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Content: Terrorism is specifically designed to have far-reaching psychological effects… It is meant to instill fear within, and thereby intimidate, a wider ‘target audience’ that might include a rival ethnic or religious group, an entire country, a national government or political party, or public opinion in general. Terrorism is designed to create power where there is none or to consolidate power where there is very little. What happens to ideological movements that do not succeed in obtaining secular power? Or to those that do not accomplish their goals, or lose secular power? Previously (Bernholz, 1997), I pointed out that: First, some may turn to armed resistance, intimidation of the population or to terrorism, especially if they are suppressed or persecuted by government(s). They may do so either just to preserve their existence or in the hope of conquering government power later on…
Second, especially if armed resistance, intimidation and terrorism prove unsuccessful or/and if the societal environment is more beneficial, the ideological movement may change or reinterpret some of its values so that it is tolerated…
Third, the ideological community may decide to emigrate to more favorable environments if they see no end to suppression and persecution in their homeland…
In the self-understanding of the ideological movement, acts branded by the outside world as acts of terror are altruistic deeds to serve the aims implied by the supreme values. It follows that true believers do not