Global Terrorism

Despite being the dominant topic in headlines globally, terrorism doesn’t have a definition that is universally agreed upon. In general terms, the use of threats or violence to achieve a particular goal is called terrorism. Legal definitions of what constitutes terrorism differ from country to country. Over the past century, acts of terrorism have increased across the world. However, terrorism itself is not a new phenomenon.

History of Terrorism

Terrorism has existed for a long time in human history. Some early examples are the Jewish Sicarii who wanted to overthrow Roman rule in the Middle East. They believed that Jews cannot be ruled over by other people and should only be ruled by God. To further their aims, they targeted Jewish sympathizers of the Roman Empire. Another example is Guy Fawkes who hatched a terrorist plot in order to install a Catholic monarch over England. In France, the establishment of the Republic was followed by The Reign of Terror, a period during which the state sponsored terrorist acts against the nobility and anyone deemed to be supporting them.

20th and 21st Century

The modern version of terrorism, the one we are most familiar with, was engendered after World War II. Nationalist movements started spreading all across lands that were colonial outposts of European empires. Thanks to a well-connected world, these movements were able to direct attention to their causes and exercise influence over international policy. People in other parts of the world were quick to pick up on this strategy to bring local issues to global attention and modern terrorism was born.

This version of terrorism reached its apex in the September 11 attacks on the Twin Trade Towers and the Pentagon in the United States of America. The loss of life was staggering – almost 3000 people were killed and 6000 more were injured in the course of a few minutes. It focused global attention squarely on terrorism and became the reason behind the War on Terror that led the United States and its allies into Iraq and Afghanistan.

Conclusion

Terrorism is very much a reality of modern times and the mere threat of a terrorist attack is enough to generate panic and fear among the general populace. There is also no denying the fact that global terrorism has affected policy decisions to a great extent. The interconnectedness of the world through the internet has given terrorist organizations a global platform to spread their agenda and recruit more people. Battling them is no longer merely a matter of military strikes; it is necessary to disprove their radical ideology – a task that will by no means be easy.