A Critical Discourse Analysis of Raheel Sharif's Speeches
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NARRATIVE OF COUNTER TERRORISM: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF RAHEEL SHARIF’S SPEECHES By AHMED BILAL KHALID NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES ISLAMABAD February, 2019 Narrative Of Counter Terrorism: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Raheel Sharif’s Speeches By AHMED BILAL KHALID B.S. Hons. English, National University Of Modern Languages Islamabad, 2015 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF PHILOSOPHY In English To FACULTY OF LANGUAGES NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES, ISLAMABAD Ahmed Bilal Khalid, 2019 ii NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF MODERN LANGUAGES FACULTY OF LANGUAGES THESIS AND DEFENSE APPROVAL FORM The undersigned certify that they have read the following thesis, examined the defense, are satisfied with the overall exam performance, and recommend the thesis to the Faculty of Languages for acceptance. Thesis Title: Narrative Of Counter Terrorism: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Raheel Sharif’s Speeches Submitted By: Ahmed Bilal Khalid Registration #:1151 MPhil/Eng/S16 Master of Philosophy Degree name in full English Linguistics Name of Discipline Dr. Muhammad Yousuf ______________________ Name of Research Supervisor Signature of Research Supervisor Prof. Dr. Muhammad Safeer Awan _______________________ Name of Dean (FoL) Signature of Dean (FoL) Brig. Muhammad Ibrahim ___________________________ Name of DG Signature of DG __________________________ Date iii CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION I Ahmed Bilal Khalid Son of Naeem Khalid Registration # 1151 MPhil/Eng/S16 Discipline English Linguistics Candidate of Master of Philosophy at the National University of Modern Languages do hereby declare that the thesis Narrative Of Counter Terrorism: A Critical Discourse Analysis Of Raheel Sharif’s Speeches submitted by me in partial fulfillment of MPhil degree, is my original work, and has not been submitted or published earlier. I also solemnly declare that it shall not, in future, be submitted by me for obtaining any other degree from this or any other university or institution. I also understand that if evidence of plagiarism is found in my thesis/dissertation at any stage, even after the award of a degree, the work may be cancelled and the degree revoked. _________________________ Signature of Candidate _________________________ Name of Candidate Date iv ABSTRACT Title: Narrative Of Counter-Terrorism: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Raheel Sharif’s Speeches. The most significant means that aids in engendering perspectives, ideologies, and agendas is the words of leadership. Speeches of leadership are of paramount importance in the formulation and representation of narratives and ideologies. Leaders use language to establish the ideological standing at the social level. The current study examines the speeches of General(R) Raheel Sharif through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). The study engages the ‘Ideological Square Model (1998)’ to examine the narrative of counter terrorism. Eight speeches of Raheel Sharif from Post Army Public School (APS), Peshawar attack have been selected to analyze the narrative of counter terrorism communicated by him. The post-APS attack speeches were selected specifically because the country’s narrative to counter terrorism took a swift turn after the tragic incident of December, 2014. The study is qualitative in nature. The result of the study reveals that the language used by Raheel Sharif has a major role in forming the narrative of counter terrorism at the international canvas. Discursive tools such as polarization, actor description, comparison, authority, euphemism, evidentiality, victimization, vagueness etc, are underscored that were frequently used by General Raheel Sharif. The result of the research shows that the speaker has used actor description to show positive self-representation of his in-group members, and to differentiate the actions of in-group and out-group members. Finally, the study reveals how the narrative of counter terrorism was redefined in the speeches of Raheel Sharif. The study is unique in that no prior significant work has been done to investigate the narrative of counter terrorism through the speeches of military leadership. Moreover, it is an illustration for reference of the application of the ideological square model to the speeches of political and military leadership. v TABLE OF CONTENTS THESIS AND DEFENSE APPROVAL FORM………………..…………..ii CANDIDATE’S DECLARATION……………………………….………..iii ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………….…iv TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………….…….…….v LIST OF TABLES…………………………………...................................xi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS……………………………………..