Meaning of Terrorism - Report Example

Academia-Research Musa Muhammad January 6, 2007. TERRORISM (A) Initially there is the need to define the meaning of Terrorism as it is seen in the general aspects of global analysis. Terrorism as can be define refers to a threat to social being through violence that caused fear, injuries and sometimes death of innocent people. Individuals apply the term acts of terrorism for a purpose of achieving social, Political and even economic motives. On this note, the focus of this analysis on these subjects will have its roots on three bases, namely; Ideological, Nationalist and Religious Terrorism. While the focus will also give priority on the Baader-Meinhof of Germany, Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka and the Iranian Revolution of Iran. Beginning with the Baader-Meinhof of Germany gang, which was also called the Red Army faction (RAF) hitherto. It was a terrorist gang that existed in Germany from around 1968 and 1977 with lots of Germans people as members. A gang that caused fear and intimidated people including murdered. The RAF was said to have broke out from the Revolutionary Army and continued to call itself the Red Army Faction (RAF), the name which most people seen it as a model of Japan’s ‘Red Army’, while many others refers it to Soviet Union’s Red Army. The key figures that led the terrorism activities of RAF were arrested and jailed in 1972. However, their activities continued after few years when another gang or its kind rekindle its existent, and as a result vowed to terrorism until in the year 1998, when they had finally ‘hit-the-rock’, which brought to an end to intimidations and murdered of German people after at least 30 years of terror. Meanwhile, the factor of Baader-Meinhof acts of terrorism in Germany that led to robbing of banks, kidnapping and murdered in nooks and crannies of the country was their greatest zeal for world Revolution which as a result marked a turning point in German’s postwar era. Though Baader-Meinhof motives was revolution that involved the support of some Germans students, but most of the people were not supporting how the revolution was undertook. For that reason, these kinds of people has supported German government when it’s enforced law and approved it for fighting terrorism. (B) The Tigers of Tamil Eelam, (LTTE) or the Tamil Tigers as it is popularly known across the globe is another nationalist terrorist group that roused to struggle for an independent state in Sri Lanka, in areas occupied by Tamils ethnic. In order for Tamil Tigers to achieve this motive, they adapted to apply terrorism against those alleged to have occupied their land. They apply conventional, guerilla, suicide bombings and many other acts of terrorism. Additionally, Tamil Tigers in their desperate zeal to have an independent state also, caused a civil war in Sri Lanka, which claimed thousands of lives and many others were rendered homeless, as a result of their negative encounters against humanity. For that reason and many others, they were listed as foreign terrorist group by the United State, Sate Department. Further testimonies of the Tamil Tigers nationalist movement waged, has shown that they have no any affiliation whatsoever with other said terrorist group, such as Al-Qaeda, etc. Though they have said to copy some terrorism technicalities, like “Jacket” apparatus worn by individual’s suicide bombers from Hezbollah, AlQaeda, Hamas and the Al-Aqsa martyrs Brigade. Accordingly, the Tamils roused vehemently to fight for an independent state in 1948, because they were frustrated by the domination of Singhalese majority. They were antagonized due to the fact that during the British occupation of Sri Lanka they had enjoyed good treatment from the colonial masters. In its early days of existent, Tamil Tigers were trained with Palestine’s, and since then, they have been having contacts with other organization that shares the same motives for illegal arm trade. From the beginning of 1980, the Tamils acts of terrorism reached to its peak when they became very known in suicide bombings in efforts to achieve their goals. They had conducted bombings more than other terrorist, reaching to about 200. They attacked civilians on mass transit, shrines, and other buildings. However, after the September 11 attacked on the World Trade Center, ceased fire pacts was signed with the Tamil Tigers and Sri Lankan government, with promise to stop causing violence in the country. Yet, the suicide bombings continued in 2004, when a suicide bomber strapped explosives to her body in Colombo killing herself and four Policemen. Even through the Tami dissociated their group from the bombing, and said it was only a plot to disrupt peace by some bad elements. The Tamil Tigers have in many times assassinated many important people in their desperate attempt to have an independent state that they have regarded as cankerworm toward achieving their goal. Foremost was the May 1991 assassination of former Indian Prime Minister Rajeev Gandhi at a Campaign rally in India, and many other suicides attacks against some political leaders in Sri Lanka. © The Iranian Islamic Terrorism as it is called has its roots from 1953 and 1963, though initial roots has a long history dated back to many years. But the movement has begun to take a new dimension from these years mentioned. The Iranian people were pushed into poverty, and there was widest gap between the privileged and the less privileged people. The then Iranian President Reza Pahlavi known as ‘SHA’ was the target of the Iranian people whom they were aiming to topple through an Islamic Revolution. The people were against Shah’s ties with the United States, and they also advocated for the banning of tobacco, alcohol, gambling, foreign