EXPERTS ADVISORY

Experts at the University of Michigan are available to discuss the July 14 attack in Nice, France:

Mark Tessler, professor of political science, conducts public opinion surveys throughout the Middle East and studies attitudes toward political Islam. He will soon be releasing a book on the subject. Tessler also co-directs the Arab Barometer Survey project.

“This is a tragic and senseless act, and it reminds us of both the need for, and the difficulty of, implementing security measures that prevent terrorist acts by a ‘lone wolf’ who one day decides on his own to carry out violence against innocent men and women,” he said.

“But the events in Nice should also tell us how misguided and counter-productive are the so-called ‘solutions’ that some political personalities are now calling for. It’s distressing that a horrible act by a petty criminal, who may be Muslim but appears neither to know very much about the teachings of Islam nor to maintain a lifestyle that respects those teachings, should be used by those with political motivations to argue that Islam is responsible for this man’s actions and that all Muslims must therefore be treated as potential terrorists.”

Contact: 734-615-9149, tessler@umich.edu

 Juan Cole, professor of history, studies the ongoing political change in the Arab world.

Cole recently wrote on his blog Informed Comment: “The elite Paris counter-terrorism unit has been mobilized. But the fact is that most unfortunately, this kind of attack probably cannot be forestalled. No amount of surveillance or suspension of civil liberties could stop a single individual or small cell of close friends or relatives from committing a soft-target nihilistic attack of this sort.”

Contact: 734-764-6305, jrcole@umich.edu

 Julia Sonnevend, assistant professor of communication studies, researches coverage of major media events. Her current book project, “Stories Without Borders: The Making of a Global Iconic Event,” explores practices of transnational storytelling and the making of global iconic events.

Contact: 734-936-2535, sonneven@umich.edu

More information:

• Blog: Informed Comment