Defining the concepts of communication and terrorism

Communication is a universal activity found in all sentient beings, from the simplest of life forms like bacteria and single-celled organisms to the most complex. In the animal kingdom, communication is used mostly for survival purposes, such as finding mates, establishing dominance, defending territory, and coordinating group behaviour to increase the likelihood of success during hunting (Khan Academy, n.d.).

Its most intriguing and beautiful application is found in the human context, where it is used in the exchange of information, ideas, and cultures. The purpose has since matured from mere survival from the earliest days of human existence to the advancement of civilization through philosophy and technology (Indiana State University, 2016). We as a species have progressed from vocalization, in the form of grunts, to verbalization using the oral tradition, to a highly advanced form of literary dexterity through physical and digital means. But no matter the platform, channel, or method, humans cannot have achieved what we have today without the constant evolution of communication.

Terrorism involves violent, criminal acts by individuals or groups in pursuit of political, religious, social, racial, or environmental objectives (FBI, 2016). Canada’s criminal code agrees with this definition, qualifying it with an intention of intimidating the public (Department of Justice, 2021). Defining the limits of terrorism, however, has remained a highly contentious issue, especially with regard to bringing charges to suspected domestic or international terrorists. In the context of domestic terrorism, for instance, when does one cross over beyond a simple abuse of the freedom of speech and expression to a bonafide act of terror? Even so, academics agree on the essence of terrorism despite the gray areas that surround the central premise. Acts of terror utilize unconventional, large-scale violence with the aim of stirring a sense of uncertainty and vulnerability within the population. The World Trade Center attack in 2001, perhaps the most renowned terrorist operation in modern history, still exerts significant social and security implications more than two decades later. It cost thousands of lives and hundreds of thousands more in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars that followed it and destroyed the global image of Muslims and the Middle East (Council on Foreign Relations, n.d.).

Terrorism as a form of communication

At its very core, terrorism is an exercise in communicating a conflict of values. It is an extreme method of expressing one’s disagreement with the status quo and can stem from any number of dimensions – politics, military, economics, society, and religion, to name a few. Terrorism represents disapproval of existing socio-political structures, in contrast with an idealized view of how society ought to be. It conveys resistance to power and, more specifically, who wields that power and how they use it. It communicates a political message – with intentions that go beyond the destruction of lives and resources and extend out to an overhaul of life as we know it (Crenshaw, 1981). Terroristic motivations cannot be ignited when there is no conflict that results from marginalization, oppression, or lack of representation of a minority group to fuel it.

Religion, taken to its most literal and extreme, has been one of the primary motivations for terrorist activity. Its role in terrorism is not new, either. Even the Crusades, which began when Pope Urban II called for the armies of Christian Europe in 1095 to cast out the Muslim infidels out of the Holy Land – a piece of geography that was considered sacred by all Abrahamic religions, are an example a millennium too modern when compared to the beginnings of terrorism in recorded history, which are known to date back 2,000 years (Burgess, 2015). And yet, this late in human civilization, we are still struggling with the same problems where faith is “toolified” and weaponized to advance political agenda.

The Taliban, an extremist Muslim group, has terrorized Afghanistan and surrounding areas for nearly a generation now, and has risen back to power following the American military pullout of 2021 (Maizland, 2023). They gained a foothold in the country in the early 1990s with the goal of instituting a strict interpretation of the Qur’an, including instruction and legal practice. This has resulted in the merciless treatment of women, political opponents, and religious minorities.

ISIS, a more recent example of religious extremism, sought to establish an Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria (Stanford University, n.d.). This government, rooted in the acquisition of territory from already established states, aims to provide a place where Muslims can exist under Islamic law – or their twisted interpretation of it. Even when ISIS purports to give those who follow its teachings safe haven, it still uses mass executions and other brutal displays of violence to terrorize those it reigns over. The organization gained global notoriety due to its medieval practice of public beheadings of Western captives as well as its quick spread across the two countries, leaving destruction in its wake (Byman, 2015). ISIS was so radical when it gained global attention that even al-Qaeda, the architect of the WTC attack, disavowed any ties to the group (Sly, 2014). These two notable organizations, among many others, aimed to impress their religious views upon their territories and the rest of the world, and the method of expression that they chose was terrorism.

Communication as a form of terrorism

Communicating fabricated facts, or weaponized disinformation, is the latest flavour of terrorism. And we have seen it in action – successfully swaying national elections, informing harmful and discriminatory state legislation, and causing countless deaths in the face of a global pandemic. It seems these days that communication technologies are being hijacked every day by bad actors to terrorize minority groups that they do not like based on race, religious belief, or political affiliation.

For the past few years, right-wing cable network Fox News has abused its power and reach as the most-watched cable channel in the United States to influence the country’s political discourse and incite hate among its viewers through dangerous rhetoric and mechanized outrage. Putting its weight behind the embattled Trump presidency, Fox News has had nearly a decade of constant programming to twist the narrative of reality in its favour. Its continued airing of stolen election lies under the guise of political commentary in shows like Tucker Carlson Tonight and Ingraham Angle has led to the January 6 riots where election deniers, urged by their leader Donald Trump, stormed the US Capitol, resulting in injuries and deaths on both sides.

