From: Mermaid . (britannica@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Aug 05 2002 - 11:18:06 MDT
[kharin]Your list of terrorist organisations conveniently ignores the IRA,
[Mermaid]I did mention IRA. You browsed too quickly, perhaps?
[kharin]and with it the rather obvious observation that the unversalism of
recourse to terrorism is not something I could be oblivious to. If I may
quote back to you an article you once referred to me:
http://www.janes.com/security/regional_security/news/usscole/jir001020_1_n.shtml
" There are now 10 religious and secular terrorist groups that are capable
of using suicide terrorism as a tactic against their governments and/or
foreign governments. They are: the Islam Resistance Movement (Hamas) and the
Palestinian Islamic Jihad of the Israeli occupied territories; Hizbullah of
Lebanon; the Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ) and Gamaya Islamiya (Islamic Group
- IG) of Egypt; the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) of Algeria; Barbar Khalsa
International (BKI) of India; the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of
Sri Lanka; the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) of Turkey; and the Osama bin
Laden network (Al Quaida) of Afghanistan. "
[kharin]That said, a movement of any description will be at least partly
characterised by the cultural (and religious) norms within which it is
situated, which is what I was referring to.
[Mermaid]True, but there is no religious component to suicide bombing.
Inflicting terror has occured in all religions in our timeline.
[Mermaid]The above quote refers to suicide bombing. A trend that came into
vogue only after Vellupillai Prabakaran made it popular with his army of
Tamil Tigers. If anything, the suicide bombings, in its current form,
originates from the mind of V.Prabakaran. Not for Islam or Arab culture. If
you know anything about Arab culture(another book recommendation for all:
Seven Pillars of Wisdom), you'd know it doesnt promote violence. People all
over the world including IRA, RAF(hmm..probably not..but I am not sure) and
JRA were willing to 'contribute' to the Arab cause, but what you want to see
is 'Islamic/Arab' cultural terrorism. On the other hand, military
terrorism(if it can be called that) of Israel was supplemented and
complemented by the racist apartheid state of South Africa and even today
India conducts joint military exercises with Israel because they are
'bought' together by what they perceive(and wrongly..the arabs are not the
moslems of pakistan...they have nothing in common except their faith and
that too is a broad generalisation)as a common enemy. In that light, one
wonders why a reaction or action is perceived as terrorism and carries the
extra baggage of culture and religion while on the other side, Israel's
activities is not recognised as state sponsered terrorism which might have
cultural and religious significance too. Anti-Islamic, perhaps? Xenophobia,
perhaps? Racism, perhaps? In all likelihood..i'd venture a Yes! Of course, I
dont speak for you or about anyone in particular.
[kharin]If you don't accept my observations concerning the complete
uselessness of suicide bombing then you could try asking the group of
Palestinian intellectuals who recently signed a petition to that effect.
[Mermaid]There is no need and I have read the said petition. I resent the
implication that I believe in some good coming out of suicide bombings and I
require an authority like 'a group of Palestinian intellectuals' to instruct
that to me. *smirk*
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