Terrorists: A New Ethnic Group Constructed And Demonized By America

Terrorism was first explicitly used as a political tactic during the French Revolution. (Bovard,2003:6) But an exact denotational definition of terrorism is also a matter of controversy. For instance, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines terrorism in the following manner: "The unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives."

With modern sociopolitical systems started, the terrorism got new faces and motivations. Now there are some various definitions and classifications of terrorism from different angles. Walter Reich in his "Origins of Terrorism" divides it in to two categories, Secular terrorism and the Holy one , (Reich, Walter,1998) Some scholars also classify it into domestic and international ones. (www.vaemergency,November10 2006)

There are also sociopolitical conditions which affect the process of terrorism evolution in many respects. The revolutionary violence in different periods of history such as French revolution and the social theories like Marxism and anarchism, which are based on making a utopia, may prepare the grounds or flourish terrorism. (www.terrorism-research,November10 2006)

American War and Terror

In America "war on terror" refers to 1981 when Reagan proclaimed that fighting terrorism was his administration highest priorities." (Bovard, 2003: 6)So, Americans believe that terrorism existed and now got new perspectives, especially from the late 1980s and 1990s when new terrorist groups like Al Qaeda took more power putting operations into action.(Strasser , 2004:425)Americans consider themselves historically the target of so-called terrorist actions, particularly the holy terrorism as Reich called it. For instance, bombing U.S Embassy in Beirut by Islamic Jihad or bombing of a restaurant with many U.S. armed forces customers in Soain by the Iranian-backed so-called terrorist group Hizbollah,etc.(Strasser,2004:423)In an American perspective, Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Somalia and Libya are the main terrorists sponsors. (Bovard,2003:5) And they believe if they intend to defeat terrorists they should be able to collapse their supporters.(Strasser,2004:419)

The many so-called terrorist actions which American history recalls, took place beyond the borders of the country.(Strasser,2004:423) But destroying Americans and America did not limit to out-of-board actions.The first attack to World Trade Center happened in 1993, five years before Bin Laden openly called other sunni extremists from all over the world to demolish America.(Strasser,2004:426) And again after eight years it was on September11 2001 that it was targeted. The time became an essential part of the American and even the world history. September 11 was a bridge covered the gap between the traditional and the new phases of terrorism and, naturally, anti-terrorism.September 11 2001 was a great sign of terror inside the country. It was different because it was very well-structured, big in scale and violent against a country believed to be powerful. Its operators apparently were not American and it victimized many citizens. And even it raised questions about the security and intelligence systems.(Strasser,2004)

The terrorist attacks on America before September 11 suggested some characteristics of terrorist action:

oTaking a long time for planning

o Not taking place simultaneously because they have few planners and skilled operators

o Keeping operations secret and details compartment

o Flexible structure of command.When W.Bush formally announced war against terrorism after September 11 attacks, a British wit asserted it was the first time in history that war was declared in such an abstract way.( Cited by:Bovard, 2003:7)

After September 11 extraordinary attacks, there were controversies over who the agents were and what their motivations were.

It was the time to make minds up. (Lucas,2003:64)

As the American president declared you should be " with" or "against" them to fight for freedom. During those days almost all decided to back the country and not to question war and the American terror policy.

Christopher Hitchens who was Bush critic, and once described him uncultured, uneducated and even a puppet, after September 11 raids claimed that he felt "exhilaration at the prospect of a clash of civilizations with theocratic fascism"(cited by: Lucas, 2004:63).He said " I know already that people of Palestine and Iraq are victims of a depraved and callous Western statecraft. And I think I can claim to have been among the first to point out that Clinton's rocketing of Khartoum- supported by most liberals- was a gross war crime which would certainly have entitled the Sudanese government to mount reprisals under international law...But there is no sense in which the events of September 11 can be held to constitute such a reprisal, either legally or morally."
He was the person who supported Chomsky and his ideas for many times but he resembles the people who changed their ideas pro the land. In September 19 Evening Standard published his commentary that "I might never again feel carefree. The enemies had emerged : the Serbo- Fascists of 1999 had been replaced by the Islamic Fascists: The people who destroyed the World Trade Center, and used civilians as accessories ... are fighting for the right to throw acid in the faces of unveiled women in Kabul and Karachi. They didn't just destroy the temple of modernity, they used heavy artillery to shatter Buddha statues in Bamiyan earlier this year , and in Egypt have plotted to demolish the Pyramids and the Sphinx because they are un-Islamic and profane" (Cited by: Lucas,2004:64).

Simultaneously there were exceptions like Chomsky who had different ideas. Chomsky believed that it was a crime but" in scale [it] may not reach the level of many others, for example, Clinton's bombing of Sudan with no credible pretext, destroying half its pharmaceutical supplies and killing unknown numbers of people (no one knows, because the U.S blocked an inquiry at the U.N and no one cares to peruse it." (Cited by; Lucas, 2004: 65)

Accordingly, journalists and writers tried their chances and talents to write about terrorism. The intellectual challenges keeps on and even it got new grounds. It became a new movement. For instance, "John Updike's latest novel, Terrorist, is one of the first English-language attempts to dissect the mind of an Islamic terrorist. But Terrorist is only one among a spate of novels emerging after September 11, 2001.In 2004, journalist Lorraine Adams published Harbor, about Arab immigrants in Boston and the ways in which their lives spiral out of control as the police suspect an emerging terrorist cell. Frederick Forsyth's The Afghan came out in mid-August 2006, delving into the life of an Afghan suspected of being a terrorist and imprisoned at Guantánamo. And readers anticipate Martin Amis' upcoming imaginary treatise on 9/11 bomber Mohammed Atta, appearing in a short story in Amis' House of Meetings to be published in January 2007." (www.natcath.org,December 5 2006)

In addition to these movements, after September 11 Muslims were attacked by Americans and the police and several laws were passed to increase governmental authority .
For instance, the USA PATRIOT Act limited Many civil liberties groups to increase government authority.

So, many people [specifically the always marginal immigrant notably Muslims] hand-twisted brought to police stations and [even the secret parts of a modern life] the telephone calls, the bank accounts and emails were checked. (Bovard ,2003:4)
The American Civil Liberties Union quoted Justice Department figures showing that 7,000 people have complained of abuse of the Act. The ACLU also maintains that many others do not know they have been subjected to a search.

The police asked all the country to report every suspicious man of being a terrorist, while the local police looked for people with these traits: the pale face from recent shaving of beard... clothing in loose.(Bovard,2003:5)

And ultimately the case is the stigma which is attached to American Muslims, mostly not originally from America, that made many Americans and many in Europe believe the Muslims as terrorists and Islam as the religion of terror. Muslims can be an example of an ethnic group constructed and plotted to be demonized by American government. That is constructed as Muslims who wear loose clothes, usually the males with turban and bushy beard and females with nighab. Their color is not exactly black, but sure not white, it's something pale. They are usually untidy and unfriendly.
However, that can be a very vague point how the country whose just last war in Iraq had at least 49,475(wikipedia.org,December 5) victims from many countries all around the world and believes it is Christian accuses others to be terrorists.

References Reich,Walter,1998, Origins of Terrorism,The Woodrow Center Press Bover, James,2003,Terrorism and Tyrrany,The United States Lucas, Scott, 2004, The betrayal of dissent:beyond Orwell, Hitchens and the new American century,London, Pluto Strasser,Steven,2004,The 9/11 Investigation,The United States,PublicAffairs LLC. Bover, James,2003,Terrorism and Tyrrany,The United States

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