GLOBAL TERROR GROUPS

P.J. SOUNDARYA

GLOBAL TERROR GROUPS (Simplified concept)

N -LIGHT PUBLICATION

N -LIGHT PUBLICATIONS

ISBN CODE: 123456789

Lady Doak College Madurai – 2, TAMILNADU E Mail: [email protected] Website: https://www.ladydoakcollege.edu.in/

Published by: N-LIGHT PUBLICATIONS, 2022 Madurai -20

Copyright © Lady Doak college All rights reserved.

PREFACE The idea behind the book is to present the reader a concise concept of globally designated terror groups. This short concept book intends to tease out for the concept of Global terror groups as a part of World or global issues. It will surely be helpful to students to make it up for a concise understanding of Global issues and the global terror groups.

FOREWORD

It is really important to brush our current affairs and in turn global terror groups is bulletined under the global issues. This book really aids in adding up to our knowledge of global affairs and it brings out the e-resources in a simplified and seamless manner.

CONTENTS

1. Introduction 2. Major designated terror groups in Middle East 3. Major designated terror groups in Central Asia 4. Major designated Terror groups in Africa and India (list)

1 Introduction

OBJECTIVES: In this chapter you would get to know • What is Terrorism? • Types of Terrorism

WHAT IS TERRORISM? Terrorism is a broad term that encompasses a wide variety of events and concepts. And there is no one particular definition for this broad term. Many organisations and people have come up with their definitions of the term terrorism. Some commonly used definitions: UN definition : Any criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for a particular purpose are in any circumstance unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them.

Types of Terrorism ▪

Although there are several types of terrorism, we can classify terrorism into the following broad types: ▪

Dissent Terrorism: Groups that rebel against the government of a country. For example, the LTTE in Sri Lanka.

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Left-wing/right-wing terrorism: Terror groups that adhere to ideological leanings on the extreme end of the leftright political spectrum.

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Religious terrorism: Terror groups based on religious ideologies. For example, ISIS.

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Criminal terrorism: Terror groups engaged in terror acts for criminal profit.

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Terrorism can also be classified on the basis of the mode of operation such as cyber-terrorism, bioterrorism, etc.

The term terrorism is derived from the French word “terrorisme” which in turn is derived from Latin word “terreo” meaning “I frighten”

2 Major terror groups in Middle East

OBJECTIVES: In this chapter you would get onto • A glimpse of terror groups in middle East • A major focus on Al-Qaeda and ISIS

Designated major terror groups in Middle East:

1. Hezbollah 2. Hamas 3. ISIS 4. Al-Qaeda 5. The Kurdistan Workers’ Party

1. Hezbollah:

Hezbollah is a Lebanese Shia Islamist political party and a militant group. Headquarters: Lebanon

It is led by its SecretaryGeneral Hassan Nasrallah since 1992.

Ideologies: Anti-Imperialism (main reason to organize this group was against colonization of Israel) Islamic Nationalism and PanIslamism Anti-Semitism and Anti-Zionism (Hostility towards Jews) Shia Jihad

Hezbollah's paramilitary wing is the Jihad Council, and its political wing is the Loyalty to the Resistance Bloc party in the Lebanese Parliament

Declared as Terrorists Organisation by:Arab League, Gulf Cooperation Council, Argentina, Bahrain, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Honduras, Israel, Malaysia, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States.

State Opponents: Israel and Turkey State Allies: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Russia Non- State Allies: Amal movement, Hamas, Liwa Zainebiyoun, Popular mobilization forces Non- State Opponents: Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, Free Syrian Army etc.

Slogan: Verily the party of God are they that shall be triumphant (English trans. Of Arabic words)

2. Hamas Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist, militant, and nationalist organizati on with its headquarters at Gaza.

It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.

Ideologies: It won the 2006 Palestinian legislative election and became the de facto governing authority of the Gaza Strip following the 2007 Battle of Gaza.

Palestinian Nationalism Islamism Anti-Semitism and AntiZionism Anti-communism

Canada, the European Union, Israel, Japan, Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. New Zealand and Paraguay have designated only its military wing as a terrorist organization. It is not considered a terrorist organization by Brazil, China, Egypt, Iran, Norway, Qatar, Russia, Syria and Turkey

3.ISIS: The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS officially known as the Islamic State (IS) and also known by its Arabic acronym Daesh is a militant group

Slogan: Remaining and Expanding And follows Salafi Jihad (branch of Sunni Islam) The group has been designated as a terrorist organisation by the United Nations

The group committed genocide against Yazidis and against Christians on a historic scale in northern Iraq and Syria, and systematically persecuted Shia Muslims during its rule.

