It is both an interesting and worrying subject of discussion, that being defining terrorism and its encompassing societal ills. One man's terrorism is indeed another man freedom fighting... However, if universally accepted codes of conduct, both ethically and morally, as justified and codified by most nations legal systems in the world are brought into this debate, then anything subversive where violence and murder and mayhem are brought upon innocent civilians there is room for debate. Allow me to elaborate: everyone has the right to pursue their ideologies and politically inspired reasoning as long as no harm is brought upon their fellow man. There are numerous ways to bring about change in the world, especially in the form of protest; mass public outcries and passive resistance, not withstanding boycotts, rallies, strikes and sanctions to name but a miniscule handful of ways to bring about reform. When a group founded on rabid fundamentalism insists on taking the lives of innocent civilians to bring home a point, they can rightly be labeled terrorists, plain and simple. It must never be legally justified for acts of terror ALWAYS cross the line and bring nothing but pain, suffering and carnage.

Brett
sounds good mate, but what usually happens is that 'mass public' anything gets hijacked by those with other agenda's. Its always easier to manipulate a moving ship than to get it going in the first place.

Terrorism is also state sanctioned, the existence of a service revolver on the hip of any Policemen is intended to instill 'terror' in would be offenders.

Those pushing the 'terrorism' bandwagon at the moment are just looking for a word which will not offend the large muslim minorities if they called it 'Islamic fundamentalism' which most of it actually is.

Boaz David,

I recently joined this interesting site and been overwhelmed. Agree with your last comment, it is often ignored that Islamist fundamentalist initially targeted moderate muslims.

It was these same groups who assasinated the Egyptian president in 1981 and also attempted to kill modernisation in the Middle East. It is also the same groups who have been responsible for blowing up schools and buses. In 1996 and when fundamentalist islamist had prison and death sentences in Egypt (majority muslim country) , Zawahiry was free to wonder between London and Zurich.

The media would like us to believe that a)Terrorism only appeared on the Intl agenda after 9/11. b) it is targeting mainly westerners.

Facts are: a) it appeared in Egypt in 1920-1940, b) It targeted initially muslims (moderate and secular) and c) the 'export' of it flavour appeared recently since the soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

The war on Islamist fundamentalist can be only won by mainstream moderate muslims. Bombimg Iraq and Afganistan can win some headlines but will not win an ideology battle.

Ash