The Morality of Terror: Assumes that the means justify the end

Theodore Dalrymple

At the recent meeting of the Organization of Islamic Conference in Malaysia, the Malaysian Prime Minister, Dr. Mohammed Mahathir, said "the causes of bitterness and anger ...of terrorists should be identified and removed." He added that people would not be willing to blow themselves up and kill others if they did not have a reason.

Indeed not: human beings always have a reason for behaving as they do. The question is not whether they have a reason, but whether the reason they have is a good one...You know your cause is good--and other people must admit it too--if you are prepared to murder innocent people at random in order to further it.

For the complete article go to the City Journal website.