Conceptualizing and Theorizing Terrorism in the Historical and Global Context

Abstract

This article defines and theorizes terrorism by focusing on five important and central issues: lack of balance in current terrorism studies, blurred boundaries between legitimate and illegitimate violence of state and non-state actors, the multiplicity and complexity of terrorism, terrorism as a contested and understudied aspect of the modern world system, and terrorism in the name of money, God, and civilization. It also emphasizes the significances of economic, historical, cultural, political, ideological, and religious factors in facilitating the development of this lethal problem. In its attempt to overcome the current dilemma of terrorism studies, the article proposes a single intellectual, legal, moral, and political position to critically and comprehensively study and understand all forms of terrorism in order to seek an appropriate policy measure to deal with this dark side of human civilization.