Terrorism (Sociology)

The systematic use of violence designed to create a climate of fear among opponents, to coerce political change, to destabilize a government or society, or to publicize a cause. Attacks are intended to target or disregard the safety of civilians. Throughout history, a variety of organizations (e.g., political groups, religious groups, governments, extremists) have used terrorist techniques (e.g., bombing, hijacking, assassi nation) to fulfill ideological objectives. The concept was first introduced in reference to the French Revolution's Reign of Terror, though terrorism became more common after World War II. The United Nations and the governments of most countries define acts of terrorism as criminal acts. The deadliest terrorist attack in world history was perpetrated by members of the Islamist al-Qaeda network on September 11, 2001, in the United States, killing more than 3,000 people. An individual who carries out terrorist acts of violence is called a terrorist.