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White
Hat- Facts and Figures
By- Namit Hans
By- Namit Hans
Terrorism
has been a major problem since long time. From common populace to the
governments, everybody is talking about the ways to counter this problem. Every
day we see newspapers covering one or the other terrorist attack in any part of
the world. The attacks by Boko Haram in Nigeria and killings of journalists by
ISIS are some of the latest issues of concern.
However, the controversy related to maligning a particular community and incognito powers who fund and encourage such acts are always a topic of debate. The perception that particular religion or countries are giving birth to terrorism is getting stronger. What is the reality and what is propaganda?
According to the Global Terrorism Database “terrorist attacks reached their twentieth century zenith in 1992 (with over 5,100 attacks worldwide), but had substantially declined in the years leading up to the 9/11 attacks. In fact, total attacks in 2000 (1,351) were at about the same level as total attacks in 1977 (1,307). Looking more broadly at overall trends, worldwide terrorist attacks through the mid-1970s were relatively infrequent, with fewer than 1,000 incidents each year.”
According to the same source, the top five terrorist organisations are Shining Path, Basque Fatherland and Freedom, Farabundo Marti National Liberation Fund, Irish Republican Army, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia according to the frequency of attacks by them. Liberation Tigers of Talim Eelam (LTTE) comes eighth in the list with Taliban at thirteenth. However, LTTE comes at second and Al qaeda at third according to the number of fatalities.
The countries which suffer with such attacks most frequently are Combodia, Peru, El Salvador, India and Northern Ireland respectively. United States comes at twentieth position according to the frequency of attacks. But if we talk about the number of fatalities Iraq tops the list with Sri Lanka at the second position, followed by India and US comes at fifteenth position.
With the increase of terror attacks and the acts of killing in the name of counter terrorist, the world is being pushed into a war like situation. Who or what is actually responsible for it?
However, the controversy related to maligning a particular community and incognito powers who fund and encourage such acts are always a topic of debate. The perception that particular religion or countries are giving birth to terrorism is getting stronger. What is the reality and what is propaganda?
According to the Global Terrorism Database “terrorist attacks reached their twentieth century zenith in 1992 (with over 5,100 attacks worldwide), but had substantially declined in the years leading up to the 9/11 attacks. In fact, total attacks in 2000 (1,351) were at about the same level as total attacks in 1977 (1,307). Looking more broadly at overall trends, worldwide terrorist attacks through the mid-1970s were relatively infrequent, with fewer than 1,000 incidents each year.”
According to the same source, the top five terrorist organisations are Shining Path, Basque Fatherland and Freedom, Farabundo Marti National Liberation Fund, Irish Republican Army, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia according to the frequency of attacks by them. Liberation Tigers of Talim Eelam (LTTE) comes eighth in the list with Taliban at thirteenth. However, LTTE comes at second and Al qaeda at third according to the number of fatalities.
The countries which suffer with such attacks most frequently are Combodia, Peru, El Salvador, India and Northern Ireland respectively. United States comes at twentieth position according to the frequency of attacks. But if we talk about the number of fatalities Iraq tops the list with Sri Lanka at the second position, followed by India and US comes at fifteenth position.
With the increase of terror attacks and the acts of killing in the name of counter terrorist, the world is being pushed into a war like situation. Who or what is actually responsible for it?
Yellow
Hat- Optimism/Support
By- Ayaz Farooqi
By- Ayaz Farooqi
What defines who is a terrorist and who is not?
Menachem Begin, the leader of the Jewish terrorist group Hagana, went on to become Prime Minister of Israel and received the Nobel Prize for peace. Contrary to this, Nelson Mandela while fighting the apartheid government was labeled as a terrorist and imprisoned for 25 years. So the equation is simple, whosoever is in the power, whatever label he gives, it gets stuck.
The terrorist organizations are designed to serve political and economic interests of states. The major recruiter of terrorists for the purpose of creating global hegemony happens to be the US. The US has a long history of supporting terrorists and using terror tactics. It was US who created Al Qaida and supported Osama in 1970s to fight the USSR. As Naom Chomsky says “The U.S. is the world's leading terrorist state, and proud of it.”
Menachem Begin, the leader of the Jewish terrorist group Hagana, went on to become Prime Minister of Israel and received the Nobel Prize for peace. Contrary to this, Nelson Mandela while fighting the apartheid government was labeled as a terrorist and imprisoned for 25 years. So the equation is simple, whosoever is in the power, whatever label he gives, it gets stuck.
