The Islamist threat in Southeast Asia: much ado about nothing?

Professor John Sidel argues that coverage of terrorist events in South East Asia focuses on description, rather than explanation, events rather than causes. He suggests that Islamist forces in South East Asia are in retreat: terrorist violence reflects frustration at a reduction in political influence, not a rising tide of Islamisation. In a review of the situation in four individual countries, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Southern Thailand, he asserts that the number of terrorist attacks is not increasing and in Indonesia at least is in absolute decline. This article is based on a lecture he delivered as part of the Southeast Asia Seminar Series at St Antony's College, University of Oxford.