There is no universally agreed upon definition of terrorism. It is a contested concept that depends on political and legal perspectives. Terrorism involves the unlawful use of violence and intimidation for political, religious, or ideological aims. It can be classified as either state terrorism, which is undertaken by or on behalf of governments, or non-state terrorism committed by non-state actors. The causes of terrorism are often related to nationalism, seeking independence through violence; politics, opposing oppressive governments; religion, especially religious extremism; and other factors like poverty, deprivation, and discrimination.

1. WHAT IS TERRORISM?

2. learning objectives
• be aware of various definitions of terrorism
• understand why terrorism is an important
international issue
• explain the causes of terrorism
• understand the difference between state
and non-state terrorism

3. definitions of terrorism

4. there is no single, internationally
agreed definition of terrorism.

5. why is terrorism difficult to define?
• terrorism is a ‘contested concept’ and political,
legal and popular notions of it often diverge
• if it was defined it may lead to legitimisation and
criminalisation of terrorism
• there are many forms and manifestations of
terrorism

6. why is terrorism difficult to define?
• it has undergone changes of meaning in the more
than 200 years of its existence
• it borders with other forms of political violence,
for example, assassination or war
• states claim monopoly on the use of force and its
legal definition of power

7. definitions of terrorism
“The unlawful use of violence and intimidation,
especially against civilians, in the pursuit of
political aims.”
oxford dictionary

8. definitions of terrorism
“The use or threat of action designed to influence the
government or an international governmental
organisation or to intimidate the public, or a section of
the public; made for the purposes of advancing a
political, religious, racial or ideological cause.”
Terrorism Act 2000

9. definitions of terrorism
“Criminal acts, including against civilians, committed with the intent
to cause death or serious bodily injury, or taking hostages, with the
purpose to prove a state terror in the general public or in a group of
persons or particular persons, intimidate population or compel a
government or an international organisation 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.”
UN security council resolution 1566 (2004)

10. types of terrorism

11. state terrorism
terrorism undertaken
essentially by or on behalf of
government
terrorism
non-state terrorism
terrorism undertaken by non-
state actors who employ violence
in pursuit of their objectives

12. causes of terrorism

13. causes of terrorism
• nationalism
• politics
• religion
• other factors

14. nationalism
terrorist acts are not generally committed for
financial gain. nationalism is a view that
independence should be sought because of a
common culture, heritage and language.

15. nationalism
some people around the world live in countries or
regions that want independence but feel they cannot
achieve it peacefully. These people may turn to
violence and terrorism to try to achieve their
nationalist goals. these people are sometime referred
to as separatists.

16. politics
some countries are governed by dictatorships or
corrupt governments. these oppressive
governments make decisions that are not fair on
the majority of people who live there and, as there
are no elections, they are in power for many years.

17. politics
in these countries, groups of citizens, known as
rebels, may resort to terrorist activities to try to
bring about social and political change within their
country. despite engaging in terrorist activities, they
may actually have widespread support among
population.

18. religion
religion has been associated with terrorism for
centuries. people who commit terrorist attacks in
the name of their religion are referred to as
religious extremists.

19. religion
many terrorist attacks of the last decade were
by islamic religious extremists. these extremists
are angry about the west’s involvement in affairs
in middle east such as the wars in Iraq,
Afghanistan and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

20. religion
they believe the western way of life is a very
different to life in a muslim country and do not
westerners in their land. islamic extremists are
therefore waging a jihad (holy war) against the
west, believing they are acting on behalf of allah
(god) to fulfil a duty.

21. religion
in carrying out terrorist attacks, islamic
extremists believe they become martyrs and will
be rewarded in the afterlife.

22. other factors
terrorist may also be driven by a sense of relative
deprivation and poverty within their society.
Globalisation and modern media has given them
people in less developed nations an acute awareness
of their situation compared to people in developed
countries.

23. other factors
discrimination can also lead to terrorism. if a person
from a particular radical, religious or ethnic group
within a country faces discrimination they may become
jaded towards society. In turn they may become
radicalised in retaliation to the discrimination they
have faced.