Digital and social media, which continue to go unchecked and unregulated, are also playing a role in terrorizing populations through hate-filled verbiage. These platforms are being used by those who target LGBTQ individuals, racial minorities, and citizens who lean the other way in their political views. The likes of InfoWars and Epoch Times stir fear and vulnerability in the population by publishing incendiary conspiracy theories that embolden violent groups to realize their ideologies. Theories regarding the source of COVID-19, which connected China to the coronavirus, fueled an increase in anti-Asian hate, with many incidents reported across the globe. Canada saw a 47% rise in racially-motivated hate crimes in 2021 (Balintec, 2022). A man from Georgia fatally shot eight people, six of whom were Asian, in a targeted attack on an Atlanta massage parlour in 2021 (Lynch and Almasy, 2021). These are the real-life casualties of the reckless use of communication to terrorize segments of the population who do not espouse the default values or are not members of the default demographic.

LGBTQ communities continue to suffer the growing effects of misrepresentative content regarding their lifestyles amplified in the media. Right-wing America is currently experiencing a wave of obsession with Drag Queen Story Hour, for instance, as outlets like Fox News parrot misleading stories and stretched narratives that seek to make a connection between drag queens and deviant sexual behaviours such as pedophilia. Guests on the network have claimed that this is an effort by the gay and trans community to groom and sexualize children, even when it is the parents who take and accompany their children to such events (McMillan, 2022). Promoting homophobia under the pretense of welcoming different perspectives – those of the white, blue-collar, heterosexual base – Fox News has been complicit in terrorizing this particular community by providing a platform for dangerous anti-gay rhetoric (Wakefield, 2022).

There have been countless protests against such an innocuous initiative that aims to introduce children to the many stripes and forms people can take, one as recent as this month in New York, which has resulted in injuries on both sides. Far-right political groups who have been involved in discriminatory rhetoric, like the Proud Boys, have rallied behind the opposition to this affair (Kilander, 2023). Since the US insurrection of 2021, “peaceful” protests have devolved into riots and physical violence not dissimilar to the storming of the Capitol, with hate crimes and homophobic attacks being committed in the name of an ongoing culture war between the values of the left and right. These events have resulted in a lack of safety (both real and perceived) among those who are directly targeted.

References

Balintec, V. (2022, April 3). Asians ‘tired,’ ‘frustrated’ as study shows hate is on the rise in Canada | CBC News. CBCnews. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/2-years-into-the-pandemic-anti-asian-hate-is-still-on-the-rise-in-canada-report-shows-1.6404034  

Burgess, M. (2015, February 13). A brief history of terrorism. Project On Government Oversight. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.pogo.org/investigation/2015/02/brief-history-of-terrorism  

Byman, D. L. (2016, July 28). Comparing al Qaeda and Isis: Different goals, different targets. Brookings. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://www.brookings.edu/testimonies/comparing-al-qaeda-and-isis-different-goals-different-targets/  

Council on Foreign Relations. (n.d.). Timeline: U.S. War in Afghanistan. Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.cfr.org/timeline/us-war-afghanistan  

Crenshaw, M. (1981). The Causes of Terrorism. Comparative Politics, 13(4), 379–399. https://doi.org/10.2307/421717 

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FBI. (2016, May 3). Terrorism. FBI. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/terrorism  

Indiana State University. (2016, August 18). Introduction to public communication. 1.2: Defining Communication | Introduction to Public Communication. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from http://kell.indstate.edu/public-comm-intro/chapter/1-2-defining-communication/  

Khan Academy. (n.d.). Animal Communication (article) | ecology. Khan Academy. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/ecology-ap/responses-to-the-environment/a/animal-communication#:~:text=Animals%20communicate%20using%20signals%2C%20which,behavior%2C%20and%20care%20for%20young.  

Kilander, G. (2023, March 20). Proud boy claims he ‘came to help’ at Drag Queen Story Hour confrontation. The Independent. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/proud-boys-drag-queen-story-hour-b2304378.html  

Lynch, J., & Almasy, S. (2021, March 17). 8 killed in shootings at 3 metro Atlanta spas. police have 1 suspect in custody. CNN. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/16/us/metro-atlanta-shootings/index.html  

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Mcmillan, J. (2022, October 29). Explainer: Drag queens and how they got pulled into politics. AP NEWS. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://apnews.com/article/government-and-politics-a26e7eee15df0bbc2bb98071b683b1f4  

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Wakefield, L. (2022, December 14). Fox News Guest thinks drag queen story hour is ‘Normalising paedophilia’. PinkNews. Retrieved March 21, 2023, from https://www.thepinknews.com/2022/12/14/drag-queen-story-hour-fox-news-rob-smith/