Melissa started following the work of abul hoque, University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Medical Science.
Melissa changed an About section.
Melissa changed an About section.
Faculty Member, Political Science; Global Studies
Lecturer
About
Ph.D (York University)
MA (University of Calgary)
BA (University of Alberta)
For the 2011-2012 academic year, I am teaching at Wilfrid Laurier University as an instructor for courses on conflict, peace-building, and politics in the Department of Political Science and the Department of Global Studies.
My primary areas of research are comparative political thought, comparative philosophy, and transnational terrorism.
One major publication on this topic is: Melissa Finn, Al-Qaeda and Sacrifice: Martyrdom, War and Politics (London: Pluto Press, 2012).
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Here is a short description:
Al-Qaeda and Sacrifice advances two central interventions in the study of terrorism. First, instead of seeing bombings through western conceptions of ‘suicide’ and self-death, I argue that it is more honest and helpful to examine this violent agency through the concept of sacrifice. The book provides a unique look at the way “sacrifice” is used in the Arabic language and in the writings of Islamists and jihadis, and offers sacrifice as an alternative to jihad.
Second, I query jihadi thought (on its own terms) as political theory worthy of engagement with the western political theory canon such as Machiavelli and von Clausewitz. I examine the potential of sacrifices in martyrdom operations to work in the capacity of politics-building and ultimately end with a critique of the heedless certainty of such violence.
The book is unique in capturing and explaining jihadi thinking beyond simple or apologetic accounts that seek to deny the jihadi his/her voice.
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On the side, I am highly interested in using apparently disparate philosophies and epistemologies as tools to examine political beingness. In particular, I enjoy dabbling in western continental thought, and medieval and modern Islamic philosophies like perennialism and Islamic feminist writings, and the esoteric epistemologies of Suhrawardi and Ibn Arabi. I have five years of teaching experience examining methodology and epistemology.
On the other side, I hope that future writings will examine the relationship between play and the development of politics. I am immensely inspired by the writings of Rudolf Steiner as they concern the emancipative and therapeutic potential of 'free play' for children and adults in war-torn regions.
For the Winter 2011 term, I lectured a fourth-year course at York University (Toronto, Canada): POLS 4075: Encounters of Islam and Modernity.
In the Fall 2010 term, I was Teaching Development Graduate Assistant (TDGA). I received my Master's Degree in Political Science from the University of Calgary with a focus in international relations (2005).
When I am not mothering or studying, I like to do creative writing and wood-working, grow exotic plants indoors, vermicompost, sew, garden, knit, cross-stitch, paint, make puzzles, research alternative education programs like the Waldorf Movement, and research green initiatives. I also love swimming, snow-boarding, cross-country skiing, hiking, and camping. I was a competitive swimmer from 1988 to 1998.
I currently reside in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada with my husband, Firas, our sons, and our five fluffy cats.
Contact Information
| Address: | Department of Political Science |
