Understanding Terrorism

In the wake of the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, The Chronicle asked scholars in a variety of disciplines to reflect on those events. Their comments were submitted in writing or transcribed from interviews.

T

he concept that there may be rationality in terrorism -- something beyond simple, blinding hate -- is virtually inconceivable to many people.

Yet to understand terrorism, it is important to put it in a broader context and to recognize that it has many sources. One, for example, is widespread fear of the immense power of the United States. Around the world, people know that the United States can focus virtually unimaginable destructive power on any person or place. Among some, this fear becomes hate, and terrorism is seen as the only effective response to overwhelming American power. In this context, an American response to the terrible acts of September 11 that would show that we could destroy a country like Afghanistan would only confirm the convictions of those who hate the United States.

Scholars and other experts who are asked to “explain” terrorism have a difficult task. Most people want a simple answer, like, “These people are blind adherents of an evil cult,” or “These people are desperately clinging to an ignorant past that is impossible to preserve.” Those who attempt to go beyond simplistic answers to understand the causes of terrorism run the risk of being accused of being apologists or supporters of the terrorists. However, the causes for which terrorists are willing to die have great appeal to many people in the world. Trying to understand and explain that appeal is not advocacy; it is the first step in a long-term program for reducing terrorism in the world.

John O. Voll is a professor of Islamic history at Georgetown University.

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