Author: Nassef Manabilang Adiong

Nassef is the founder of Co-IRIS (International Relations and Islamic Studies Research Cohort), PHISO (Philippine International Studies Organization), DSRN (Decolonial Studies Research Network), and BRLN (Bangsamoro Research and Legal Network). He works on interdisciplinary research between Islam and International Relations and explores the Bangsamoro society as he heads the Policy Research and Legal Services (PRLS) of the Bangsamoro Parliament. Visit https://nassef.info/ for more details.

Securitization: Understanding its Process in International Relations

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In its broadest and academic term, “security” has been defined contemporarily by Buzan and Wæver (1998) as being that special type of politics in which specified developments are socially constructed threats, having an existential quality to cover values and/or assets of human collectivities and leading to a call for emergency measures.

However, surveying the old traditional perceptions of security dating back from Plato, Aristotle, Confucius, to Rousseau, Kant, Kautilya, to Hobbes, Machiavelli and to Morgenthau, I found out a linkage of a security study in answering human’s physiological needs that is interpreted in varied disciplines from Philosophy, Political Science to International Relations.

Their arguments were presented in the study done by Solidum et al (1991, p. 13-16), to Plato such path leading to security was presented in his ideal republic. The total security, both spiritual and material, was brought about the creation of a new society and all its institutions based on the right principles of social existence. Plato related these principles to the idea of the universal Good as governing nature.

For Aristotle the quest for security was connected with his idea of fullness of being and ideal nature. This took the form of instinctive striving after perfection as embodied in the species. In the area of man’s social or political life, security arrangements manifested themselves in certain types of social systems said to be harmony with nature or in conformity with man’s striving after full development of himself or the Good’s life. For Confucius security was associated with commitments to certain universal principles of conduct. The ultimate aim was to bring about a condition of universal social harmony and stability. Goodness of human nature was often assumed which, if damaged, could be restored mainly by proper education.

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The U.S. and Israel Securitization of Iran’s Nuclear Energy

 

The speech act made by the U.S. and Israel has been a tremendous effective instrument in convincing the world that the ambition of Iran of acquiring nuclear energy is capable to become an existential threat to the whole world. It is in this regard that the proponent had scrutinized how the U.S. and Israel securitized Iran’s nuclear issue.

The Copenhagen School (CS) on securitization was utilized as the paradigm, which the paper had critically analyzed the process made by the U.S. and Israel. The following key points are the characters attributed from the CS thesis: (1) Iran’s nuclear ambition as a security issue determined to be a social construction presented as posing an existential threat to a designated object. (2) The governments of the U.S. and Israel were considered the securitizing actors. (3) The Americans and Israelis were the referent objects that possessed legitimate claim to survival and that their existences are ostensibly threatened. (4) This will be successful if the specific audiences i.e. the American and Israel political elites, businessmen and their public opinion are convinced. And (5) the most important is the language of security which is the ‘speech act’, this can be realized with the help of declarations, policies, speeches of leaders, and sensationalizing the issue through the medium of international media because it informs and influences the perception of reality and has direct impact on human behavior and outcome.

Therefore, the proponent concludes that based on historical facts; it shows that the U.S. and her allies were the culprit and perpetrators in giving Iran the capacity to develop nuclear energy, though a part of the blame should also go to the Shah’s administration or the Pahlavi dynasty’s thirst for power and greediness which were in contrast with Islamic principles and beliefs.

Keywords:
Copenhagen and Singaporean Securitization theories, Iran’s Nuclear Energy, Israel’s Speech Act, the United States’ Speech Act, United Nations

NB. Paper presented on February 28, 2009 at Bulwagang Sala’am, Romulo Hall, University of the Philippines-Diliman at 9:30 – 11:30 AM. An updated version of “The U.S. and Israel Securitization of Iran’s Nuclear Energy” was presented at the 2nd (Virtual) International Conference on Iran and World Contemporary Developments at Imam Khomeini International University in the Qazvin City of the Islamic Republic of Iran on 5-7 October 2011.

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University of the East awards ‘Magna cum Laude’ to Nassef Manabilang Adiong (29 November 2006)

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Vice President Manuel “Noli” L. de Castro Jr. will be conferred the degree of Doctor of Humanities, Honoris Causa, by the University of the East (UE) during the school’s 8th Midyear Commencement Rites today, 8:30 a.m., at the Philippine International Convention.

Before becoming a broadcaster, a senator, and vice president, De Castro studied and graduated from UE in 1971 with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Commerce, Major in Banking and Finance.

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He was named one of the 60 Most Outstanding UE Alumni Awardees by the 60-year-old university this year during the school’s Diamond Jubilee celebration. De Castro is UE’s 22nd Honoris Causa awardee and the fifth UE alumnus to be conferred the honor.

The midyear college graduates — students of UE’s Manila and Caloocan campuses who completed their studies last summer or in the first semester of school-year 2006-2007 — are led by Nassef M. Adiong who will graduate with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, Major in International Studies, magna cum laude.

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Luis D. Maglipon, Bachelor of Science in Accountancy, and Ervin M. Masangkay, Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, will receive cum laude honors.

Manila Bulletin, 29 November 2006

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Relationship between Balik-Islam (Muslim Reverts) and full-fledged Muslims under the Auspices of Islamic Teachings in Philippine Setting

This study will be composed of two presentations; the first one is a personal narratives differences between two prominent personalities in the league of ulamas about perceptions on Islamic theology and contemporary plight of Muslims in the Philippines.

One is a full-fledged Muslim in the person of Uztadz Muhammad H. Cana, while the other one is a balik-Islam in the person of Hajji Abdul Salam. The framework used is Sakili′s model of Muslim space, each of their views and insights will be examined by determinants extracted by the researcher from his book.

The second one is a material presentation of getting a sample of 10 respondents from the group of Muslims and Balik-Islam. They will be given a questionnaire and answer it with yes or no responses. Thus, this will be attest to the relationship that the researcher would like to posit in his hypothesis.

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The Historical Emergence of the Main Forms of Actors in the Middle East and North Africa Region

This paper will focused on the historical antecedents of actors involved in creating and developing Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, and what are the differences amongst them. The timeline will begin in the aftermath of the Ottoman Empire that materialized into the advent of the European colonizations and birth of nation-states.

Revolutions spark all over the Fertile Crescent, when the Arabs knew that the twilight of the Ottomans are now commencing. According to Aroian and Mitchell (1984, p. 164), from the 1919 Syrian resistance that was affirmed by their French protectors through the provisions laid down in the League of Nations has led to the Iraqi revolt of 1920, which was resembled by British India and Egypt in the days of Lord Cromer because they were inspired by the Syrian revolution.

In generalization prism, all of the Arabian Peninsula is interconnected to each other with regards to their struggle for freedom and independence. In Halpern (1963, p. 256) contends that the San Remo Conference, in addition to confirming allied plans for Iraq and Syria, granted Britain a mandate that combined Palestine and Transjordan (the area across or east of the Jordan River).

Prior to the partition, Palestine had been part of greater Syria, while present-day Jordan was viewed as part of both Syria and Arabia. Ottoman administrative divisions had not included the terms Palestine and Jordan. When Britain obtained the mandate for Palestine at San Remo, the intention was that a national home for Jews should be set up in Palestine, but it was stated explicitly that not all conditions of the mandate would necessarily apply to the entire area.

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