The document provides an overview of terrorism from ancient groups like the Sicarii and Nizari to modern groups like Al Qaeda and ISIS. It defines terrorism according to various government agencies and distinguishes it from other forms of violence. It then discusses the history and tactics of important terrorist groups throughout history, including their objectives, targets, and methods. It also explores concepts relevant to understanding Islamist terrorism like Jihad, the Quran, Hadith, Sharia law, and differences between Sunni and Shia Islam. Key Islamist groups from Hamas to Al Qaeda and ISIS are examined.

1. From the Sicarii to The Islamic State
Prof. Jorge L. Malagón WOH2022 Contemporary World History

2. What is terrorism?
Various definitions create confusion:
U.S. Department of Defense
“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.”
◦ FBI
“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."
◦ U.S. Department of State
“premeditated politically-motivated violence perpetrated against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or
clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience".

3. What is terrorism?
• Unlawful violence
• Against civilians
• To coerce & intimidate
• With political, social and/or religious objectives
Common elements of terrorism across definitions

4. What terrorism isn’t
(according to law enforcement)
• Mass Shooting Events (Sandy Hook)
• Multiple Homicides
• Killing military and/or political targets

5. Terrorism in the Ancient World
The Sicarii (Lat. “Dagger-Carriers”), 1st Century C.E.
 Extremist Jewish sect, possibly an offshoot of the Zealots
 Leader
 Judah the Galilean
 Objectives
 End Roman occupation of Judea
 Targets
 Prominent Jewish political & religious leaders
 Methods
 Assassination using short daggers (sicar)
 Kidnapping prominent Jewish leaders in exchange for comrades
 Outcome
 Most committed suicide in Masada Siege 73 C.E.
Sources: Josephus, F., Williamson, G. A., & Smallwood, E. M. (1981). The Jewish war. Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England: Penguin.
Laqueur, W. (2001). A history of terrorism. New Brunswick, N.J: Transaction.

6. Terrorism in the Ancient World
The Nizari (aka “Assassins”), 1094 – 1271 C.E.
 Radical Isma‘ili Shi‘ite sect orig. Persia
 Leader
 Rashid ad-Din Sinan (“The Old Man of the Mountain”)
 Objectives
 Overthrow of Fatimid Caliphate, later the Seljuq Empire
 Targets
 Muslim political & religious leaders in mosques/public spaces
 Methods
 Assassination using daggers, often suicide attacks
 Outcome
 Most killed by Mongol invaders in 13th century C.E.
 Remainder subjugated by the Mamluks in 1271 C.E.
Source: Lewis, Bernard. The Assassins: A Radical Sect in Islam. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987.
“Never has there been a more vile, more perverted or
more irreligious crowd than these people, who
behind walls are plotting harm to this country and
seeking to destroy the religion.”
- Nizam al Mulk, Seljuq Vizier, 1092

7. Terrorism in the Modern World
The Reign of Terror, 1793 - 1794 C.E.
 The Committee of Public Safety
 Leaders
 Maximilien Robespierre
 Jean-Paul Marat
 Objectives
 Destroy the Ancien Régime; enforce Republicanism
 Targets
 Anyone suspected of being royalists or anti-revolutionary
 Methods
 State-sponsored terrorism by mass executions (guillotine)
 Outcome
 Robespierre executed 28 July 1794
 The Directoire ended the Terror 2 November 1795
Source: Law, R. D. (2015). The Routledge history of terrorism. New York: Routledge

8. Anarcho-Terrorism, mid-19th to early 20th centuries
 Multinational movement (Italy, Spain, France, Balkans)
 Various individual actors
 Santiago Salvador (Liceu Opera House, Barcelona, 1893)
 Luigi Luccheni (Empress Elizabeth of Austria, 1898)
 Leon Czolgosz (Pres. William McKinley, 1901)
 Objectives
 “Propaganda by Deed” (Bakunin, Malatesta, et al.)
 Destroy capitalism and all forms of authority
 Targets
 Political leaders & industrial institutions
 Methods
 “Lone Wolf” attacks using bombs, dynamite & other weapons
 Outcome
 Anarcho-Terrorism mostly faded after WWI
Source: Chaliand, G., Blin, A., Schneider, E. D., Pulver, K., & Browner, J. (2007). The history of terrorism: From antiquity to al Qaeda. Berkeley: University of California Press. .
Terrorism in the Modern World

9. Revolutionary and Separatist Movements
Various groups & movements since the 1950s have used terrorism as a tactic:
 Revolutionary Movements
 Weathermen, Symbionese Liberation Army (USA, 1960s-1970s)
 Baader-Meinhoff Gang (Federal Republic of Germany, 1960s-1970s)
 Red Brigades (Italy, 1960s-1970s)
 Tupamaros (Uruguay, 1970s-1980s)
 Autonomist & Separatist Movements
 Irish Republican Army (N. Ireland, 1920s-2000s)
 ETA (Basque, 1950s-2000s)
 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC, Colombia, 1960s-present)
 Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Sri Lanka, 1970s-2000s)
The demarcation between guerilla warfare and terrorism is often blurred.
When civilians are targeted or victimized, guerilla warfare becomes terrorism.
Source: Chaliand, G., Blin, A., Schneider, E. D., Pulver, K., & Browner, J. (2007). The history of terrorism: From antiquity to al Qaeda. Berkeley: University of California Press. .

