The Goals of Terrorism

The United States failed in the war on terror. There were enough offenses and operations to defeat any enemy, but inexplicably to many, terrorism has only grown in the past decade. Perhaps the reason the US failed is because it refused to address the root causes behind terrorist activity. In nearly every case of terrorism, terrorists are trying to raise awareness of social injustice issues through unacceptable means. We would do well to begin to understand what those issues are, and why terrorists feel that they have no other recourse except violence against civilians.

The Lashkar e-Taiba is a terrorist cell stationed in Kashmir, an area that is disputed by India and Pakistan. They believe that violent jihad is the duty of all Muslims and must be waged until eight objectives are met: ending persecution against Muslims, establishing Islam as the dominant way of life in the world, forcing infidels to pay jizya, fighting for the weak and feeble against oppressors, exacting revenge for killed Muslims, punishing enemies for violating oaths and treaties, defending all Muslim states, and recapturing occupied Muslim territory. Here is my opinion on these goals:

1-      Ending persecution against Muslims. This is a very worthy objective. We do not want for anybody to be persecuted because of their race, nationality, religion, or for any other reason.

2-      Establishing Islam as the dominant way of life in the world. If by Islam you mean peace, yes. However, the Qur’an itself says that there should be no compulsion in religion. No one should ever force his way of life upon another. The problems associated with Westernization of the Middle East are escalating; Islamicization of the world would produce similar problems.

3-      Forcing infidels to pay jizya. Again, we do not want anybody to be singled out because they do not share the same beliefs. And we do not want any person’s or group’s beliefs to be forced upon another. However, everyone paying a tax, part of which goes to help the less-fortunate, is required in many countries, including America.

4-      Fighting for the weak and feeble against oppressors. This is in the Bible and the Qur’an, and is a very worthy goal, as long as in fighting for the weak we are not becoming the perpetrators of violence and injustice.

5-      Exacting revenge for killed Muslims. I imagine that this is a very strong reference to the thousands of Palestinian Muslims who have been murdered by Israel. My opinion here is that justice, not revenge, must prevail. Justice involves the party in the wrong, in this case, Israel, to acknowledge what it has done and do what it can to make reparations. Revenge would lead to more people being killed.

6-      Punishing enemies for violating oaths and treaties. This is actually a very big deal. Hitler was prone to violating oaths and treaties whenever the treaty no longer suited him. Many treaties have been made regarding the conflict in Palestine and Israel; however, few to none have been kept. Punishing enemies will only lead to more violence, not resolution, but holding them accountable for their actions can go a long way. If Israel was held accountable for its human rights violations against Palestinians, the United States would cease giving it $8 million every single day. That might lead Israel to reconsider some of its policies.

7-      Defending all Muslim states. This is a very worthy goal. Palestine needs a defender. Many Muslim countries need a defender against the dangerous policies associated with Westernization.

8-      Recapturing occupied Muslim territory. My opinion is that this also refers to Palestine, which now consists of less than 21% of the land it held prior to the recreation of Israel. Even that land is under occupation by the Israeli military in an illegal apartheid. Israel needs to acknowledge its pre-1967 borders and make amends for its actions.

Terrorism is not the way to accomplish these goals. Unfortunately, for some reason, terrorists feel that this is their best recourse. Why do they feel that there is no other option? Perhaps they have been trying to make their voice heard in other ways, but we have not listened.

About the author

I grew up in conservative Christian circles in the American South, and majored in theology at an Alabama Southern Baptist college. Without really understanding why, I believed that Muslims were to be avoided at all costs, and we have to unilaterally support Israel. Like many young adults, after college I wasn't sure at all of what I wanted to do with my life, so I traveled to the Middle East for a year and a half. Most of the people I met were descendants of the Palestinian refugees forced out of their homeland in 1948, when Israel was recreated. I fell in love with Arab culture, and realized that on the world scene, Arabs have no voice. Living in the Middle East gave me fresh new eyes to read the Bible, and interacting with Arab Christians, especially Palestinian Christians who live in Jordan, caused me to question all the dogmas regarding Israel with which I had grown up.

Living in the Middle East also gave me the courage I needed to pursue my lifelong dream of being an author. My first book, A Theology of Chaos, will come out this next spring. I plan to use the profits from it to support organizations in the Middle East that are fighting for justice. I have written some short stories as well, which you can find on smashwords.com under my full name, Margaret Elysia McColley.

I now live in New York City, where emergency procedures for a potential terrorist attack are constantly updated, and where the sharp divide between Christians, Muslims, and Jews can be clearly seen on posters in the subways. My goal in life is simple: to end terrorism in my lifetime, by giving a voice to social injustices that compel terrorists to violence.

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