My Daughter The Terrorism Summary

Terrorism has become an important topic in the recent decades, often as a negative connotation of immorality. Does terrorism as used by the modern states mean what they expunge? The documentary My Daughter the Terrorist and lecture by Dr. Bryan present different pictures on some realities behind the term terrorism. My Daughter the Terrorist focuses on the life of a soldier in the Tamil Tigers, what is considered a terrorist organization in Sri Lanka. Dr. Bryan is an Irish anthropologist that is looking at modern definitions and explanations for the label terrorism. The beginning of a good analysis requires defining what is being studied, but as Dr. Bryan discusses terrorism is a tough definition to nail down. In his lecture, he explains that there does not seem to be a universal definition, but many people who study it try to make their own. Bryan complied the most common terms that makeup most definitions. Terrorism is the threat of political violence that has some symbolic or communicative value. Often these acts are committed against civilian or noncombatant subjects, by non-state actors in an illegal war. These themes can also be manipulated to mean a whole host of
definitions. For example, Bryan also presents a definition of terrorism given by the US State Department. The definition is as follows, “premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents usually intended to influence an audience”. One clarification that Bryan gives is that the US has recently changed the meaning of noncombatant to include unarmed military personnel. What exactly is a subnational group in this definition. Would the South in the Civil War be considered a subnational group? Bryan continues to say that modern nations also use this definition to demonize their enemies. By labeling enemies of the state terrorist, it erodes the moral high ground of those targets. Therefore, many of the groups that society considers terrorists are only political enemies of the state. Considering this usage, any rebellion unit could be considered terrorists by the ruling regime. America itself supports many of these rebellion units, which could be terrorist groups. In My Daughter the Terrorist, the story of a soldier, Darshika, in a “terrorist” group is told from her joining to what she believes. This documentary is an example of the culture of what is commonly referred to as a terrorist group. Darshika’s decision of joining the Tamil Tigers was driven by the actions of the Sri Lankan military. In the process of the Civil War the Sri Lankan military abused and attacked civilians driving them to the Tamil Tigers. In the case of Darshika, her father was killed by a government airstrike proving to her that the government did not care about its civilians. How does the Tamil Tigers fit into the definition of terrorism?
When looking at the common conception of terrorism the group fits in perfectly. They attack civilian targets, not a legally acknowledged nation, and are not legally at war with Sri Lanka. Although these definitions seem to match, the definition itself is biased. For example, look at the definition of terrorism provided by the United States State Department. There are several key terms that warp this definition, noncombatant and subnational groups. The focus on subnational groups, or cultures that do not conform to the national standards creates a problem in the application of the overall term. The Tamil Tigers fashion themselves as freedom fighters, their self-proclaimed goal is to free the people from the Sri Lankan
government. