ABSTRACT
The purpose of terrorism, whether national or international, is to murder political enemies, to deter potential foes and to destabilize society. The early history of Islam is essential for any understanding of the contemporary Muslim world and the role of violence in general and terrorism in particular in Islamic politics. Professor P. J. Vatikiotis has discussed the relationship between the commitment to the restoration of power to the Islamic nation, or community of believers, and contemporary terrorism. Terrorism has its place among the means employed by extremist Muslim fundamentalist factions. An important distinction needs to be drawn between 'Islamic' terrorism and terrorism emanating from the Middle East. Both terrorism and movements for fundamentalist Islamic reform have frequently appeared in times of political, social or economic crisis. In his famous historical essay, Professor Bernard Lewis has reviewed the evidence concerning the Assassins and their role in the history, culture and ethos of Islam.
