D. Roots of Terrorism

The problem of terrorism which has recently come to the forefront in many countries has a long history. However because of its numerous faces and breakneck speed of evolution the theory quite often can’t keep pace with it.

Some scholars attribute first instances of terrorism to Biblical times beginning with the exodus of the Israelites and the tyrannical regime of Herod. They will allude to the Roman Empire, riddled with violent terror, Norman invasion, importing terror, the attack on Pearl Harbour, the regimes of Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, ambushes of guerrilla groups both during World War II and later.

However the term terrorism is hardly applicable to such historical events or atrocious regimes as mass destruction and acts of massacre were trivial in those years. Terrorism, the way we understand it today, appeared later, when states gained stability, ideas of humanism acquired predominance and priority of human life began to permeate every national act of law.

Terrorism by nature is so difficult to define that governments of the world cannot agree on one single definition. There is no debate however about emotional responses in the victims, those hurt by the violence and those affected by the fear (as well as in those who commit them), conjured by acts of terror.

Though there is still much confusion over what terrorism is it can be defined as the calculated use 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.

This definition was crafted to distinguish between terrorism and other kinds of violence. The tendency to label as terrorism any violent act is erroneous. Terrorism is a specific kind of violence. Terrorists generally know what they are doing; their selection of target is planned and rational. They know the effect they seek. Terrorist violence is neither spontaneous nor random. Terrorism is intended to produce fear; it is an act conducted for its impact on the audience.

It rates a mention that terrorism is not ingrained within human nature although some groups see violence as the only means of expressing the voice.

Talking about the roots of terrorism some will see a clear connection between religious and territorial aims. They will speak about the Palestinians waging war against a Jewish state though there are no disputes with the state of Jordan, which occupies most of the area called Palestine since 1948.

They tend to underestimate social and political factors which are of paramount importance. The globe is split into “golden billion” and the rest of the world with the preponderance of the worst-off and inadequately educated. Poverty and illiteracy are the major breeding grounds of modern terrorism. Religious factor is secondary. The crux is that Christian population predominates in the countries traditionally attributed to “golden billion” whereas Muslims mostly live in the poorest ones. With mass unemployment in the zones of conflicts for many people terrorism becomes the only way to provide for the family. More and more young people can do nothing else but to fight.

Another contributing factor for terrorism is disenchantment of ethnic minorities. Mass exodus from Asia and Africa to Europe has become reality. Its cause is not only in the desire to escape from poverty and settle down in more affluent countries. Europe itself can no longer survive without immigrants for reasons far from demographic. The economic model, shaped in the 80-s of the previous century, insinuates the introduction of social apartheid. About one third of the society is doomed to the destiny of outsiders. If the population is culturally and ethnically identical it promises impending catastrophe, turmoil and even revolution. In such cases ethnical division of labor becomes essential. Ethnic minorities find themselves in dead-end jobs without any chances of upward mobility. Originally insidious signs of resentment gradually degenerate into overt hatred. Younger generation is even more frustrated, they don’t adhere to obsequious attitude to life typical of their ancestors. These “new minorities” are only too easy to recruit for terrorist missions.

It is interesting to examine the link between the disparity of financial and economic status of the countries nurturing certain terrorist groups and their aims. The ones thriving in less favorable conditions tend to focus on foreign targets, whilst the groups emanating from wealthier countries vent their anger against the national ones.

The bottom line, however, is that both ethnical and religious grounds of all the conflicts only screen their true roots which are without fail economic. Wars for redistribution[6] of territories and scarce natural resources are the real engines of terrorism.

Recent examples have shown that modern terrorist leaders can hardly be called disadvantaged (Bin Laden) or having religious or territorial claims. It will be not far-fetched to say that they quite often seek omnipotence, power and notoriety.

We should admit that international terrorism is evolving and changing constantly.

In a world of inequality there will always be the disadvantaged, those that seek territorial superiority, or want to convert us to their beliefs.

However, the essence of terrorism hasn’t changed: to wreak havoc, death and horror for the sake of some idea. Terrorists are still ready to kill, either driven by some revolutionary ideas or hatred to dissidents from their cause. In the past, the Vikings or the Romans could wreak terrible violence but on a relatively local scale whereas contemporary terrorism can harness modern technology and even weapons of mass destruction to inflict evil on global scale.

Sacred right for national self-determination today ranks higher than the right of the country for territorial integrity, and individual’s rights gain priority over the safety of the whole society. Impunity[7] engenders[8] over-permissiveness. Being worried about the rights of national and religious minorities, liberal democracy trapped itself in a tight corner having to struggle for the rights of those who are alien to any norms or rules and ready to sacrifice the lives of many to achieve the desired.

Finally, terrorism won’t exist without mass media coverage. The acts of terror are executed not for the sake of god but for publicity. They are just pointless if nobody knows about them. And we should put the blame not on terrorists but on mass media for that. They try to capitalize on Freud’s famous postulate that other people’s death creates the delusion of your own immortality. That’s why even the weather forecast starts with the coverage of natural calamities.

What are the top priority measures to forestall international terrorism?

Some politicians stick to the opinion that terrorism can never be totally defeated.

But it’s imperative to make it more difficult for terrorism to succeed. This vigilance[9] will certainly result in a reduction in the quality of life for us all by the imposition of added security on our daily life.

Another important factor is to bridge the widening social and cultural gap between the countries, to build fair global society.

It is also evident that only an international coalition can create opportune conditions for combating terrorism. Retribution counterattacks are hardly efficient in the long run. Military retaliation is not sufficient and measures must be taken to eliminate the breeding grounds of violence. It can be undertaken only by ensuring that no country provides tactical or political assistance to terrorists and their supporters.