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Difference Between Freedom Fighters and Terrorists

The document discusses the differences between freedom fighters, separatists, and terrorists by analyzing various conflicts and resistance groups around the world. It explains that freedom fighters only fight oppressive forces and never target civilians, while terrorists conduct attacks that kill innocent people in addition to their opponents. However, the categories are sometimes mixed in practice, with freedom fighters allying with terrorist groups against a common enemy.

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184 views2 pages

Difference Between Freedom Fighters and Terrorists

The document discusses the differences between freedom fighters, separatists, and terrorists by analyzing various conflicts and resistance groups around the world. It explains that freedom fighters only fight oppressive forces and never target civilians, while terrorists conduct attacks that kill innocent people in addition to their opponents. However, the categories are sometimes mixed in practice, with freedom fighters allying with terrorist groups against a common enemy.

Uploaded by

fanzefirl
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Whats the difference between a freedom fighter and a

terrorist?
By Timo Schmitz, Journalist

Recently, we have many groups in the world fighting for something. Some say they want to
achieve freedom, others fight in the name of a religion, while others fight for food or against
their opression. However, wherever there is an uprising, either the name terrorists appears
easily, or attacks and terrorist acts are justfied by calling them freedom fighter. Both are
sometimes completely misunderstood and falsely claimed. Therefore, I want to find an
adequate definition to judge major events and uprisings.

There are three categories that can be found in this context: Separatists, freedom fighters,
terrorists. Separatists are people who want to segregate or seclude from a state or major group,
their goals can be both good or bad. So separatists is a neutral word, the term itself does not
judge whether they are right or wrong. Differently, freedom fighter and terrorist are two
words that have a connotation. While freedom fighter seems to be positive, terrorists are
negative. A freedom fighter is someone who fights for freedom in his homeland or besides an
ally. They only fight against forces that are fighting a war against them or that suppress them
heavily. Terrorists dont only fight against their oppressors, but they also kill civilians and
innocent people. A freedom fighter never conducts a blow up to kill people, his enemy are
only state institutions suppressing him.
These three categories however can be found mixed in practise. There can be fighting groups
made up of freedom fighters and terrorists. Such allies are probably forced allies, when the
enemy is stronger than the resistance group. In such cases, ideological barriers can be broken.
In Northern Mali, the Toureg people feel suppressed by the Malian government. Alongside
other ethnic groups, they fight for an independent state called Azawad, where they can be
free. The resistance fighters joined a front with terrorists of the Ansar Dine group to resist
Malian forces and their French allies. Since both groups have totally different goals, their
alliance split off just after few days. Palestinian freedom fighters mostly individuals
sometimes accept help from terrorist groups to fight against Israeli occupation and
suppression. The Oromo people in Ethopia are resisting Ethiopian suppression against farmers,

Timo Schmitz: Whats the difference between a freedom fighter and a terrorist? -2___________________________________________________________________________
and in Ogaden region people fight for a reunification of the Ogaden area with Somalia,
although we can argue whether the latter one is a part of separatism.
If an unrecognized state is involved in a conflict, then freedom fighters probably can be found
within state armies to protect the established state, such as in Abkhazia and South Ossetia.
The Abkhazian army protects their country from being invaded by the Georgians, who claim
the territory but dont control it.
Another more complex example is the situation in Ukraine. Since the Russian-speaking
population makes up the majority in the East of Ukraine and since Ukrainian fascists control
the country after a coup dtat, the Russian regions want to become independent, therefore
they can be regarded as separatists. They are defending their area from fascist cruelties and
human right violations. The Ukrainian government defines them to be terrorists, but as they
only protect themselves and do not conduct attacks (at least not the official gropus), they can
hardly be seen as such. Some groups that are not under the control of the separatists however,
are accused of several violations and they probably show terrorist elements, but that does not
justify to call all the separatist groups and its government as terrorist.
Another complex situation is Libya. While fighting Gadaffi, there were both freedom fighters
and terrorists working hand in hand. The freedom fighters just wanted to resist oppression
from the Gadaffi-regime, while the terrorists undermined these groups, now controlling parts
of Libya, either as part of ISIS or an Islamist affiliated group. Those who are torturing
civilians and kill people because they dont share a narrow worldview are terrorists, too and
cannot be called freedom fighters. Therefore, those who liberated Libya to install a Shariastate can hardly be seen as freedom fighters and those who are fighting against Bashar AlAssad in Syria are mostly (but not exclusively) terrorist groups. Sometimes, terrorism is
caused by separatism, such as in Chechnya, where terrorists arrived in 1994 to help Chechens
freeing their land. The result was the permanent presence of terrorists and the loss of freedom
after the true freedom fighters had to leave the country. And sometimes, freedom fighters
fight alongside terrorists, such as Chechen resistance groups that are fighting for Ukraine,
while being allied with fascist terrorists.
However, it has to be clear: every group that is fighting for something has to be checked and
analyzed clearly. Not everyone who demands freedom is a terrorist, but not everybody who
claims to fight for freedom is a freedom fighter. Protestors fought in Egypt or Ukraine under
the label of freedom and both received governments affiliated with terrorism.
Timo Schmitz. Published on 3 June 2015

http://schmitztimo.wordpress.com

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