Considering definitions of terrorism
Abstract
According to research conducted by the Constitutional Rights Foundation, there is no universally accepted definition of terrorism. However, understanding some of the various meanings can help citizens become better informed and consequently better able to deal with the events of September 11, 2001, and subsequent reaction to those events. This effective practice offers several definitions of terrorism, as well as a description of elements that are common to terrorist attacks. Materials are excerpted from the Constitutional Rights Foundation's The Bill of Rights in Action, Winter 2001 newsletter, Volume 18, Number 1.
Issue
The subject of terrorism, although unpleasant, should be considered so that citizens can be informed and better able to deal with repercussions in their own lives and in the lives of their family and community members.
Action
According to the Constitutional Rights Foundation, definitions of terrorism vary. Countries define the term according to their own beliefs and to support their national interests. International bodies, when they craft a definition, do so in the interests of their member states. Academics striving to define terrorism are also subject to their own political points of view. In their "Resources and Materials for Civic Education," from The Bill of Rights in Action newsletter (Winter 2001), the Constitutional Rights Foundation presents the following definitions for students and citizens to consider:- Title 22 of the U.S. Code defines terrorism as "premeditated, politically motivated violence" against "noncombatant targets by subnational groups" usually with the goal to influence an audience.
- The U.S. Department of Defense calls terrorism "the calculated use of violence or the threat of violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological."
- Iranian scholar, Ayatulla Taskhiri defined terrorism in a paper delivered at a 1987 international terrorism conference called by the Organization of the Islamic Conference. After a review of the Islamic sources concerning terrorism, Taskhiri defined it: "Terrorism is an act carried out to achieve an inhuman and corrupt objective and involving threat to security of any kind, and in violation of the rights acknowledged by religion and mankind."
- The League of Nations defined terrorism in 1937 as: "All criminal acts directed against a State intended or calculated to create a state of terror in the minds of particular persons or persons in the general public."
- Alex P. Schmid of the United Nations Office for the Prevention of International Terrorism states: "Act of terrorism = Peacetime Equivalent of War Crime."
- James M. Poland, professor of criminal justice at California State University, Sacramento wrote, "Terrorism is the premeditated, deliberate, systematic murder, mayhem, and threatening of the innocent to create fear and intimidation in order to gain a political or tactical advantage, usually to influence an audience."
- Groups who do not possess the political power to change policies they view as intolerable usually commit acts of terrorism.
- Terrorists choose targets and actions to maximize the psychological effect on a society or government. Their goal is to create a situation in which a government will change its policies to avoid further bloodshed or disruption. For these reasons, terrorists often choose methods of mass destruction, such as bombings, and target transportation or crowded places to increase anxiety and fear.
- Terrorists plan their acts to get as much media exposure as possible. Media coverage magnifies the terrorist act by spreading fear among a mass audience and giving attention to the terrorist cause.
- Terrorists often justify their acts on ideological or religious grounds arguing that they are responding to a greater force or are promoting a greater good.
Context
Constitutional Rights Foundation has prepared "America Responds to Terrorism," a new series of online lessons and resources designed to help teachers and their students explore and analyze critical national and international issues raised by the terrorists attacks on September 11 and America's response to them.
Constitutional Rights Foundation (CRF) is a non-profit, non-partisan, community-based organization dedicated to educating America's young people about the importance of civic participation in a democratic society. Under the guidance of a Board of Directors chosen from the areas of law, business, government, education, the media, and the community, CRF develops, produces, and distributes programs and materials to teachers, students, and public-minded citizens all across the nation.
Outcome
Education is one of the keys to good citizenship. Understanding various definitions of terrorism may help citizen awareness and raise consciousness regarding political and historical events.
Posted On
March 17, 2003For More Information
Resources
Constitutional Rights Foundation has created a series of lessons and a collection of links to many resources dealing with terrorism:
www.crf-usa.org/terror/America%20Responds%20to%20Terrorism.htm
Related Practices
Related sites
The September 11 Digital Archive