dresses for women and other acts that contradict the Islamic injunctions. But Pahlavi remained firmed on his foreign ties with the United States and other western countries. However, the Iranian people under the command of their Spiritual leaders Ayatollah Ruhullah Khomeni began to struggle for an Islamic nation through a Revolution that involved sacrificed of lives and demonstration for achieving the aiming goal. The Iranian Islamic Revolution has divided its people into two factions. First, there were those that supported the Ayatollah led revolution, mostly students and the poor Iranians. While others mostly Muslims Clerics and the wealthy individuals had supported Pahlavi and saw his government as the best alternative to Iranian people. “Some other Clerics were uncomfortable with the monarchy. They remembered that the Shah’s father back in 1936 had barred clerics from acting as judges in state courts. And some clerics including Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini were offended in the early 1960s when the Shah gave himself the authority to initiate legislation. The Shah launched an effort to modernize his realm economically and socially. He sought to balance his increase in power with reforms thaw would win more favor from common Iranians. Landlords and some clerics were outspokenly opposed to these reforms. Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa (religious edict) against reforms”. (Pahlavi) The Shah Pahlavi in his effort to bring to an end the what he called acts of terrorism led by Ayatollah in Iran, had used the government own radio stations, propagating that he was initiating policies that would put Iran nation to a new era. While he continued t condemned Ayatollah led movement as only a machinery that lead Iran to a stand still, to the old fashion of forefathers. “The Shah announced that his reforms would take Iran into jet age, while the Mullahs wanted to remain “in the age of the donkies.” And numerous clerics responded to going over the side of Khomeini. Fearing opposition, the Shah cracked down dissent. In the holy city of Qom, theological students who were agitating against a schedule opening of liquor stores were attacked by the Shah’s paratroopers and by his security agents-SAVAK. The disturbance spread to students in the city of Tabriz, and there and in Qom government forced killed hundreds”. (Pahlavi). When the Islamic Revolution began to take a new look and things reached to an alarming rate against the Shah Pahlavi government, he therefore undergone ways to halt the revolution or even to bring it to an end if possible. He arrested Ayatollah whom was regarded as ‘no-fear’ person. However, his arrest has caused tension in all nook and crannies across Iranian nation. “His arrest caused anti-government demonstrations and rioting in a variety of cities. The Shah declared martial law. Tanks and troops with orders to shoot to kill were sent against the rioters. Iran’s air force strafed a great column of marchers. In two days the rioting was crushed. Many had been arrested, including twenty-eight Ayatollahs. A western academic in Iran estimated that many thousands had died. An Iran Dr. A.R Azimi put the number at 10,000, while the government estimated the number of dead at 86”. (Pahlavi). Later, Khomeini was forced for exile to the neighboring Iraq, where he continued sending revolutionary word to his followers, calling for them to raise against Shah government whom he described as tyrant. Despite continued rioting against Shah, he vowed to adapt US policies, which lasted from 1963 to 1970s. He continued persecuting Islamic clerics that were supporting Ayatollah. He directed his security agents to raid mosques and other religious centers. In 1979, after many years of rioting and demonstrations against Shah, Ayatollah overthrown him and established and Islamic government. “Khomeini and his allies wanted an judiciary government –rule by Islamic sharia, which he achieved in that year. (D) The three cases analyzed so far has added more lights to the topics of discussions, especially by assessing the word ‘Terrorism’ and the definition giving to it, which stated as aiming to achieve a goal through violence that affect innocent people. In the case of Iranian Islamic Terrorism, it can be seen that it was the king Reza Pahlavi Shah directed his security agents to crush the revolution by using force, which led to killing and many injuries. Though, he has made several attempts to compliment Ayatollah so he would stop his calls for revolution, while Ayatollah could not give any positive response to these calls. But according to an analysis it was not Ayatollah and his supporters had committed terrorism, but it is seen that Shah compelled his security agent to crush peaceful demonstrations and riots of armless people. This can be seen as acts of terrorism base on the definition giving so far. And the actions of Shah against Ayatollah and his supporters were inhuman, but this is not been proving out in the history of Iranian revolution. But in the cases of the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka and Baader-Heinhof of Germany, it can be seen so far that in their desperate zeal to attain their goals, they turned to become terrorist and committed the acts of terrorism. These testimonies can be analyze as that the two groups in their different countries decided to killed innocent people and rendered many others homeless while attempting to reach to their goals. For these reasons, the Tamil Tigers and Baader-Heinhof groups can be call ‘terrorist group base on the definition of terrorism. While the Iranian people were terrorist by their government, not they terrorist their fellow countrymen and women in attempt to achieve a goal. Work Cited (Pahlavi) Read More