In an attempt to help students and faculty understand terrorism and its contemporary meaning, a workshop to explore its definitions was held Wednesday.

“There is no definition in international law for terrorism,” said Jeffrey J. Weiss, education director for the American Friends Service Committee.

“You can read books or take classes that never define it. [And] how can you study a variable without a meaning?”

Even our nation’s politicians have not been asked for a clear definition, he said. “I think I would faint if [President] Bush or [Secretary of State Colin] Powell were asked in a news conference what terrorism is — but I think they should be asked.”

The United Nations defines terrorism by saying “A terrorist act must be illegal, intend to harm the state for political reasons and be capable of generating a state of fear in the general population.”

The worksheet also pointed out that “ordinary crime, drug trafficking, sabotage of information technology/computers, national liberation movements and war” are not considered to be terrorism.

“Ordinary crime is not terrorism because it lacks the political motive or evoking fear in the general population,” Weiss said.

But despite the United Nation’s tentative definition for terrorism, Weiss said there is a serious problem with perception. He explained what terrorism is to one person may be heroism or courage to others.

To illustrate this point, Weiss asked audience members to put themselves in the shoes of an al Qaida member, a United States government official, an Israeli governmental official and a member of Hezbollah, a radical Shi’ite Muslim group in Lebanon.

“I think it’s good to see a different perspective on terrorism other than what’s portrayed in the American media or what we see [even here] in Iowa,” said John Miller, senior in secondary education and mathematics.

Lashell Vasey, junior in exercise and sport science, shared Miller’s sentiments. “I came here tonight to find out how other countries perceive terrorism, because I know how America feels about it but not other nations.”

Terrorists want to be heard — it is strategy, Weiss said. “Terrorism is often described like theater — aimed at the audience not the victims.”

Weiss said most terrorists want to succeed in gaining an audience, not necessarily kill a lot of people.

Yet despite this fact, Weiss said “terrorism couched in religious terms generally result in a lot of people watching and a lot of people dead.”

Weiss said that the events of Sept. 11 are a good example of a terrorist attack where thousands of people watched the performance and thousands of people died. Despite attempts to better understand the contemporary meaning of terrorism, Weiss said the definition of a terrorist can change as society’s views change.

“Yesterday’s freedom fighter could be today’s terrorist,” Weiss said.