10. Islamist Terrorism
Key Terms & Concepts
 Qur’an
• The central text of Islam believed to be the word of God (Allah) as revealed to Muhammad by the Archangel Gabriel (Jibril)
• Cannot be interpreted as it is believed perfect (as the word of God)
• From historical & archeological perspective, contains errors (e.g. Allah could not have taken Muhammad to the al-Aqsa
mosque in Jerusalem because it was built in 705 C.E. and Muhammad died in 632 C.E.
 Sunnah
◦ The verbally transmitted record of the teachings, deeds and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad
◦ Forms the basis of Sharia Law in most Muslim countries
◦ Traditionalists say it cannot be interpreted, Modernists claim it can be interpreted
 Hadith
◦ Narrations that are attributed to the companions of the Prophet, but not directly from him
◦ Hadith are, by definition, interpreted differently by different scholars (Muftis)
 Sharia
◦ Legal code based on the Qur’an, Sunnah & Hadith that governs public & private behavior
◦ Generally, can be interpreted by different schools (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafi’I, Hanbali & Jafari)
◦ Some Muslim countries base entire legal system on Sharia Law (Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan), in others it plays no role (Turkey),
and most have mixed systems (Sharia for family matters, secular law for criminal code)
Sources: Blanford, N. (2011). Warriors of God: Inside Hezbollah's thirty-year struggle against Israel. New York: Random House.
Roy, S. M. (2011). Hamas and civil society in Gaza: Engaging the Islamist social sector. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press.

11. Islamist Terrorism
Key Terms & Concepts (cont’d.)
 Jihad
• Literally means “struggle”
• The Qur’an identifies two types:
1. The “Greater Jihad” = A struggle against one’s personal weaknesses (greed, lust, pride, etc.)
2. The “Lesser Jihad” = A struggle against non-believers (kuffar), often through violence
 Taqiyya & Kitman
◦ Religiously approved lying to conceal one’s true beliefs when confronting non-believers or for self-protection
 Ummah
◦ The global Muslim community as a whole
 Sunni
◦ A branch of Islam that believes Muhammad did not designate a successor (Caliph) and left it up to the Ummah to choose
◦ Fundamentalist in nature
◦ Largest branch of Islam (90%)
 Shi’a
◦ A branch of Islam that believes Muhammad did, in fact choose a successor (his cousin & son-in-law Ali) and only those
descended from Ali are legitimate Caliphs
◦ Only about 10% of Muslims, mostly in Iran
Sources: Blanford, N. (2011). Warriors of God: Inside Hezbollah's thirty-year struggle against Israel. New York: Random House.
Roy, S. M. (2011). Hamas and civil society in Gaza: Engaging the Islamist social sector. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press.

12. Sunni vs Shi’a Islam
Sunni Muslims = Majority (~90%)
• Saudi Arabia
• Turkey
• Afghanistan
• Pakistan
• Syria
• Kuwait
• UAE
Shi’a Muslims = Minority (~10%)
• Iran
• Iraq

13. Islamist Terrorism
Politically Motivated Groups
 Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO)
• Active 1967 to 1993 (Madrid Conference & Oslo Accords)
• Objective: End of Israeli occupation & establishment of Palestinian state
• Black September killing of 11 Israeli athletes during 1972 Munich Olympics
 Hamas
◦ Active 1988 to present
◦ Offshoot of Muslim Brotherhood
◦ Objective: Liberation of Palestine & destruction of Jewish state in Israel
◦ al-Qassam Brigades carry out suicide bombings on civilians inside Israel
 Hezbollah (“Party of God”)
◦ Shi‘ite group funded by Iran & Iranian Revolutionary Guard
◦ Active 1985 to present in Lebanon & Syria
◦ Objectives: Destruction of Israel & Western interests (US) in Muslim territories
◦ Officially rejects attacks on civilians and condemned al-Qaeda’s 9/11 attack
◦ 1994 suicide bombing of Jewish center in Buenos Aires (85 killed, 300 wounded)
Sources: Blanford, N. (2011). Warriors of God: Inside Hezbollah's thirty-year struggle against Israel. New York: Random House.
Roy, S. M. (2011). Hamas and civil society in Gaza: Engaging the Islamist social sector. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press.

14. Religiously Motivated Groups (Salafist groups)
◦ Salafism (Wahhabism) = Sunni ultra-fundamentalist ideology that calls for a return to the
time of the Prophet and universal Islam through Jihad
 Al-Qaeda (“The Base”)
• Active 1988 to present
• Objectives:
• Eradication of Western influence in Muslim world
• Seven-phase program culminating with universal acceptance of Islam (now in 6th phase)
• Ideological founder: Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966)
• Recent leaders: Osama bin Laden; Ayman al-Zawahiri
 Islamic State
◦ Active 2003 to present
◦ Offshoot of al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI)
◦ Objective: Establishment of worldwide Caliphate
◦ Eschatological & apocalyptic beliefs
◦ Aims to fight “the armies of Rome” at Dabiq (Syria), bringing about Judgment Day
◦ Est. 100,000 fighters, including ~ 15,000 from Western countries
Sources: Ibrahim, R., Ẓawahiri, A., & Bin, L. O. (2007). The Al Qaeda reader. New York: Doubleday.
Sekulow, Jay. 2014. The rise of ISIS: the coming massacre. New York: Howard Books.
“Islam has ordered us to terrorize our
enemies and whoever denies that is an
infidel himself. Terrorizing our infidel enemies
is a legal obligation. Whoever says that Islam
is not related to terrorism has committed an
infidel act—terror comes from Islam.”
(Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and
Combat, 2005).
Islamist Terrorism

15. Maajid Nawaz on Liberalism vs Islamism