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List of designated terrorist organizations

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Many organizations that are accused of being a terrorist organization deny using terrorism as a military tactic to achieve their goals, and there is no international consensus on the bureaucratic definition of terrorism. Therefore, this list is of organizations that are, or have been in the past, designated as "terrorist organizations" by other notable organizations, including the United Nations and national governments, where the proscription has a significant impact on the group's activities.

This listing does not include states or governmental organizations, which are considered under state terrorism, or unaffiliated individuals accused of terrorism, which are considered under lone wolf terrorism.

List of terrorist organisations

Religious

Religious terrorism is a form of religious violence. As with other forms of terrorism, there is no real consensus as to its definition. Groups are frequently classified as practitioners of religious terrorism for any one of the following reasons:

  • The group itself is defined by religion rather than by other factors (such as ideology or ethnicity).
  • Religion plays some part in defining or determining the objectives or methods of the group.
  • The ultimate objective of the group is religiously defined.

Controversy concerning classification is often found because:

  • Religion and ethnicity frequently coincide. Ethnic conflict may thus appear as religious, or religious conflict may appear as ethnic.
  • Religious groups, like other groups, frequently pursue political goals. In such cases it is often not clear which is uppermost, the political goal or the religious motivation.

Groups which have used principal religious motives for their terrorist acts and were deemed as such by supranational organizations and governments are listed here in alphabetical order by religion.

Islamic

These groups have generally demanded the introduction of sharia law in various countries and the destruction of those seen to be "enemies of Islam" by these groups, including zionism and secularism.

Christian

Christian terrorist organisations are generally right wing in nature. They are often anti-abortion.

Jewish

These groups demand zionism; the giving of Israel to the Jews. After the creation of Jewish Israel, others have been anti-Palestinian, believing them to be threats to zionism.

Sikh

All of these groups demand a Khalistan (Land of the Pure) in the Indian state of Punjab and adjoining areas for Sikhs. Most have a variable amount of support from Sikhs abroad and have been in existence since the 1980s. Many have been weakened and have cut down on activities, yet they continue. The militancy in Punjab has claimed approximately 100,000 lives, according to estimates put forward by Amnesty International: this figure involves killings by both Sikh militants and the Indian forces. With the exception of the first two, the other groups have only been proscribed in India.

Other religious terrorists

Nationalistic

Nationalist terrorism involves committing terrorism in support of a certain nation, usually to gain independance from another nation, such as Northern Ireland from the UK or the Basque country from Spain.

Irish Nationalists

These groups demand the independence of Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, to either join the Republic of Ireland or become a separate state. They are usually Catholic and Irish nationalist.

Ulster Unionists/Loyalists

These groups demand that Northern Ireland stay a part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in opposition to the Irish nationalists. They are usually Protestant.

Arab

These groups promote pan-Arabism, in particularly the support of the Palestinian people and the destruction of the state of Israel. They are often Islamic centred, though others are communist.

Other

Anarchist

Anarchist terrorist groups aim to attack targets to create a state of anarchy. As such, they have largely been anti-imperialism, anti-corporatism and anti-government.

Left-wing

Left-wing terrorist organisations aim to promote leftism by attacking right wing targets. Specific groups may claim to be liberal, socialist or communist, or of one specific form of these.

Right-wing

Right-wing terrorists aim to promote rightism by targeting left wing targets (such as Socialists and Communists). They may belong to any particular right wing group, such as imperialist, capitalist or fascist.

Ethnic

White Suprematist

Other

Others

Other

See also

References

External links



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