Terrorism is the use of violence or threats to force individuals or groups to act in a certain way. A global legal definition is difficult to establish, but in the US, it is divided into international and domestic categories. Both involve violent acts intended to intimidate or coerce civilians or changes in government policy. The difference is that international terrorism occurs outside the US jurisdiction, while domestic terrorism occurs within it. Not all Muslims are terrorists, and terrorism has been around for centuries. Terrorists with powerful weapons and a willingness to die are especially dangerous.
The commonly accepted meaning of the word terrorism is any use of terror in the form of violence or threat intended to compel an individual, group or entity to act in a way in which any person or group could not otherwise lawfully compel them to act. The world community has struggled to create a globally accepted legal definition of terrorism. In the United States, it is divided into two categories: international and domestic.
The main characteristics of the acts or threats that constitute terrorism are the same as in the broader definition above, but more detail has been added in these categories. Both include violent acts or actions that endanger human life or violate US laws, both federal and state. The definition further clarifies that these acts appear to be intended to intimidate or coerce civilians – collectively – or to intimidate or coerce changes in government policy or conduct through the use of mass destruction, assassination or kidnapping.
The major difference between the two definitions is the inclusion in international terrorism which clarifies criminal violations as those that would be interpreted as such if committed in US federal or state jurisdiction. The other distinction describes where the acts occur. International terrorism occurs primarily outside the “territorial jurisdiction” of the United States, while domestic terrorism occurs primarily within the US jurisdiction.
Despite legal definitions, terrorism means different things to different people. While the threat to the modern world appears to involve more Islamic extremists than any other type of terrorist, it should be clearly recognized that not all Muslims are terrorists and not all terrorists are Muslims. Indeed, many Muslims are as endangered under the radicalized practices of Islam as any other people, because they deviate from the extremist interpretation of Islam.
Terrorism has been around for centuries, even though it has been defined or described differently over the years. Today it is bullying, only on a large scale, because these bullies have powerful weapons and fighters who embrace death as martyrdom. There is nothing more dangerous than a terrorist who believes he has nothing to lose.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
