The Australian Criminal Code defines terrorism as “An act conducted with the intention of causing harm upon the public by either advancing a political, religious or ideological cause. It can also be termed as an attempt to coerce or intimidate the government or a particular territory or state. The meaning of terrorism is one of intentional harm to the Australian public with horrific ramifications and with the sole purpose of causing terror and horror (AHRC, 2015).
Terrorism was first proposed throughout the French Revolution and the “Reign of terror” that was conducted by the French Government from 1793-94. The meaning and significance of terrorism has changed considerably over the last several centuries. Terrorism has become more radical and politically based (AHRC, 2015). Throughout the First and Second World Wars, acts of terrorism were designed to scare the enemy into a false sense of hope and to cause considerable pain. However after the Second World War, terrorism has become more ideological with terrorists attempting to condemn society to their religious and ideological beliefs. For example, the Martin Place siege in Sydney in December 2014 was a demonstration of ideological terrorism in which the Jihadist terrorist took a number of Lindt employees hostage in an attempt to convince the government to obey and follow their ideological beliefs (Australian Government, 2015).
In 2015, the Australian Government has proposed the implementation of laws that prohibit Australian terrorists with dual nationalities (primarily with Syria) from re-entering the country. This is justified as hundreds of Australians have fled the nation to join such terrorist organizations as ISIS. These organizations act against the freedoms and rights of Australians and should not be encouraged or motivated further by access to Australian citizenship (Australian Government, 2015).
Use your promo and get a custom paper on
"Analysis of Terrorism in Australia".
- AHRC. (2015). ‘A Human Rights Guide to Australia’s Counter-Terrorism Laws’. Australian Human Rights Commission, Web, https://www.humanrights.gov.au/
- Australian Government. (2015). ‘National Terrorism Public Alert System’. Australian Government, Web, http://www.nationalsecurity.gov.au/
