Terrorism is an ongoing phenomenon in the contemporary world. Despite the constant occurrence of terror events, it is still startling to note that experts have not managed arrive at a consensus regarding the actual definition of terrorism. Currently, there are many definitions of terrorism, and with the many acts of terror occurring, it is increasingly difficult for individuals to come up with a universal definition. This analysis seeks to explore the reasons behind why it has been so difficult to unanimously define terrorism.
While attempting to offer a clear elucidation on why there is a lot of difficulty in defining terrorism it is imperative to note that such definitions are classified into two major categories. The first one involves acts that are politically motivated and secondly, those that are general ( Saul, 2006 ). Proponents of the first means of coming up with a definition on terrorism are believed to be limiting themselves. Such categorization is, nonetheless, not fundamental in defining terrorism.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Another reason why it has become difficult to establish a definition for terrorism is due to the idea that some people believe that terrorism results for religious fundamentalism ( Zeidan, 2005 ). This implies that such individuals to some extent associate a specific religious group with acts of terror. They, therefore, fail to take into consideration that terrorism may result from other activities. There is also a problem pertaining to whether terrorism is supposed to be limited to the activities that distract the peace of civilians ( Ganor, 2002 ). It is, however, necessary to note that it is not necessary to define terrorism. This is due to the fact that coming up with a definition is not likely to change anything. Instead, authorities should focus to eradicate anything that is closely connected to an activity of terror so that all individuals can be safeguarded.
Finally, it is apparent that despite the gravity of particular situations resulting from acts of terror, it has turned out to be hectic for people to come up with a collective definition for the term. This has partly been contributed by the categorization of definitions on those that are politically motivated and the ones which pertain to general ideologies. Also, the idea of considering terrorism as only an atrocity caused by a specific group of individuals, further adds to the confusion.
References
Ganor, B. (2002). Defining terrorism: Is one man's terrorist another man's freedom fighter?. Police Practice and Research , 3 (4), 287-304.
Saul, B. (2006). Defining terrorism in international law . Oxford University Press on Demand.
Zeidan, S. (2005). Agreeing to Disagree: Cultural Relativism and the Difficulty of Defining Terrorism in a post-9/11 world. Hastings Int'l & Comp. L. Rev. , 29 , 215.
