Justification of Terrorism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Justification of Terrorism - Essay Example The context behind these activities makes up the second part of this definition. And although terrorism has been a part of this world since the beginning of recorded history, it still does not hold a unanimously accepted definition. It has often been described as a plan and a scheme, a crime and a religious duty, and a justifiable reaction to aggression. Hence, it is clear that it mostly depends on whose point of view is being reflected by the definition. (Terrorism Research, n.d) Nowadays, terrorist activities are so widely used in the whole world, in order to solve the various conflicts that even the different law enforcement agencies of the same country hold different definitions of terrorism. For instance, in the United States, the Department of Defence, FBI, and the Department of State, all three major departments, define terrorism in their own manner. But a general definition that is widely accepted by the public is that terrorism is an act of violence that basically targets the crowd behind the instant victims. (Terrorism Research, n.d) The French Revolutionary Government coined the word terrorism during the French Revolution (1789-1799) by generating violence against the French population and killing thousands of people. Hence, their period of ruling came to be popularly known as the Reign of Terror. (Jenkins, 1990) Terrorist activities have been going on for many centuries. ... (Jenkins, 1990) During the 1960's, the Red Brigades of Italy and the Red Army Faction of West Germany rose in terror to change the economic and political systems of their homelands. Around the same time, a Jewish group used terrorism to end British rule in Palestine, and create a new country for themselves. Since the existence of a separate Jewish homeland, a number of Palestinian groups have been involved in violent activities in order to degrade and destruct the Jewish establishment and build their own country. (Jenkins, 1990) During the 1970's, the Irish Republican Army used violence to end British Rule in Ireland, while around the same period; a Puerto Rican organization widely bombed the United States to gain freedom from them. (Jenkins, 1990) Due to the frequent failure of violent activities during the past, terrorists have been constantly seeking new and better means to reach their targets. But although the number of ways to terrorize public has increased rapidly, the more alarming matter is the rising number of causes these activities are being used for. (Terrorism Research, n.d) Characteristic Features of Terrorism Terrorism has certain characteristics that differentiate it from other violent acts, and war. The four basic features held by a terrorist activity are: violation of the rules of modern warfare, aim to achieve political alteration, the victimized targets symbolizing the issue at hand, and the effort to achieve worldwide public attention. (Zalman, 2008) Some of the features that distinguish terrorism from other forms of violent conflict are described below in detail: Political Motive An act of terror is a violent action that is used to bring about a change in the political system. Some terrorist groups believe in a particular political