The terrorist organizations are designed to serve political and economic interests of states. The major recruiter of terrorists for the purpose of creating global hegemony happens to be the US. The US has a long history of supporting terrorists and using terror tactics. It was US who created Al Qaida and supported Osama in 1970s to fight the USSR. As Naom Chomsky says “The U.S. is the world's leading terrorist state, and proud of it.”
The ISIS is its latest weapon that, much like Al Qaeda, is
certainly backfiring. US is using ISIS in three ways: to attack its enemies in
the Middle East, to serve as a pretext for U.S. military intervention abroad,
and at home to foment a manufactured domestic threat, used to justify the
unprecedented expansion of invasive domestic surveillance. Terrorism has become
an excuse to justify mass surveillance, in preparation for mass revolt.
Religion has never been the unique instigator of
violence. Avid followers and enemies of
religions have acted throughout history in similarly brutal ways. Stalin
guillotined hundreds of thousands of people, so did Hitler. According to FBI
database among all the terrorists attacks committed on US soil from 1980 to
2005, the Latino extremists carried 42% terrorist attacks, Extreme left wing
groups had hands in 24% terrorist attack whereas Islamic extremists are alleged
to have conducted 6% of the total attacks. In Asia, The LTTE, one of the most
notorious terrorist groups, has conducted hundreds of terrorist attacks. The
IRA is another such example, they rein terror in UK. The list is endless where
people get the motivation of spreading terror for sources other than religion.
This has been the policy of the west, specially the US to spread fear of religious extremism through the Media, among the nations as an excuse to fulfil their political and economic motives.
This has been the policy of the west, specially the US to spread fear of religious extremism through the Media, among the nations as an excuse to fulfil their political and economic motives.
Black
Hat- Criticism
By- Bhaswar Kumar
By- Bhaswar Kumar
Aren’t terrorists simply tools in the hands
of greater powers who use them to further their own goals? In today’s world
there are many who pose this question so as to deflect the guilt from
organizations and men who have butchered men and women alike under the pretext
of some cause or the other.
Beyond the narrative and the
counter-narrative lies the fact that these men, the likes of Osama and Kone,
have taken the lives of thousands with little remorse in the pursuit of their
own ideological or political goals. It is a fact of record that terrorists
receive financial aid, weapons and training from interested parties. It is also
true that often such organizations are used, with their consent or unwittingly,
to further the geopolitical goals of nations and blocks. The Taliban is an
example which illustrates this, the lynching, the targeted killing of the
Hazaras and the draconian rules which the Taliban brought to the land were not
executed under some American scheme. America was responsible for creating an
environment which aided the Taliban but the greater blame lies on Mullah Omar
who decided to exploit the environment to cease power through force.
This notion that terrorism is simply
manufactured by world powers, in some clandestine factory and with the aim of
enacting some sinister conspiracy ignores the fact that the roots of terrorism
lie in intolerance and the willingness of many to use violence as a means
towards their ends. The attempt to remove the religious factor from the actions
of terrorists ignores the truth that stares us in the face. It is not the
politics of a cause which manufactures the terrorist, most often it is the
willingness to use violence supported by religious justification which makes
the terrorist what he is. The youth who attacked Charlie Hebdo’s office were
confidant in their belief that they were defending their faith and carrying out
their religious duty, so were the perpetrators of 26/11.
We must open our eyes and realize that
while geopolitics and the attraction of tools such as non-state actors do
contribute in the spread of terrorist organizations, at the end of the day the
ideology that drives them and the people who pull the trigger are products of
these very organizations rather than being Indian, American or Israeli agents.
Green
Hat- Creative Solution
By- Vibha Maru
By- Vibha Maru
If you go through the list of major terror attacks on Wikipedia
the page seems to be a never ending one, and so are the casualties in it, incalculable
people lost their lives in terrorist attack in the year 2014. Terrorism has
innumerable faces in forms like Al-Qaeda. LTTE, RTE and even NDFB for that
matter, they all share objectives oblivion in it self’s.
International politics seems like a bloody game of rugby
where supreme powers like NATO use force to prevent ball from being dropped in
their court, and when they confront each other it’s the ball that is squeezed
under the human beehive. The BALL represents the world. If a common person goes
through all those diction articles he might be able to understand that the well
suited- mannered people, warming their comfortable seats in a secured
environment are responsible for making the 3rd world what it is
today.
