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39 Case W. Res. J. Int'l L. 759 (2006-2008)
Terror in the Name of Islam - Unholy War, Not Jihad

handle is hein.journals/cwrint39 and id is 743 raw text is: TERROR IN THE NAME OF ISLAM-UNHOLY WAR, NOT JIHAD Parvez Ahmeaft Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signi- fies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.1 I. INTRODUCTION The objective of this paper is to (1) analyze current definitions of terrorism, (2) explore the history of recent terrorism committed in the name of Islam, (3) posit causal links between terrorism and the United States' (U.S.) Cold War programs and policies towards the Middle East, and (4) propose remedies to minimize and preferably eliminate the threat of terror- ism. Before beginning, it bears reminding the reader that explaining terror- ism is not the same as justifying it. Terrorism is abhorrent, but has been around as long as civilization has existed. The heightened concern regarding terrorism is justifiable as modem weapons can unleash destruction hitherto unimaginable. Thus, it is more important now than ever before to analyze terrorism in order to suggest appropriate remedies. On September 11, 2001, the worst terrorist attack ever to take place on American soil unfolded on live television. The carnage unleashed that day stunned Americans. It left Americans grappling with the question, * Associate Professor of Finance, University of North Florida; Chairman, Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR). Prof. Ahmed may be contacted at the Council on Amer- ican-Islamic Relations as follows: 453 New Jersey Ave., SE, Washington, DC 20003; Phone: 904-710-6514; Email: pahmed@cair.com. Blog: http://drparvezahmed.blogspot.com/. t This paper was presented at the March 30, 2007, Roe Green Foundation Conference: Sacred Violence: Religion and Terrorism, organized by the Institute for Global Security Law and Policy at the Case Western Reserve University School of Law. A webcast of the conference may be accessed at http://law.case.edu/centers/igslp/webcast.asp?dt-20070330. Comments from the conference participants are deeply appreciated. The views expressed in this paper are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Council on American- Islamic Relations or the University of North Florida. Errors and omissions are regretted. 'President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Chance for Peace (Apr. 16, 1953), http://www.millercenter.virginia.edu/scripps/digitalarchive/speeches/spe-1953_0416_eisenh ower.