Essay Example on Terrorism: Over 100 Definitions and Differences in Opinion

The definition of the term terrorism continues to create different opinions from different organizations. It is estimated that terrorism has over 100 definitions, which differ and compare in some opinions. Initially, terrorism was defined as a single term and was stated as the "unlawful use of violence and intimidation against civilians for political gains" (Hodgson & Tadros, 2013). However, different organizations felt that the term was too general and it failed to differentiate acts of terror and war crimes. To ensure the definition of terrorism was precise, it was divided into two major terms; the domestic and international terrorism. The distinction of terrorism into either domestic or international terrorism played a critical role in fighting terrorism both domestically and internationally. The author will focus on comparing and contrasting domestic and international terrorism.

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines domestic terrorism as acts of violent penetrated by individuals or a group of people to infiltrate ideologies of religion, political, social or race and are conducted within the boundaries of United States ("Federal Bureau of Investigation", 2019). According to the FBI, domestic terrorism must conform to three main characteristics. Firstly, the act must be violent and pose a danger to human life. Secondly, the act of violence must appear to be intended to coerce civilians, influence government policies, or to conduct mass destruction of property or assassination. Thirdly, the act of violence must be within the jurisdiction of the United States. On the other hand, The United Nations (UN) defines international terrorism as:

Criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with the intent to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking of hostages, with the purpose to provoke a state of terror in the general public or in a group of persons or particular persons, intimidate a population or compel a government or an international organization to do or to abstain from doing any act, which constitute offences within the scope of and as defined in the international conventions and protocols relating to terrorism, are under no circumstances justifiable by considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or other similar nature ("United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism").

According to the UN, for an act to qualify as international terrorism it must conform to 3 major characteristics. Firstly, the act of violence must be intended to cause death or serious injury to civilians. Secondly, the act of violence purpose is to provoke a state, government, or international organizations. Thirdly, the intent of the act is to provoke political, religion, ethnic, or racial ideologies of another country. Additionally, the European Union defines terrorism as:

Offences of any nature that may seriously damage a country or an international organization where committed with the aim of: seriously intimidating a population; or unduly compelling a Government or international organization to perform or abstain from performing any act; or seriously destabilizing or destroying the fundamental political, constitutional, economic or social structures of a country or an international organization ("Counter-Terrorism", 2019).

Both the international and domestic terrorism compare and contrast in some ways. Both international and domestic terrorism compare in that involves acts of violence intended to harm the civilians (Hodgson & Tadros, 2013). Both the FBI and the UN agrees that terrorism is an act of violence that is intended to cause harm to civilians to benefit a group of people or a single person. Additionally, the FBI and UN agree that the international and domestic terrorism purpose is to provoke the political, religious, racial, or ethnic ideologies of a country.

Although domestic and international terrorism is viewed as similar concepts, there are major differences between them. According to the FBI, terrorism is an intended act of violence within the boundaries of a particular country. It means that the individuals or the group committing the act are citizens of that particular country. On the other hand, the United Nations defines international terrorism as acts of violence that are intended to provoke another country. The individuals committing the act are from different countries and are purposed to provoke another country by disrupting the political, religious, ethnic, or racial ideologies of the State.

According to Hodgson & Tadros (2013), creating a strong regime against terrorism would require a comprehensive definition of terrorism. However, it has been difficult for domestic and international organizations to come to a common definition of terrorism. One of the obstacles to a comprehensive definition of the term terrorism is the controversy on the legitimacy of the use of force either by revolutionary groups or States. The international and domestic laws fail to agree on defining the extent of use of violence for political gain. The international agencies are supposed to respect the legitimacy of States, and therefore, it cannot define acts of violence within the States as acts of terrorism. Political reasons are another obstacle to defining terrorism comprehensively. Generally, terrorism depends on the concept of taking positions and, since the political gain prevails over the legal concept, it is difficult to have a comprehensive definition (Hodgson & Tadros, 2013). For instance, when the Taliban were fighting the Soviet Union, there were regarded as freedom fighters but when they turned against the United States, they are regarded as a number one terrorist organization. The current world view of political value over legal value makes terrorism an incomplete, selective, and ineffective definition.

References

Terrorism | Federal Bureau of Investigation. (2019). Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved from https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism

United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism. (2019). United Nations.org. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/counterterrorism/

Counter-Terrorism. (2019). European Union External Action. Retrieved from https://eeas.europa.eu/topics/counter-terrorism_en

Hodgson, J. S., & Tadros, V. (2013). The impossibility of defining terrorism. New Criminal Law Review: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal, 16(3), 494-526.