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She ran her hands through her hair and pushed the bridge of her glasses back up her nose toward her forehead. She took her right hand and cupped it around the nape of her neck and just left it there for a short while as she talked, letting her elbow sort of hang in front of her.

"Governments, police forces, the military, security people and intelligence agencies all use violence, just as revolutionary and resistance fighters do. Naturally, not all acts of aggression or violence qualify as terrorist acts. And, this is true for both those who are in power, as well as those who are not in power.

"Acts designed to protect sovereignty, peace and tranquillity may, or may not, constitute an act of terrorism, depending on circumstances. The problem is: one person's tranquility is quite frequently founded on the misery and oppression of others.

"When does, for example, a government's use of violence qualify as terrorist acts against its citizens? Is a government or police force entitled to do anything it likes simply because it is a legally constituted body?

"Were the deaths at Kent State, more than twenty years ago, regrettable consequences of a legal use of force or were those deaths the result of an act of terrorism? Was the violence used against Native peoples at Wounded Knee in South Dakota in 1973 part of a federally-sponsored campaign of terror against Native peoples, or was such violence merely an attempt to stop the illegal activities of a number of Native people?

"When a government, friendly to the United States, employs tactics of death squads, torture, disappearances, abuse of human rights, sham trials, censorship, and indoctrination in order to protect its vested interests, are these not acts of violence that are of a terrorist nature? Should they no longer be considered of a violent or terrorist nature simply because the vested interests being protected may be beneficial to our country?"

Having asked a number of questions, Dr. Donaldson was quiet for ten seconds or so, allowing her ideas to have a little more time to bounce around in the minds and hearts of the audience. She looked down at the floor and massaged her forehead. She raised her head.

"Let's consider a hypothetical Muslim group. This group, and the individuals belonging to it, will be assumed to be dispositionally inclined toward playing an activist role of some sort in their communities. In other words, the group and its members have a tendency to act in ways that are intended to help influence and shape what goes on around them socially, spiritually, politically, economically, educationally and/or ecologically.

"To be an activist, does not necessarily entail that one will be inclined to use tactics of violence or terror to achieve one's aims. Some activists are inclined toward violence, and some activists are not inclined toward violence.

"Furthermore, even among those activists who may be inclined toward acts of violence, there are a spectrum of dispositional possibilities. Some activists may exhibit violence only in situation-specific circumstances, such as when they are provoked or attacked. Other activists may be prepared to inflict violence on others but only in accordance with certain values or principles concerning who is and who is not to be a target. Still other activists who may be inclined to violent behavior may be quite indiscriminate in their destructive activities and interested in terrorizing everyone in an attempt to gain their objectives.

"For purposes of discussion, let's consider our hypothetical Muslim group to be a collection of socially concerned citizens. What are some of the issues which have brought individuals to such a group?

"There are a number of recurrent themes that keep surfacing in Muslims groups with an activist disposition. To begin with, there tends to be a general disillusionment among the members of these groups concerning the ability of existing political, economic and social institutions to deal effectively with a wide variety of social justice issues such as poverty, homelessness, hunger and other inequities.

"In addition, not only are many of these groups disenchanted with the performance of various social institutions, they also tend to reject different kinds of 'isms'. Materialism, modernism, secularism, imperialism, racism, and colonialism all are seen as being sources of problematic, if not malevolent, influences in the world."

Professor Donaldson held up the first two fingers of her left hand and shook them a few times very gently. As she did this, she said: "Secondly, questions of identity, purpose, meaning and values are driving forces for the members of these groups. Moreover, people in these groups seek to derive their answers to these questions from an understanding of Islam.

"However, not all Muslims and not all Muslim groups have an identical understanding of what they believe Islam says about issues of identity, purpose, meaning and so on. A lot of inter- and intra- group conflict arises as a result of these kinds of interpretational difference concerning Islam.

"Up to a certain point, such groups, or, more accurately, the individuals within them, will agree completely on what Islam entails in the way of beliefs, values and practices. Yet, despite these commonalities, differences of interpretation, application, interests, priorities, commitment, goals and intentions arise.

"These differences have a significant impact on how various individuals or groups go about trying to resolve, among other things, issues of social justice. In fact, whether or not a given Muslim individual or group feels violence is justified in solving, for example, social justice issues, will depend on how they interpret Islam.

"As is true in every religious tradition, there are many Muslims who tend to treat their understanding of their own religious tradition as the only correct understanding of things. Consequently, when, for example, their own interpretation of Islam gives them permission or license to commit acts of violence, they believe this means that God is giving them permission or license to do so. They are assuming their way of seeing things reflects Divine knowledge of things."

Professor Donaldson again held up her left hand at about face level. This time her hand was showing three fingers.

"Thirdly, many of the people in these Muslim groups seem to feel a deep sense of urgency about solving the problems of society. As a result, there often is a sort of revolutionary fervor about their attitudes, feelings and activities.

"Moreover, not only do many of the individuals in these groups tend to believe that social transformation must happen now, very frequently many of them tend to believe they have unique roles to play in helping to bring about such change. Therefore, such individuals often believe their vision, piety, commitment, talent, leadership and knowledge will help make the difference between success and failure in the transformational process.

"The belief that one's potential contribution has an important role to play in bringing about change tends to create a deep sense of responsibility in an individual. As a result, such people and groups often feel pressure to act and discharge their duty to destiny."

Dr. Jameson held up her right hand in a closed position. One by one her fingers came up as she ran through a summary of what she had said previously.

"The disillusionment with the efficacy of social institutions, the alienation from many of the 'isms' that are currently influential, the belief in the correctness of one's understanding, the sense of urgency, the revolutionary fervor, and the deep sense of having a unique contribution to make to the group's cause- all of these combine to form a very powerful motivational dynamic, both within the individual and the larger group. The force of this dynamic often tends to manifest itself as a belief that the group and its members are participating in a revival of, or a return to, the original, pure spirit of Islam.

"This conviction that one is an instrument of the original spirit of Islam may be exploited in a variety of ways by both an organization and the individuals in that group. In fact, on a fairly regular basis, one encounters a primary method which is utilized by these groups in an attempt to channel the powerful dynamics surrounding the belief that one is serving the original, true, pure spirit of Islam. This method involves linking the aforementioned dynamics to the belief that one is going to earn the undying gratitude of God for serving the true Islam.

"In short, these groups claim that paradise or heaven is just around the corner for anyone who sincerely commits herself or himself to the group's interpretation of the original spirit of Islam. Many people find this kind of offer something that they cannot refuse. Indeed, some Muslims are prepared to excuse a multitude of sins, in themselves and in their groups, in order not to jeopardize their chances for the desired reward."

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