(MENAFN- Jordan Times) US Secretary of State John Kerry's thoughts on terrorism are welcome if they lead to a more profound understanding of the meaning of the word.
The term today is very popular, especially in its 'Islamic terrorism' version.
But what is terrorism ?
I understand it as a violent implementation of fanaticism.
It is fanaticism motivated by the belief in the absolute truth of whatever creed or ideology is held by an individual, a society or a regime.
It may be characteristic of an individual, of a group or of a regime.
It may be harmless in an individual, dangerous in a group and to be opposed as a regime.
By this definition, concentrating, as is now prevalent, on 'Islamic terrorism' and concentrating attention on combating it is to eliminate from the discourse other expressions of terrorism on the international scene.
For example, a fanatical belief in the superiority of white people may lead to acts of terrorism. Many countries in the world now suffer from this evil.
So may also be the belief in the superiority of one race over others, a shameful and still existing conviction.
It was fanatical belief in the Roman Catholic Church in the truth of its interpretation of the Christian scriptures that led to the use of terrorism by some regimes, such as the Inquisition.
That was followed by some Protestant regimes, which led to the same results. And the Christian faith is still used by some groups to justify, either explicitly or concealed, terrorism against followers of other faiths.
It is fanatical belief in one or other interpretation of the Muslim faith, or its use as a political or simply anarchical weapon, to justify acts of terrorism against whole groups of society or even individuals.
Now there should be added another case of fanaticism leading to terror which is not fashionable or politically correct to mention.
It is the belief in the divine and exclusive right of members of the Jewish faith to own and to govern the land of Palestine, Holy though it is to Christians and Muslims, which leads to what must be termed 'Judaic terrorism'.
This should not be identified with Zionism. Zionism in its first form was a belief in the obligation of Jews to follow the strict injunctions of the Pentateuch; it was a combination of both faith and law.
There have been Jews throughout history who believed that the strict observance of the faith could only be achieved in the land of Palestine, just as there have been those who believe that burial in Palestine is 'the second best'.
The transformation of a religious interpretation of Judaism into a political one took place in the 19th and 20th centuries, first under the influence of the idea of nation-state and then under the pressure of persecution of Jews in Europe, with its culmination in the holocaust.
A combination of pious Jewish belief, socialist idealism about a return to the land and political activism, created the state of Israel.
But political Judaism did use terrorism in its struggle to establish Israel.
Why, then, should it not be correct to say that just as political Christianity and political Islam have been used to justify terror, political Judaism may also be used to justify act of terrorism which Israel hopes will lead to exclusive control of the land of Palestine by a Jewish regime?
So Kerry's speech is one step forward to establishing some kind of balance between concentrating on one kind of terrorism to the exclusion of others.
Let us hope that it will lead to a wider and more balanced view, and to more sensible and wiser policies than those now followed by his and other governments and international organisations presently paralysed and unable to act by inconsistency.
The writer, former professor at AUB, is a self-employed writer and an observer of Middle East events. He contributed this article to The Jordan Times.
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