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Who is a terrorist?

Reader comment on item: Aim the War on Terror at Militant Islam

Submitted by Peter Meyer Viol (Belgium), Sep 23, 2002 at 04:20

It seems to me that in the future it is not only militant Islam who is involved but much more resistance against an authority which is not accepted.

Now, are so called freedomfighters terrorists? Is everybody who uses violence a terrorist, or only if he/she who uses violence against civilians?

If there is a legal --(inter)national law-- basis for resisitance, is a violent resister then still a terrorist? It is clear that there is a big difference between violent and non-violent action; the last one is not discussed.


To prevent a wild west chaos in international relations it seems to me that there should be an official definition of terrorism accepted by the international community and not only by the United States. A multilateral approach is essential, which means there should be an international accepted definition of "terrorism". If not, every country can fight people they don't like for one reason or another at random and call it its fight against terror.

I am of the second worldwar generation (1924) and remember that we were very happy each time when we heard or experienced bombing of German cities and a hundred thousand victims, women and children, because Germany was the evil occupier!

Nobody at that time talked about terrorism but about legal defense against the Nazi- aggressor.

Dr. Peter Meyer Viol

Submitting....

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Reader comments (21) on this item

Title Commenter Date Thread
Religion and its autonomic ways corrupted again [42 words]Ben TrottFeb 8, 2010 08:50168617
LONDON ??? [7 words]ivoDec 15, 2010 03:00168617
Anything to Satisfy Greed [242 words]Hal DekkerJan 17, 2006 04:5831775
Terrorist or freedom fighter? [65 words]Peter meyer violMay 19, 2005 07:4222176
The Real Problem Is Not Militant Islam [435 words]Hassan KhanDec 27, 2003 00:0712944
god bless you hassan [342 words]sheikhovskyJul 15, 2006 13:1512944
Lets call it "The war on delusional Islam" [126 words]Bonny DonnellyOct 7, 2008 00:5912944
Power obsessed Islamism [264 words]BillDec 19, 2008 09:2812944
Ignorance [56 words]anonymousNov 21, 2009 15:3212944
No Such Luck; Coincidence or something more? [51 words]Diana NielsenNov 29, 2002 13:434314
Viral: Let's spread the word... [176 words]RM PaineNov 18, 2002 10:073994
All of us are smarter than one of us [117 words]RM PaineNov 16, 2002 09:503965
A Beacon of LIght [56 words]Matt ClayNov 2, 2002 01:533514
How many Muslims believe in Israel's right to exist? [64 words]Diana NielsenSep 30, 2002 10:482727
Update to my comments [282 words]DianaDec 31, 2006 23:252727
Recruiting Terrorist's Disciples [139 words]George LehrerSep 28, 2002 16:232688
Who is a terrorist? [217 words]Peter Meyer ViolSep 23, 2002 04:202592
Don't Downplay the Source of Militant Islam [629 words]Jack LynchSep 20, 2002 18:382579
Is there really such an entity as "Moderate Islam"? [227 words]Bonny DonnellyAug 12, 2002 11:371772
1120 million Islamic enemies? [61 words]Marilyn BardsleyAug 7, 2002 00:581668
Empowering moderate Muslim groups [131 words]Amjad M. KhanApr 22, 2002 23

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