Terrorism has become an integral part of warfare and its most spectacular manifestations are seen in the Islamic world. Osama bin Laden is only the most famous of the Sunni and Shi‘ite leaders fighting Judeo-Christian hegemony enforced by the US and its allies. All major religions admit that violence in any form may be used to resist and

The line between violence in general—war in particular—and terrorism is thin and porous. Though terrorism is mostly known as a technique used by dissidents and rebels against a political, economic or religious authority, it is often employed by governments or ruling groups against opponents or to intimidate a given population into s