Abstract:

In the literature of international relations, some academics began to defend the thesis that a new kind of terrorism appeared in a very different structure from traditional (old) terrorism by militating the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. The defenders of the new terrorist thesis build their arguments on the hypotheses that the motivation of the new terrorism is more religious than ideological; that the form of organization of terrorist groups is not hierarchical and vertical; that it is in the form of a horizontal and flexible network; that the terrorist organizations are more willing and more capable of using chemical, biological and nuclear weapons (CIS) in addition to cyber terrorism, and that the terrorist organizations are more cruel in using violence. Nowadays, the new terrorist defenders have begun to claim that a fifth wave of terrorism has been born a step further. The five-wave theories that attract attention include the theories of "capacity", the establishment of "terrorist semi-state" and the "technological wave". The fourth wave of al-Qaeda, ISIS/ISIS/Islamic State (ID) and Boko Haram, the fifth wave are symbolized as terrorist organizations. The new terrorist theories are trying to mark the Islamic religion as an untolerant violence religion in a humiliating way. In our time, terrorism is a reality where the phenomenon and terrorist organizations are transforming and changing in terms of quality and quantity. But behind these developments lies the phenomenon of globalization, not Islamic religion, the technological developments, the strengthening of non-governmental armed actors and the longer-lived development.

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Abstract:

In the international relations literature, some academics, who consider the 9/11 terrorist attacks as a turning point, have started to defend the thesis that a new type of terrorism emerged with a structure quite different from the traditional (old) terrorism. The proponents of the new terrorism thesis bases their argumentation’s on the hypothesis that the motivation of new terrorism is religion rather than an ideology; the way of organizations of terrorist groups is not hierarchical or vertical but it is in the form of horizontal and flexible network; terrorist organizations are more willing and more capable of using chemical, biological and nuclear weapons (WMD) and cyber terrorism and terrorist organizations are more brutal in using violence. Nowadays, the defendants of new terrorism have gone one step further claiming that the fifth terrorism wave has emerged. Among the notable fifth terrorism wave theories are the theories of “tribalism”, “the establishment of terrorist-semi-states”and “technological wave”. It is indicated that the symbol terror organization of fourth wave terrorism is al-Qaeda and the symbol terror organizations of the fifth wave is DAESH/ ISIS/ Islamic State (IS) and Boko Haram. The new terrorism theories in a reductionist manner try to label Islam as an intolerant religion of violence. In our age, it is a reality that in terms of quality and quantity the phenomenon of terrorism and terrorist organizations are transformed and changed. Behind these developments lie not the religion of Islam, but the phenomenon of globalization, technological development, the strengthening of non-sate armed actors and their longevity.