The quote, “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” was first written by Gerald Seymour in his book, "Harry’s Game," in 1975. Since then, many others have quoted this expression across the world in context to major global conflicts, such as the ongoing Israeli and Palestinian conflicts, other Middle East clashes and rebellions in African states. The balance between the two polar beliefs is so strongly related over such a fine, controversial line, that it is hard to conclude that terrorist are truly pure evil or righteous. “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” is a very open-minded statement that strongly summarizes the relationship and standpoint of both the Western countries and the radical terrorist groups.
The subject matter on terrorist beliefs is a very sensitive and disputed topic. The first thing someone must understand it that, “The definition of what constitutes 'terrorism' varies from society to society, from government to government… Such diversity of definition is problematic when one strives to develop a common policy against ‘terrorism.’” With such strong devotion and history on each side of the matter, it essentially makes it impossible to have one universal definition for terrorism.
Therefore, the quote, “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” will always be snubbed by people. For example, a radical terrorist may sincerely believe that he or she is murdering and sacrificing for the purpose of a greater good, whether it be religiously, spiritually, or for other ideological beliefs. The individuals may not have been exposed to other ways of living and cannot be fully labeled as pure evil. The same idea holds for the other side as well. How could a U.S. citizen who lost his or her spouse come to the conclusion that the terrorists who took away the life of their beloved innocent one, in their opinion for unnecessarily and inhumanly reasons, is a freedom fighter in any way, shape, or form? To think such a thing would almost be a disgrace for the individual and their own standard principles.
Although I do believe that terrorism is strictly unacceptable in any place or time, I do have to admit that the quote lays down a very powerful and accurate claim. Despite the fact that terrorism is certainly cruel, it is unrealistic to overlook the perspective radical terrorist have on their actions. The people we see as terrorists are undeniably considered to be a freedom fighter for the people or the greater good they are fighting for. Whether or not their beliefs are just or not is a totally different story. But to deny one’s opinion without taking a step back to see things at a different perspective shows a bit of ignorance, no matter how crazy it seems. I do believe terrorism should be stopped, but people must be able to see things from both sides of the issue.
Despite the constant tug of war on the topic of terrorism, I strongly believe that the quote, “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter,” summarizes both standpoints on terrorism very accurately. To deny that one is able to believe a certain way whether right or wrong should not be shunned without looking deeper into why people think a certain way.