Terrorism can be justified.

Thank you for accepting, let us have a good debate.Terrorism is usually used as a means of expressing ones political cause, in extreme cases, where Democratic and peaceful methods have been exhausted, it is legitimate and justified to resort to terrorism. In a country with an oppressive state, causing suffering for the country's people and with no obvious possibility of international assistance, it is sometimes necessary to resort to violence to defend the people of one's country.It is the right of every individual or group, even if a minority, to express discontent. The state, as a representative of the people, should facilitate this possibility. furthermore, the state should support the rights of minorities, in order to prevent the will of the majority suppressing the rights of other people with different interests. If this does not happen, the state has failed its purpose and have lost its legitimacy. This, in combination with the growing inequalities and injustices amongst certain groups, justifies committing acts of terror in order to defend these rights, that were denied in the first place.For instance, Umkhonto we Sizwe, a liberation organization associated with the African National Congress in South Africa and led by Nelson Mandela, decided in 1961 to turn to violence in order to achieve liberation and the abolishment of Apartheid. The reason they gave was: “The time comes in the life of any nation when there remain only two choices: submit or fight. That time has now come to South Africa. (...) Refusal to resort to force has been interpreted by the government as an invitation to use armed force against the people without any fear of reprisals. The methods of Umkhonto we Sizwe mark a break with that past.”[1]The definition of terrorism depends very much on the person confronted with it's view upon it - the proposition does not need to defend every atrocity against innocent civilians to argue that terrorism is sometimes justified.A broad definition of terrorism would say, that the use of violence for political ends by any group which breaks the Geneva Conventions (which govern actions between armies in wartime) or ignores generally accepted human rights. Under this definition, any state and their armed forces could be accused of terrorism. So could many resistance groups in wartime or freedom fighters struggling with a state ruled by a dictator, as well as participants in civil wars. All irregular groups outside the scope of the Geneva Conventions.A narrower definition would say that terrorism is the use of violence against an innocent population to achieve a political end. This definition would allow freedom fighters and resistance groups to fight back against their oppression, as long as the oppression and their troops were to be the only targets. Yet even this narrow definition is left with grey areas - what if the soldiers and troops were reluctant conscripts? Are civilian settlers in occupied territories legitimate targets as agents of oppression? What about their children? Does it not make a difference whether civilians are armed or unarmed? Do civil servants such as teachers and doctors count as agents of an occupying or oppressive state?There will always be grey areas to be justified, under the broader definition, most armies in history could be accused of terrorism, the bombings of several cities under the Second World War for instance.Terrorism can assist in giving voice to a suppressed cause. The hi-jackings of the 1970s and 1980s brought publicity to the Palestinian cause, helping to bring it to the attention of the world.[2] States can use their wealth, media and influence to broadcast their side of the story and the oppressed, with limited resources, may have to resort to an alternative means of expression. In this way, limited and focused use of violence can have a dramatic international impact. [1]African National Congress. (1961, December 16). Manifesto. Retrieved August 3, 2011, from African National Congress: http://www.anc.org.za...[2]Tristam, P. (n.d.). The 1970 Palestinian Hijackings of Three Jets to Jordan. Retrieved August 3, 2011, from About.com: http://middleeast.about.com...