…...…...xiii DEDICATION………………………………………………..…………..xiv 1.INTRODUCTION………………………………………..……………...1 1.1Statement of theProblem…………………………..……………....….....5 1.2 Research Questions……………………………………………...……...6 1.3 Research Objectives…………………………………………………….6 1.4 Delimitation…………………………………………………………….6 1.5 Significance of the study……………….…………………………........7 2.LITERATURE REVIEW…………………………………….………...9 2.1 Language………………………………………………….…………....9 2.1.1 Distinction between Language and Speech…………………………..9 2.2 Discourse……………………………………………………..………..10 2.3 Narrative……………………………………………………..………...10 2.3.1 Narrative: An Instrument to Attain Political Objectives..…………...11 2.3.2 Narrative in Political Speeches……………………………………....11 2.4 Framing…………………………………………………………..…….16 2.5 Terrorism………………………………………………………..……..17 2.5.1 Counter-Terrorism Narrative………………………………………...19 2.5.2 Eastern versus Western Approaches to Counter-terrorism Narrative..21 2.6 Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA)……………………………………23 2.6.1 Van Dijk and the Spin of Language…………………………………24 vi 3.RESEARCH METHDOLOGY……………………………………….28 3.1 Nature of the Study…………………………………………………….28 3.2 Rationale for Topic Selection………………………………………….29 3.3 Methodology…………………………………………………………...30 3.4 Sampling……………………………………………………………….31 3.4.1 Criteria for Selection of Sampling…………......……………………31 3.4.2 Timeline for the Collection of Sampling………………..…….....…32 3.5 Procedure………………………………………………………………32 3.6 Theoretical Framework……………………………………………..… 33 3.7 Conclusion……………………………..……………………………... 36 4.DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS…………………………….37 4.1. Analysis of Speech no.1…………………………………………….…37 1.Actor…......................................................................................................41 A. Positive Self-Representation…………………………………….....….42 B. Negative Presentation of Them……………………………………..…44 2.Authority:……………………………………………………….……….45 3.Victimization……………………………………………………………45 4.Evidentiality…………………………………………………………......46 5.Vagueness…………………………………………………………...…..46 6.Pre-Supposition………………………………………………….………47 7.Disclaimer……………………………………………………….………47 8.Polarization…………………………………………………………...…48 4.2 Analysis of Speech no.2…………………………………………….....49 1.Actor……………………………………………………………….........50 A. Positive Self-Representation………………………………………....50 B. Negative Presentation of Them…………………………………….....51 2.Categorization…………………………………………………..………..52 vii A. Peace and Terrorism……………………………………….…………52 3.Comparison…………………………………………………..………….53 A. Good vs Evil…………………………………………….…………...53 B. Youth vs Terrorists……………………………..…………................53 4.Authority…………………………………………………..…………….54 5.Victimization…………………………………………...……………….54 6.Evidentiality…………………………………………………………….55 7.Irony…………………………………………………………………….55 8.Euphemism……………………………………………………………...55 9.Presupposition…………………………………………………………..56 10.Polarization……………………………………………………………56 11.Implication…………………………………………………………….57 12.Vagueness……………………………………………………………..57 13.Disclaimer……………………………………………………………..57 4.3 Analysis of Speech No.3……………………………………………..59 1.Actor……………………………………………………………………62 A. Positive Self-Representation………………………………………...62 B. Negative Presentation of Them……………………..………………62 2.Authority………………………………………………………………..63 3.Evidentiality…………………………………………………………….63 4.Polarization……………………………………………………………..64 5.Categorization…………………………………………………………..65 6.Comparison……………………………………………………………..65 A. Cadets vs. Enemies………………………………………………….65 B. Good vs Evil………………………………………………………..65 4.4 Analysis of Speech no.4………………………………………………67 1.Actor…………………………………………………………………….67 viii A. Positive Self-Representation…………………………………………67 B. Negative Other Representation……………………………………......69 2.Generalizations………………………………………………………….69 3.Authority………………………………………………………………...69 4.Categorization…………………………………………………………...70 5.Evidentiality……………………………………………………………..70 6.Disclaimer………………………………………………….……………71 A. Martyrs and Veterans of War……………………………………..…..71 B. Military Operations………………………………………………......71 7.Euphemism………………………………………………….…………..71 8.Hyperbole…………………………………………………….………....72 9.Implication………………………………………………….…………..73 10.Pre-Supposition……………………………………………..….…...…73 11.Polarization…………………………………………………...………..74 12.Irony……………….………………………………………………...…74 13.Victimization……...…………………………………………………...74 14.Vagueness………..……………………………………………….……74 4.5Analysis of Speech no. 5………..……………….……………….……76 1.Actor……………………………………………….……………………76 A. Positive Self-Representation………………….…………………......77 B. Negative Presentation of Them……………...………………………..77 2.Authority………………………………………….…………………….78 3.Evidentiality……………………………………….……………………78 4.Victimization……………………………………….……….…………..78 5.Irony………………………………………………….…………………79 6.Euphemism…………………………………………….……………….79 7.Disclaimer……………………………………………….……………...80 ix 8.Hyperbole……………………………………………….………………80 9.Pre-Supposition………………………………………….……………...80 10.Polarization……………………………………………………………80 11.Implication…………………………………………………………….81 12.Comparison…………………………………………....………………81