NCJ Number
101515
Date Published
1986
Length
5 pages
Annotation
It is appropriate to use the term Islam as a definition and classification in discussing modern terrorism because (1) Islamic religion has had an essentially political character from its foundation and has retained it to the present and (2) there has been a recent reassertion of this association of Islam and politics.
Abstract
Within Islamic countries, politics are inherently religious and religion is inherently political. Islam is the basis of authority, power, identity, and loyalty. It has an effective system of ideas, symbols, and slogans for mobilizing the Muslim masses. Under Islamic law and tradition, and throughout history, violent conflict has been viewed as a struggle against the external world of unbelievers or as a means of internally defending God's State or removing those who violate or usurp it. It is in this second perspective, that Islamic terrorism has its basis. The Shiites held that the blood of those usurping God's law was forfeit, and that to kill such persons was not murder, but an execution of God's will. Shiism produced a number of radical and activist groups, including the Assassins. The Assassins offer the first example in history of systematically planned terrorism, conducted over centuries, and directed against designated enemies for the accomplishment of certain goals.