State sponsored terrorism must be regulated immediately; you
cannot start a fire and expect it not to reach your states. There are 60 nations affected by terrorism today,
still we see no unity in them. It was out in front that USA funded Al Queida
but it never entered the genre of debates and discussions. Countries must
differentiate their ideologies with their counterparts, US invasion killed
500000 people because they believed that Afghanistan was responsible for 9/11 attack,
this marks no difference between them.
There is need for nations to
understand the cost of proxy war fairness; underground or open, a war is a war,
human lives are slaughtered both ways. The 4th estate on the other
hand should be very cautious regarding its conduct in this fragile matter,
being the primary source of information for common man, they must research and
display pure facts rather than targeting a particular community.
Peace at ground level is also mandatory in order to do that
mass awareness is imperative, so that youth share the liberty to make up their
mind and not just be triggered as a pawn.
Blue Hat- Expert Interview
By- Ayaz Farooqi/Namit Hans
By- Ayaz Farooqi/Namit Hans
Abu Yahya Mansoor Danish, 8 year experience in Finance
sector, member of advisory board Al-Iman Education Foundation, Delhi
Q1) Do you think religion is the supreme cause of terrorism?
If not, then why do people have this belief?
Ans) It wrong to say that religion is a reason of terrorism. We had Virappan in India and there are Maoists, Ulfa, naxals etc. who do not have any religious reason of doing it. The same is happening on international level where terrorism is spread because of economic reasons where nations are attacking other nations. Rather, terrorism is a personal agenda where an individual is not able to convince people in a right way, therefore him or her adopts the wrong ways and starts terrorizing people.
Ans) It wrong to say that religion is a reason of terrorism. We had Virappan in India and there are Maoists, Ulfa, naxals etc. who do not have any religious reason of doing it. The same is happening on international level where terrorism is spread because of economic reasons where nations are attacking other nations. Rather, terrorism is a personal agenda where an individual is not able to convince people in a right way, therefore him or her adopts the wrong ways and starts terrorizing people.
Q2) There are certain conspiracy theories related to
terrorism. Do you think these theories contain any truth or evidence?
Ans) Personally I am not for the conspiracy theories. These are good to sell on internet and it is a good means for several news channels to grow popular. If there are genuine evidences and proofs then it should be shared with the people. If the countries possess any information regarding such acts then they should share it openly with the public.
Ans) Personally I am not for the conspiracy theories. These are good to sell on internet and it is a good means for several news channels to grow popular. If there are genuine evidences and proofs then it should be shared with the people. If the countries possess any information regarding such acts then they should share it openly with the public.
Q3) What are the urgent steps required to make people aware
about all sides of this issue?
Ans) First of all, whenever something like this happens, people belonging to a particular religion (Islam) are expected to clarify their stand on the issue. This does not happen in other cases where people from other faiths are involved in it. It is foolish to blame a religion because of the act of a lunatic or a group of lunatics. The first step which is needed is that people, especially media, should start segregating terrorism with religion.
Ans) First of all, whenever something like this happens, people belonging to a particular religion (Islam) are expected to clarify their stand on the issue. This does not happen in other cases where people from other faiths are involved in it. It is foolish to blame a religion because of the act of a lunatic or a group of lunatics. The first step which is needed is that people, especially media, should start segregating terrorism with religion.
Q4) Do you think that there is media propaganda behind all
of this?
Ans) Media in itself may not be doing propaganda but then the media can be used by those who are influential. However we cannot paint the entire media with the same brush and there are many media houses who are carrying out their jobs responsibly. The media should restrict itself to reporting facts. Media is one of the most powerful tools today and therefore if there is some propaganda then it shall be dealt by having more honest people in the profession.
Ans) Media in itself may not be doing propaganda but then the media can be used by those who are influential. However we cannot paint the entire media with the same brush and there are many media houses who are carrying out their jobs responsibly. The media should restrict itself to reporting facts. Media is one of the most powerful tools today and therefore if there is some propaganda then it shall be dealt by having more honest people in the profession.
Q5) Media relates terrorism with Islam and they have
evidence of it, what do you want to say about it?
Ans) Who are the people benefiting the most when an act of terrorism happens? If you actually analyse, those who benefit the most are the ones who have economic interest. Therefore, if the media is reporting about one reason of terrorism, then they shall also concentrate on different perspectives too.
