Killer Enigma
21st April 2008, 14:52
Terrorism & Revolution: Means & Ends
Terrorism and revolution are related forms of political violence
Origins in French revolution e.g. Maximilian Robespierre
Terrorism is the means for the revolutionary end (small group sparks larger group into a violent revolution)
Terrorism then must be analyzed by its goals rather then the actor and receiver
Their goals are rarely limited and strive for every institution to be over thrown
The link between the two helps distinguish between terrorism and guerilla warfare (guerilla war is directed to distinct actors and not civilians)
Guerilla tactics do not question the legitimacy of their opponent only demand more for themselves
While terrorism does question the legitimacy of their opponent.
These differences are important because they are factors in which affect the extent that a state can negotiate with them for peace.
Example is in 1990s Algeria: Fundamental Islamic Front (FIS) and Armed Islamic Group (GIA) both opposed anti-Islamic Regime, but took two different methods. FIS was at first non violent and wanted certain ideals meet while the GIA opposed the entire regime. Thus FIS conducted guerilla war and the GIA conducted terrorism.
Faith Terrorism and Revolution
In recent decades we have seen a rise in fundamentalism throughout religion and is often demonstrated in peaceful means but provides for a violent venue as well.
At what point does religion turn violent? (can be discussed through institution, ideational, and individual)
Hostility to modernity: belief that secularism, capitalism, ideology, materialism, and individualism have caused the world to loose its greater meaning.
Generally these people once followed the modernist wave but rejected it at some point
They often reside in more powerful states where modernism has only partially been implemented and very haphazardly. (their position in societies usually vary)
At the border between traditional and modern institutions is where most anti-modernist reside
Because well educated and urban individuals at this border feel the limitations of modernism the most
Manicheans approach: “cosmic war”, world can be described as light and dark, good and evil
Believers of this theory often feel they are soldiers defending righteousness against civilians who are guilty of following modernity.
This dehumanizing thought is essential in understanding the violence used towards civilians.
Religious violence is often connected with utopian , apocalyptic, or messianic beliefs· Believers of this idea feel that their violent actions are the triggers to the divine apocalypse which is meant to reunite the earth with divinity.
· This idea allows violence to not only be acceptable but necessary.
· These people usually are a break from fundamentalism and mainstream belief
Examples
Al-Qaida, 9/11 Osama bin Laden/Muhammed Atta: Relied on cosmic warfare, believing the attack would provoke a war between Islam and the West leading to the destruction of non-Islamic states.
Timothy McVeigh, Oklahoma City bombings of 1995: 167 killed; McVeigh inspired by racist Christian fundamentalist William Pierce’s The Turner Diaries. Believed attacks would lead to a mass war between whites and other ethnicities, which would result in genocide of non-whites.
Aum Shinrikyo, 1995 Tokyo Killings: Adherents to the religion placed sarin in a Tokyo subway, killing 12 and injuring several thousand; believed those who did not adhere to Aum had already accepted a “karmic death”; murders could bring about the coming apocalypse of the unfaithful.
Terrorism and revolution are related forms of political violence
Origins in French revolution e.g. Maximilian Robespierre
Terrorism is the means for the revolutionary end (small group sparks larger group into a violent revolution)
Terrorism then must be analyzed by its goals rather then the actor and receiver
Their goals are rarely limited and strive for every institution to be over thrown
The link between the two helps distinguish between terrorism and guerilla warfare (guerilla war is directed to distinct actors and not civilians)
Guerilla tactics do not question the legitimacy of their opponent only demand more for themselves
While terrorism does question the legitimacy of their opponent.
These differences are important because they are factors in which affect the extent that a state can negotiate with them for peace.
Example is in 1990s Algeria: Fundamental Islamic Front (FIS) and Armed Islamic Group (GIA) both opposed anti-Islamic Regime, but took two different methods. FIS was at first non violent and wanted certain ideals meet while the GIA opposed the entire regime. Thus FIS conducted guerilla war and the GIA conducted terrorism.
Faith Terrorism and Revolution
In recent decades we have seen a rise in fundamentalism throughout religion and is often demonstrated in peaceful means but provides for a violent venue as well.
At what point does religion turn violent? (can be discussed through institution, ideational, and individual)
Hostility to modernity: belief that secularism, capitalism, ideology, materialism, and individualism have caused the world to loose its greater meaning.
Generally these people once followed the modernist wave but rejected it at some point
They often reside in more powerful states where modernism has only partially been implemented and very haphazardly. (their position in societies usually vary)
At the border between traditional and modern institutions is where most anti-modernist reside
Because well educated and urban individuals at this border feel the limitations of modernism the most
Manicheans approach: “cosmic war”, world can be described as light and dark, good and evil
Believers of this theory often feel they are soldiers defending righteousness against civilians who are guilty of following modernity.
This dehumanizing thought is essential in understanding the violence used towards civilians.
Religious violence is often connected with utopian , apocalyptic, or messianic beliefs· Believers of this idea feel that their violent actions are the triggers to the divine apocalypse which is meant to reunite the earth with divinity.
· This idea allows violence to not only be acceptable but necessary.
· These people usually are a break from fundamentalism and mainstream belief
Examples
Al-Qaida, 9/11 Osama bin Laden/Muhammed Atta: Relied on cosmic warfare, believing the attack would provoke a war between Islam and the West leading to the destruction of non-Islamic states.
Timothy McVeigh, Oklahoma City bombings of 1995: 167 killed; McVeigh inspired by racist Christian fundamentalist William Pierce’s The Turner Diaries. Believed attacks would lead to a mass war between whites and other ethnicities, which would result in genocide of non-whites.
Aum Shinrikyo, 1995 Tokyo Killings: Adherents to the religion placed sarin in a Tokyo subway, killing 12 and injuring several thousand; believed those who did not adhere to Aum had already accepted a “karmic death”; murders could bring about the coming apocalypse of the unfaithful.