Terrorism

Terrorism has always been a hard word to define ever since the French revolution where it first emerged. What was true back then is still very true today when it comes to characterizing the word. Most of the debate around the word would come down to the simple idea that “once freedom fighter is another’s terrorist”. Never the less Western regimes have established some guidelines and characteristics that can be associated with terrorist activities in order to distinguish who are terrorists and who are not, again these definitions can be viewed as being subjective. One perception can be agreed upon by most and that is that it is always a struggle of the weak against the strong, the Have against the have-nots. If one follows the West’s agenda then terrorist targets are usually civilian, and that the main objective of this kind of attack is to generate change in Government policy, spread fear, intimidate, and set off an overreaction by the attacked entity. Terrorists and their supporters would claim that a bomb that goes astray killing innocent people, even if by accident is also terror. Still in this essay I will use the West’s more rational point of view. For the purpose of this discussion, therefore, terrorism is defined as:

“The threat or use of seemingly random violence against innocents for political ends by none –state actors” (R.G Fery & Christopher W. Morris, Vilonce, Terrorism an Justice pg.3)

Terrorism itself is as old as human history itself, and probably started together with basic human interaction. A good example of an ancient organization that spread fear, and changed policy through acts of total violence would be the Muslim sect of the Assassins, a militant religious sect that operated in the Middle East during the 8th to the 14th century. Its followers spread terror through assassination and murder, these acts intimidated local leaders into changing policy in favor of the Assassins. The same thing happened during the Madrid bombings of 2004, which totally changed the election results in favor of the Islamists agenda. Followers of the Sect where promised entry into Heaven after completing their mission. One can not ignore the similarities with modern day Islamic terror that promises similar rewards and tries to effect policy through the same tactics. Terror has come along way since the Assassins sect first understood its potential; still the motivations for acts of terror are very similar only the tools have become technologically more advanced. In this essay I will examine the different kinds of terrorist groups, there motivation and what drives them to kill and maim innocent civilians till this day.

“At its root terrorism is about justice, or at least someone’s perception of justice’ (Audrey Kurth Cornin, Grave New World pg.280)