It was founded by Abu Musab alZarqawi in 1999 and gained global prominence in 2014, when it drove Iraqi security forces out of key cities during the Anbar campaign, which was followed by its capture of Mosul and Sinjar Massacre

It is well known for its videos of beheadings and other types of executions of both soldiers and civilians, including journalists and aid workers, as well as its destruction of cultural heritage sites

Ideologies: Salafism and Salaf Jihadism Anti-Christianism, Anti-Hinduism, Anti-Yazidi, Anti-Shia, Anti-Semitism, Anti-LGBT Misogyny

4.Al-Qaeda Al-Qaeda is a militant Sunni Islamist multi-national terrorist organization

Al-Qaeda operates as a network of Islamic extremists and Salafist jihadists.

founded in 1988 by Osama bin Laden, Abdullah Azzam and several other Arab volunteers during the SovietAfghan War.

The organization has been designated as a terrorist group by the United Nations Security Council,NATO, the European Union, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, Russia, India, and various other countries

• Al-Qaeda members believe a Christian-Jewish alliance (led by the United States) is conspiring to be at war against Islam and destroy Islam. • As Salafist jihadists, members of al-Qaeda believe that killing non-combatants is religiously sanctioned. Al-Qaeda also opposes what it regards as man-made laws, and wants to replace them exclusively with a strict form of sharia(Islamic religious law, which is perceived as divine law).

• It is also responsible for instigating sectarian violence among Muslims. Al-Qaeda regards liberal Muslims, Shias, Sufis, and other Islamic sects as heretical and its members and sympathizers have attacked their mosques, shrines, and gatherings. Examples of sectarian attacks include the 2004 Ashoura massacre, the 2006 Sadr City bombings, the April 2007 Baghdad bombings, and the 2007 Yazidi community bombings. • The United States government responded to the September 11 attacks by launching the “war on terror”, which sought to undermine al-Qaeda and its allies. • The deaths of key leaders, including that of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, have led, to the planning of attacks carried out by a loose network of associated groups and lonewolf operators. • Al-Qaeda characteristically organizes attacks including suicide attacks and simultaneous bombing of several targets. Al-Qaeda ideologues envision the violent removal of all foreign and secular influences in Muslim countries, which it perceives as corrupt deviations.

3 MAJOR TERROR GROUPS IN CENTRAL ASIA

OBJECTTIVES: In this chapter You will get a basic idea of the • Major designated terror groups in Central Asia • With a focus on Taliban

Major designated terror groups in Central Asia: 1. Turkistan Islamic Party 2. The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) 3. Taliban

TALIBAN:

• The Taliban refer to themselves as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

• It is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, and jihadist political movement in Afghanistan founded by Muhammed Omar and Abdul Ghani Baradar. • It ruled approximately three-quarters of the country from 1996–2001, before being overthrown following the United States invasion. • During their rule from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban enforced a strict interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law, and were widely condemned for massacres against Afghan civilians, harsh discrimination against religious and ethnic minorities, denial of UN food supplies to starving civilians, destruction of cultural monuments, banning of women from school and most employment, and prohibition of most music. • It recaptured Kabul on 15 August 2021 after years of insurgency, and currently controls all of the country, although its government is not recognized by any country yet • Ideologies: Islamic Fundamentalism, Religious nationalism, Afghan Nationalism, Pashtanwali, Deobandi Islamism. • Taliban were against the consumption of drugs, alcohol and pork; pets, recreational activities like kite flying, painting, photography, music, television, filming. • They were against women employment and women education. Women were required to cover them from head to toe and

they are required to be accompanied by male guardians outside their households. • Men are forbidden from shaving their beards. • Prayer is compulsory. Those who violates the rules and the religious obligation are punished severly.

Noble Peace Prize Winner Malala Yousafzai’s story revolved around Taliban. She survived the gun shot of the Taliban in 2012. She stood up for Women’s right to education.

4 MAJOR TERROR GROUPS IN AFRICA AND INDIA (LIST)

Major designated terror groups in Africa: 1. Boko Haram 2. Al-Shahaab 3. Armed Islamic group (active – 1992 to 1998) Major designated terror groups in India: 1. Indian Mujahideen (Banned) 2. Hizb-Ul-Mujahideen 3. Khalistan Zindabad force (banned) 4. Lashkar-E-Taiba ( Main attacks- 2001 Attack on Indian Parliament, 2019 Pulwama attack on Armed forces, 2008 Mumbai attacks) 5. United Liberation Front of Assam (Armed separatist organisation that was banned by GOI) 6. Liberation Tigers of Eelam 7. Al-Ummah (banned terrorist group in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu; Main attack- 1998 Coimbatore bombings) 8. Student’s Islamic Movement of India (Banned)

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES: • https://byjus.com/free-ias-prep/terrorism/ • https://samajho.com/upsc/major-terrorist-organisationsaround-the-world/ • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_designated_terroris t_groups