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To: Thorondir
Why is the religion of peace responsible for nearly every single act of terrorism in the 20th and 21st Centuries?

Taking your question seriously, and not as flame bait, I don't think that assertion is historically valid. Terrorism, as we know it, originated in the anarchist movements in Russia in the 19th c, and Russians still have a dab hand for both individual and state sponsored terror. Aside from that, terrorism in the 20th century is especially marked in the Basque and Irish nationalist struggles - both of these are predominatly Catholic. In terms of numbers of incidents, these two would lead the field. The Zionist movement in Palestine in the 1930s was unafraid to use terrorism, and most people are surprised to learn that the letter bomb was in fact invented by the Irgun. Car bombs, letter bombs and assasinations were all introduced in the Zionist struggle against the British, and previous to that were unknown to the Palestinians.

Muslims have come late, but enthusiastic, to terrorist tactics. They have been in field since the 1970s. The PLO would have to have run one of the most successful terrorist campaigns. Through the use of force they have achieved a level of recognition undreamt of in their misery days of the 1950s.

Some Middle Eastern terrorist groups - such as the Armenian 'Justice Commados' are Christians. This is a group which got tired of hearing the Turkish govt deny the genocide of their people, and decided to start offing Turkish diplomats.

27 posted on 02/07/2003 5:15:51 PM PST by BlackVeil
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To: BlackVeil
Good info. Thanks. I will modify the question to the LATE 20th century and beyond.

Peace.
30 posted on 02/07/2003 5:27:30 PM PST by Thorondir
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