Another Man’s Freedom Fighter

According to quora.com:

“A terrorist is someone who uses fear to motivate civilians to act in a political manner on their behalf. A freedom fighter is someone who acts on the behalf of at least some civilian population in direct opposition to a military or government. The men pictured are the Mujaheddin in Afghanistan.”

We judge others according to their perceived motives. But the lens we view through is clouded with prejudice. And we have been told by the media and our governments what those motives are.

Israel and India

In 1947, two different peoples were seeking independence and freedom. One took the route of armed struggle, the other, passive resistance. Both were trying to rid their countries of British occupation.

Both succeeded.

But now they are resistant to anyone else doing the same thing against them. Depending on your prejudice, you might agree with them or not.

And if you are in an ethnic minority, you might feel that you have no choice.

Ireland

The “Troubles” had been going on for three decades. The Provisional IRA (Irish Republican Army) had made it their vowed intent to rid the whole of Ireland of the English. Unfortunately for them, the Unionists/Loyalists hadn’t wanted to do so. (Doesn’t this sound a little bit familiar? In the War of Independence, British Loyalists moved to Canada.)

What the IRA did that made them terrorists, rather than freedom fighters, was that they took the fight to England, and started a bombing campaign that carried on for most of the 1980’s.

Did they achieve their goal? No.

Conclusion

It is easy to be an armchair quarterback, deciding which moves are good ones and which ones are not. But the people who live under the control of another nation find the situation intolerable. They feel they have no choice but to fight for their freedom.

Freedom is a right, but terrorism is not. Can we really tell the difference?