This article shares empirical data about the returned and resettled natives and communities of North Waziristan Tribal District in Pakistan, which are undergoing the processes of post-conflict reconstruction and development. In order to present an analysis of the impact of prolonged conflict-induced displacement on the spatially excluded (or bounded) communities of North Waziristan, an inductive approach utilising qualitative methods and semi-structured interviews has been adopted to establish detailed accounts of the ‘networks of interactions’ and ‘displacement-induced exposure’. The findings further suggest that these interactions and networks are transcending and redefining the margins (viz. material space), and the social space of North Waziristan since the natives have expressed growing inclinations towards movement in mainstream Pakistan. The aforementioned arguments establish new perspectives—admittedly controversial—where prolonged conflict-induced displacement has attribute...
Many existing studies and researches have shown the link between vaccine hesitancy and rurality. ... more Many existing studies and researches have shown the link between vaccine hesitancy and rurality. To test the validity of this assertion, this paper uses COVID-19 vaccine as a reference case and tries to understand vaccine hesitancy in urban communities through the conceptual lens of post-truth. The argument enunciated in the paper is based on data gathered through an online survey, conducted from May to October 2021. Thematically, this paper identified two themes: ‘mistrust’ and ‘misinformation’, revealing the coupling effect of the themes and the intersection of vaccine hesitancy and post-truth in two urban (Islamabad and Rawalpindi) communities of Pakistan. While the discussions were contextual, this paper epistemically shows that the reality of COVID-19 was blurred by misinformation which translated into cynicism, mistrust and hesitancy for COVID-19 vaccine and the outcome proved why health security must be taken seriously, especially in the post-truth era.
History of tense relations between India and Pakistan dates back to the time of independence of b... more History of tense relations between India and Pakistan dates back to the time of independence of both the states from the British Raj in 1947. Nonetheless, attempts have been made to pave the way for peace and trust building but in vain. This study looks at idiosyncrasy in policy making by looking at three different attacks that took place in India and the response of New Delhi to each. It further explores the personality of Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi vis-à-vis his religious and ideological beliefs and also analyses the extent to which these factors sway Modi in formulating policy particularly towards Indian minority (Muslims) and neighbours like Pakistan. Employing content analysis of the daily Dawn with the timeline of 2001 to 2019, the paper methodologically looks at three significant attacks in Indian administered territories till the Pulwama bombing. To have a perspective of the latter, this paper raises the question why the attack on the Indian parliament and Mumbai...
The paper explores the recent invasion of another Muslim state under the auspices of UNSC's r... more The paper explores the recent invasion of another Muslim state under the auspices of UNSC's resolution 1973 and shouldered by NATO. The crisis in Libya leading to the invasion demands deeper understanding of the societal foundation of this North African country. It is equally important not to analyze the events in isolation and independent of the unfolding realities in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). The Libya crisis is significant because unlike similar uprising in the region, it was singled out for foreign intervention. Thus, this piece is therefore looking at the invasion with a multifaceted lens by exploring competing worldviews on the intervention. This piece will also not fail to identify the possible fallouts of the invasion, keeping in view the opportunists and losers of the intervention. This paper argues that the military intervention in Libya depicts the continuous transformation facing the modern state system and more particularly contributes to our understa...
The unabated and incessant conflicts emerging from the Middle East are quick reminders amongst th... more The unabated and incessant conflicts emerging from the Middle East are quick reminders amongst the observers who espouse the view that the region will always remain conflict ridden. The history of the larger Middle East (Middle East, North Africa, and countries sharing cultural and historical identity with the Middle East) has always been crafted, shaped, constructed, and reconstructed not just by the domestic stakeholders but has equally been swayed by structural systemic factors. Rather than construing the Middle East crisis as mere spontaneous happenings, effort is made to contextually and theoretically put the crises in perspective. The utility of the latter is not just a raw academic venture that tends to generate discussion for the sake of argument; instead the attempt is geared at shaping a holistic understanding of conflict in the Middle East by bridging history and contemporary realities. The paper theoretically sheds light on the conflict in the Middle East, focusing on re...
Journal of Asian Security and International Affairs, 2022
Since making it out as the most powerful nation following the Second World War, Washington has de... more Since making it out as the most powerful nation following the Second World War, Washington has demonstrated and employed two independent yet interlocking policies of Exceptionalism and Containment in its foreign policy. American exceptionalism is ingrained in its pride as the most powerful military and economic power, and a champion of democracy. While Washington sees itself as exceptional, it also believes that the fruition of its national interest and strategic objectives depends on bestowing friendly states with exceptional code. To place the discussion in perspective, we take Iran as a case study and explore the transition of Iran from being a recipient of American exceptional code, a strategic tool of American containment policy, to becoming an object of containment itself. The article applies George Kennan’s exceptionalism and containment strategy on USA–Iran relations in both Shah’s rule and post-revolution era. We conclude that decades of US exceptionalism in the region have...
Liberal democracy is hailed as one of the finest systems of government; it allows for differences... more Liberal democracy is hailed as one of the finest systems of government; it allows for differences of political views, and hence, the incursion of radical views punctuates political landscapes all over the world. The assertiveness of contemporary European populism exemplifies the embedded permissiveness of democracy, though such tolerance paves the way for populist political rhetoric geared at further breaking already ruptured socialisation structures. The strength of contemporary European populism can be fairly explicated through a constructivist prism. In addition to contributing to socialisation breakdown, populism has demonstrated how socially constructed narratives can redefine democracy, cause political infection, and create a new normal. Populism also proves that European electorates are rational political consumers, rational enough to change loyalty and accommodate a new political product.
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Papers by Najimdeen Bakare