The Origins of Terrorism

 

The word ‘terrorism’ actually entered into the European language in the wake of the French revolution of 1789. Robespierre felt that terror was a justifiable means to oust those who opposed his rule. The first true recording of the word was in the Académie Française in 1798, where it was listed as a ‘system or rule of terror’. However, the origins of terrorism can be traced back to early recorded history when it was described as a group of people who attempted to scare, or rather terrorize, people into their own religious way of life.

Two early terrorist groups were the Zealots and the Sicarii. The Zealots were a group of Jewish men who quite openly attacked Roman and Greek authorities in an effort to get the message over that they were not wanted as ruling bodies. The second group were the Sicarii, also Jews, but they resorted to murdering fellow Jews who had slipped from their religious faiths.

Another fanatical group who were motivated by political/religious fervour were the Assassins. Having been suppressed by the Mongols in the 13th century, the Assassin leaders, realizing that their band of men were too small to go into battle, chose to use terror to enable them to maintain their religious autonomy by instilling fear into their enemies.

The true concept of the structured use of terrorism came to the fore in the 1870s, with the activities of the Russian revolutionaries. Characters of note are Nechayev (also Nechaev), a Russian revolutionary figure associated with the Nihilist movement and anarchism and known for his single-minded pursuit of revolution by any means necessary, including political violence. Mikhail Bakunin was one of the intellectual founding fathers of Anarchism and was often thought of as Marx’s historical rival. A special place in the history of Russian terrorism belongs to a small band of revolutionaries known as Narodnaya Volya (‘The People’s Will’) who used the word ‘terrorism’ proudly. They developed certain ideals that were to become the hallmark of subsequent terrorism in many other countries.

Terrorism, as we know it today, possibly dates back to the mid-19th century when an Italian revolutionary, Carlo Pisacane, conjectured that terrorism could deliver a message to an audience and draw attention to, and support for, a cause. But one thing is for certain, since the horrific events of September 11, 2001, terrorism is now on the minds of many people who previously had possibly never given it a second thought.

 

We must try to find ways to starve the terrorist
and the hijacker of the oxygen of publicity on
which they depend.

Margaret Thatcher

 

Examples of early modern terrorism are the Ku Klux Klan, who formed after the American Civil War in 1865 with the main aim of resisting reconstruction. Another band of terrorists were the Young Bosnians who had Archduke Franz Ferdinand assassinated in 1914, which ultimately led to the outbreak of World War I.

It probably wasn’t until the 1960s that terrorism as we know it today came into prominence, with the formation of the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organization) and the IRA (Irish Republican Army). These groups, and others like them, used violence against civilian populations in an effort to effect change for either religious or ideological reasons. One memorable example is ‘Bloody Friday’, the name given to July 21, 1972, due to bombings by the Provisional Irish Republican Army in and around Belfast, Northern Ireland, aimed at causing economic damage. A total of 22 bombs were planted and, in the resulting explosions, nine people were killed and a further 130 seriously injured.

The success of the Irish terrorist activities caught the eye of other nations, and realizing that it could have a very strong impact on a variety of issues, they started to fund terrorist groups from within their own governments. Syria, Libya and Iran were just a few of the countries who were prepared to sponsor terrorism. Of course very few people, apart from the Russian Tsar killers, would actually call themselves terrorists, but there are many common denominators in their so-called organizations. Most claim that their actions are as a direct result of an upsurge of public feeling, and for some naive reason, they believe that the use of violence or bullying will somehow transform the political scene in a favourable way. Possibly one of the most horrifying aspects of terrorism today is the fact that innocent civilians are becoming entangled in the web of violence. Hopefully it is the strong revulsion of the ordinary person against acts of terrorism that will eventually be the terrorists’ downfall.

As there are common factors, it is possible to put some sort of definition to the word terrorism. The definition according to the Oxford Dictionary is:

 

terrorism [noun] the unofficial or unauthorized use of violence and intimidation in the pursuit of political aims.

 

There are definitely three key elements to terrorism – violence, fear and intimidation – and each of these elements produces terror in its victim. The statement, ‘One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter’, has become not only a common phrase, but also one of the most difficult obstacles in coping with terrorism. Other organizations have their own interpretations of terrorism. Firstly, the United States Department of Defence defines terrorism as:

 

The calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful 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.

 

The FBI’s definition of terrorism is:

 

Terrorism is the unlawful use of force and violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.

 

The US Department of States defines it as:

 

Premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience.

 

Finally the British Government’s definition in 1974 was:

 

. . . the use of violence for political ends, and includes any use of violence for the purpose of putting the public, or any section of the public, in fear.

 

Whatever definition we put to the atrocities of terrorist acts, whether it be those of an individual or a group of terrorists, the results are the same: terrorism is offensive and must end. The Terrorism Research Centre, Inc., which was formed in 1996, hit the nail on the head by saying, ‘Terrorism is a criminal act that influences an audience beyond the immediate victim’.

During the 1960s the UN General Assembly tried to find some form of prohibition on terrorist activities, but their progress was slow because some states felt that terrorism in response to real grievances was justified. The UN was therefore limited in its power, but it drew up a series of 12 inadequate international conventions between 1963 and 1999. It only succeeded in passing a law to prohibit the hijacking of aircraft and the taking of diplomatic hostages.

Terrorists always plan their attacks to obtain the greatest publicity, choosing targets that typify what they themselves oppose. How effective the attack is relies not in the act itself, but in the public’s, or indeed the government’s, reaction to it. As an example the Black September Organization killed 11 Israelis at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, making the Israelis the immediate victims. The true target, however, was the estimated one billion people watching the televised event. As the 1990s progressed and concern about terrorism increased, the United States and several other nations became involved in a ‘War on Terror’, which has subsequently sent military units into Afghanistan in an effort to uncover al-Qaeda, and a large coalition force into Iraq to overthrow supporters of Sadaam Hussein. President George W. Bush announced to the United States in 2001 that he would be ‘resolute in his determination to wipe out terrorism’ – and yet it is more evident today than at any other time in recorded history.

Terry Waite, CBE, a British humanitarian and author, is best remembered for his work as a hostage negotiator and was himself held hostage in Lebanon for 1,760 days before being released on November 18, 1991.

 

The terrible thing about terrorism is that ultimately it destroys those who practise it. Slowly but surely, as they try to extinguish life in others, the light within them dies.

Terry Waite