I

Abstract

The key motive of Islamic terrorism is ‘to extend throughout the world the fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law in Iran and, indeed, to export the revolution that established the Iranian Islamic Republic to other Muslim countries’ (Hoffman, 1993: 4). It adheres to a literal interpretation of the Qur’an and Hadith, and of the commands of the Prophet. Islamic terrorism is a form of religious or ‘holy terror’ and ‘is clearly conceived and conducted as a form of Holy War which can only end when total victory has been achieved’ (Hoffman, 1993: 4). This Holy War is usually referred to as a jihad.