terrorism!! Flashcards
the koran
islamic holy scripture, distorted by extreme islamists
interpretations
jihad
key term
a term from the koran that means holy war. interpreted by extreme islamists as a war against all non-believers and non-conformers, but originally refers to the internal struggle with oneself to maintain faith
martyr
extremists believe that committing suicide through an act of terrorism is honourable, and accepts one into martyrdom
this is not upheld by traditional islamic beliefs
main goal of islamic state
to establish an islamic caliphate (kingdom) in the middle east, and return to the ‘golden age’ of islamism
islamic state
a terrorist group that rose to prominence in 2014, motivated by the religious ideology of extreme islamism
(iraq and syria)
justification of violence
extremist islamic groups justify their violence and killing through their scripture, the koran, and the holy war against non-believers and non-conformers
(the vast majority of muslims reject this interpretation)
traditional vs extremist views
- forbidding suicide/committing suicide makes one a martyr
- killing only in self-defence/killing any civillians regarded as non-believers
- jihad is the struggle to maintain faith/is a holy war against islam
- tolerance for other religions/intolerance for any that are ‘impure’
assad regime
key term
governing body in syria, majorly composed of shiite muslims
iraq sectarian divisions
sunni and shi’ite muslims have the same fundamental beliefs but their interpretations of the religion differ slightly, causing conflict
contribution of war in syria to IS
radical muslims travelled from other countries to fight with the sunni rebels against assad, and many were absorbed into the ranks of IS
contribution of government in iraq to IS
following the 2003 invasion of the united states, the government in iraq was ineffectual and weak. policies created by the majorly shi’ite government ‘discriminated’ against sunni muslims, fueling their anger & causing more men to join IS
origins of IS
came to prominence in 2014 following its establishment during the war in syria, and gained significant terroritory, including capturing the second largest city in iraq (mosul)
conditions in areas under IS control
brutally implemented extreme islamist law; committed executions by beheading, performed public whippings, and took non-muslim girls as sex slaves
extent of IS success
were ultimately unable to establish an islamic caliphate in the middle east, which was their major aim
collapse of IS
from 2016 to 2018, IS progressively lost territory as the iraqi military regrouped and pushed back with aid from the US
(IS no longer controls any territory as of 2019)
impact of IS despite their downfall
they were able to incite fear and violence globally, proving their influence. people from other countries, especially young and influenceable, were radicalised through the internet and convinced to commit terrorist acts
example of radicalisation
a 15 year old boy who shot dead a civilian employee of a nsw police station in october 2015. the boy had been radicalized by online material, and given a gun by older men he had met through the internet
boko haram
an extremist islamic group from nigeria, seeking to establish an islamic state in nigeria and end ‘western education’. the group abducted over 200 schoolgirls in april 2014
challenges states face in responding to terrorism
ineffectual air strikes, modern communication technology, balancing security and civil liberties
why airstrikes are often ineffectual
not effective against enemies that are difficult to locate, and ground troops are still often needed to expel groups from their occupied territory
(such as the removal of IS from iraq and syria)
why modern communication technology poses a threat
states can’t stop online radicalisation through youtube and blogs, and can’t stop the spread of ideologies such as extreme islamism
the balance between security and civil liberties
states must tackle the challenge of striking a balance between laws that protect the security of civilians against terrorist attacks without undermining principles of liberal democracy
patriot act
a unilateral response made by the US government following the 9/11 bombing which allows indefinite detention in Guantanamo Bay without a trial for terrorist suspects captured overseas
victoria’s counter terrorism legislation
the Justice Legislation Amendment (Terrorism) Act introduced in 2018 allows for preventative detention of terror suspects by police for up to 4 days for an adult and 36 hours for a child