Ans) Who are the people benefiting the most when an act of terrorism happens? If you actually analyse, those who benefit the most are the ones who have economic interest. Therefore, if the media is reporting about one reason of terrorism, then they shall also concentrate on different perspectives too.
Red
Hat- Public Opinion
By- Moumita Majumdar
By- Moumita Majumdar
Anubhab Sarkar, Final
semester Law student, KIIT
Q: Who according to you spreads terrorism?
A: Psychologically, terrorism is just another term we hype up to intensify a cause. It is done by people like me and you, just with a psychologically dominated mind-set. There is a threshold for every human to stay within their human bounds. Once you cross that, the reason you cross that boundary for, becomes the sole purpose of your life. It is us, who witness ‘terrorism ‘occur and it is also us who maintain an agenda that a person with a beard is a terrorist.
A: Psychologically, terrorism is just another term we hype up to intensify a cause. It is done by people like me and you, just with a psychologically dominated mind-set. There is a threshold for every human to stay within their human bounds. Once you cross that, the reason you cross that boundary for, becomes the sole purpose of your life. It is us, who witness ‘terrorism ‘occur and it is also us who maintain an agenda that a person with a beard is a terrorist.
Q: Is it religious
fundamentalism that leads to terrorism?
A: Religious fundamentalism has at a point in time been the reason for the fail of every religion. Religious fundamentalism is a basic substitution of the word ‘fanaticism’. A religion will not permit us to kill children who go to school in order to get their 72 virgins once they die. Religions exist to make our thought processes cleaner, our beliefs stronger and our perspectives bolder.
A: Religious fundamentalism has at a point in time been the reason for the fail of every religion. Religious fundamentalism is a basic substitution of the word ‘fanaticism’. A religion will not permit us to kill children who go to school in order to get their 72 virgins once they die. Religions exist to make our thought processes cleaner, our beliefs stronger and our perspectives bolder.
Q: Do you think there
are any hidden powers behind such organizations?
A: There are things we want to do and there are things we don’t want to do. I’m sure that depleting humanity should be the last thing that never should happen. Political agencies are known for their nexus with terrorist agencies. They are known to be state sponsored, party and belief sponsored. I don’t understand how communists can afford to hire terrorists. I’ll just leave it at that.
A: There are things we want to do and there are things we don’t want to do. I’m sure that depleting humanity should be the last thing that never should happen. Political agencies are known for their nexus with terrorist agencies. They are known to be state sponsored, party and belief sponsored. I don’t understand how communists can afford to hire terrorists. I’ll just leave it at that.
Srijita Bose, Student (Masters in English), Calcutta
University
Q: Who according to you spreads terrorism?
A: Generally we say terrorism is spread by religious
fundamentalists. It’s not always just that though. There can be political
terrorism or state terrorism (what we know as rule of terror) etc. So it is
hard to say who spreads terrorism. The concept of terrorism is itself
controversial because it is often used by the state to legitimize their actions
and maintain power. It is basically used by individuals and organizations to
further their personal objectives.
Q: Is it religious fundamentalism that leads to terrorism?
A: Like I mentioned earlier, religious fundamentalism is one
of the many types of terrorism. Definitely it has been creating massive havoc
in our country in the late 20th and 21st century. But in
a general discussion about terrorism, it is only right to include all the other
forms as well.
Q: Do you think there are any hidden powers behind such
organizations?
A: In case of religious fundamentalism, I don’t think the
powers are hidden any longer. In fact the Talibans always claim their acts with
pride. It’s a known fact that Lashkar-e-Taiba and Al Qaeda groups caused the
Mumbai attack and the twin tower attacks respectively.
Namit Hans, 23, Graduate in Economics from Delhi University, Former Gandhi Fellow at Piramal Foundation for Education Leadership, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal
Bhaswar Kumar, 23, Graduate in English literature from Delhi University, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal
Mohd. Ayaz Farooqui, 24, Graduation in computer application from Institute of management studies Ghaziabad, Worked for YES Roorkee, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal
Vibha Maru, 21, Graduate in B.Com (Hons.) from Rajasthan university, Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal
Moumita Majumdar, 22, Graduate in English literature from Calcutta University, Worked with Red Chillies Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., Pursuing Diploma in English Journalism from Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Dhenkanal
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