Terrorism is the unlawful use of violence and intimidation, especially against civilians, in the pursuit of political aims. Terrorism is a tactic, used to achieve a specific goal. Terrorist groups use a variety of tactics to achieve these goals.

 Religious terrorism is a type of political violence motivated by an absolute belief that an otherworldly power has sanctioned and commanded terrorist violence for the greater glory of the faith. Terrorist violence is not blind or sadistic, but rather aims at intimidation and at some further political goal.  Various forms of deprivation can drive people to terrorism, in particular, poverty, lack of education, or lack of political freedom. Terrorists use violent tactics to gain attention so they can further advance their specific agendas.Aum Shinrikyo, released sarin gas during the Monday-morning rush hour in one of the world’s most crowded subway systems. The cult wanted to take control of the Japanese government and defense forces by means of military coup.

Shoko Asahara, the leader to the Aum Shinrikyo strove to take over Japan and then eventually the world. Aum Shinrikyo wanted to create an army of devoted cult members and ex-military converts that could be used to commandeer the Japanese government and keep other nations at bay(Jenkins, 2016, oct 5, para #4). Aum Shinrikyo is a religious group but they used their violent attacks to gain notice and bring in fighters all over japan who too wanted to make japan the most feared and powerful nation in the world.

Group abu nidal organization also made failed assassination attempt on the present Palestinian president and PLO chairman, Mahmoud Abbas. These attacks, and numerous others, led to the PLO issuing a death sentence in absentia against Abu Nidal. The group wants the state of Israel to be eliminated, preferably through an international Arab revolution, and therefore supports “armed struggle” against Israel. It bitterly opposes Arab-Israeli peace negotiations, as well as the United States, the PLO, and moderate Arab regimes in Jordan, Egypt, and the Persian Gulf states. It has also served as a mercenary terrorist force for radical Arab regimes.

Main goal was to establish a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. These attacks are all very much politically fueled and if you fast forward to the present day you see why groups like the ANO are around. Today Donald Trump confirms the US will recognise Jerusalem as capital of Israel (Abu Nidal Organization (ANO), aka Fatah Revolutionary Council, the Arab Revolutionary Brigades, or the Revolutionary Organization of Socialist Muslims, 2009, may 27, para #2).The al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades is a Palestinian militant group which splintered from the Fatah political party and is still considered closely linked to it. The Brigades’ professed goal is to annihilate Israeli presence in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Al-Aqsa’s goal is to drive the Israeli military and settlers from the West Bank and establish a Palestinian state loyal to the secular nationalist Fatah ideology.

Terrorism is almost always fueled by politics and the assassination attempts and violent acts that al-Aqsa has acted out have just been to further their political agenda.  Politics are one motive of terrorism but another is religious. (Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade (AAMB), 2015, may 7, para #6) The goal of the muslim brotherhood was to transform egypt into an Islamic state under Sharia law.

When met with opposition from the citizens and government of egypt who did not want to become an islamic state, things got heated. Egypt being a muslim country didn’t like that some people not only in the middle east but also egypt itself weren’t fully muslim. The muslim brotherhood did not like the fact that there were churches in egypt so fueled by their religious beliefs they bombed a church killing 22 innocent people.ISIS uses modern tools like social media to promote reactionary politics and religious fundamentalism.

Fighters are destroying holy sites and valuable antiquities even as their leaders speak of a return to the early days of Islam. Pretty backwards logic but this is how isis conducts themselves.  ISIS’ desire is to overthrow the existing governments of unstable, heavily Muslim nations and establish their own theocratic state in its place. This is a form of Accidental guerrilla tactics. A terrorist organization such as isis  moves into an already corrupt area with a poor government or conflict ridden.

They will then preach about their ideas to the locals to try and recruit them. As soon as a third party attempts to help out the country the already radicalized citizens will begin to adapt ISIS’ views. This is how isis is using religion to further their agenda.

The Army of God is an underground network of domestic terrorists who believe that the use of violence is appropriate and acceptable as a means to end abortion. Army of God members have been involved in highly publicized incidents of terrorism including the Atlanta Olympic bombing, and the bombings of an abortion clinic and a gay bar in Atlanta. Although people all have their own personal views on topics in the world, some people take it way too far such as this terrorist organization. If they don’t believe in abortion because you’re killing a child then why are they violently murdering dozens of innocent people, that doesn’t make much sense. The AOG uses their religious beliefs of anti-abortion and force their views onto other people only furthering their agenda through violent attacks and violent “protests”High unemployment rates is also commonly referred to as an issue that a country has, the economic deprivation argument is that unemployment can be positively associated with the spark of terrorism and political violence. High unemployment rates means many young people are left without jobs and very desperate for money.

One of the biggest pitches terrorist organizations give to young people is that they will receive a steady income for them and their families. To some young impressionable people this might sound like a great plan and just like that they are roped into that life. As much of a stretch as that may sound we need to remember that these terrorist groups use any tactic to persuade people to help them advance their agendas.Terrorist organizations have many different reasons for committing the violent acts that they do and ironically one of those reasons is to fight for social injustice. Various forms of deprivation can drive people to terrorism, in particular, poverty, lack of education, or lack of political freedom. A terrorist organization The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), which had been waging a war in northern Uganda and committing gross human rights violations since 1989.The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), led by Joseph Kony, operated in the north from bases in southern Sudan.

The LRA committed numerous abuses and atrocities, including the abduction, rape, maiming, and killing of civilians, including children. This terrorist group has made humanitarian concerns all over the world because of all the social injustice they committed. The SDS, made up of mostly college students, first formed in 1960 to help with the nonviolent Civil Rights movement of black Americans in the United States.As more and more young people were sent off to fight in the unpopular Vietnam War (1954–75; a controversial war in which the United States aided South Vietnam in its fight against a takeover by Communist North Vietnam) in the 1960s, SDS became active in protests hoping to halt the war. This group fought for their views on social justice and it could be argued that the US government was terrorizing its people and forced them to fight a dirty unnecessary war. Terrorists use specific destructive tactics to force people to acknowledge their agenda.  Terrorist groups that claim they only act in the name of god say that so they can coerce their young followers into believing they are working for god, in reality these groups have political agendas.

 The very first documented instance of organized terrorism in Islam too had political agendas although this was a little bit different because they wanted to strictly implement sharia law all throughout all of the middle east. Terrorist groups also use violent acts as a last resort for social injustice. There are many motives to terrorism some we may not understand but all terrorism is fuelled by the strong urge to reach a main goal.