When does a militant become a terrorist?
The two words are sometimes confused. It would be good if the media were to exercise care in using them.
By Akhbar Satar
Lately, it’s common to see the words “militant” and “terrorist” in writings in the media. Writers sometimes treat them as if they are synonyms, and that can be misleading.
It was reported recently that one foreign media organisation has told its employees to take care in using the two words, as well as the word “extremist”, so that they won’t characterise people wrongly. It would be good if the local media would do the same.
Of course, all terrorists are militants, but not all militants are terrorists.
Those who are engaged in the study of organised crime and terrorism make these further distinctions between the two:
Terrorists are non-state actors who do not wear uniforms. However, members of militant groups usually wear uniforms.
A terrorist is someone who utilises terror as a means of coercion. He uses violence to attain a religious, political or ideological goal. Terrorists deliberately target civilians or disregard their safety when in battle.
A militant is an individual who is aggressive or intensely active in pursuing a cause he believes in. Militants may or may not actively engage in physical violence, but they usually use verbal violence against their perceived enemies. They usually do not resort to harming civilians but instead use confrontational – and sometimes even violent – methods against the establishment. For example militants may choose to rebel and use armed aggression for a country’s liberation.
Sometimes, however, a militant group may find itself transformed into a terrorist group. This happens when it believes that it has no other recourse but to turn to indiscriminate violence in order to achieve its goals.
Akhbar Satar is the Director of the Institute of Crime & Criminology, HELP University.
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