September 11 in history

the long version

The ten essays in Dudziak's edited volume take issue with the portrayal of the September 11 attacks as a watershed moment in the history of the United States, Islam, and international relations. The authors do not dispute that the attacks affected existing social, political, and legal structures but that the ensuing changes were unprecedented. In other words, September 11 did not bring about a paradigmatic shift in policy-making, identity formation, and jurisprudence. Instead, it re-framed existing paradigms in such a manner that it is now more easily justified to dismiss democratic, egalitarian, and non-violent means in resolving domestic and international conflicts.