Open AccessCan Music Therapy be an answer to the terrorist question? - A Singaporean Music Therapist’s Perspective
Author(s) -
Wang Feng Ng
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
voices
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 1504-1611
DOI - 10.15845/voices.v11i1.564
Subject(s) - music therapy , terrorism , militant , ethnic group , context (archaeology) , perspective (graphical) , intervention (counseling) , crisis intervention , criminology , psychology , political science , sociology , psychotherapist , law , history , psychiatry , art , visual arts , politics , archaeology
This essay explores the possibility of Music Therapy being one of the creative responses to the terrorist question within the Singapore context. A general background to the Music Therapy scene in Singapore, and a brief overview of Singapore’s multi-ethnic history and response to terrorist threats are presented. Singapore is a multi-religious society with various ethnic groups living together in her short independent history. In 2001, Singapore was the target of planned attacks by Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) members who were Singaporeans. (JI is one of several radical militant groups with close ties with Al-Qaeda.) The application of Music Therapy in countering terrorism is explored - in terms of increasing community resilience, responding in times of crisis, as well as incorporating Music Therapy in detainee rehabilitation. Challenges relating to the implementation of crisis intervention using Music Therapy, and its implications in detainee rehabilitation are briefly discussed.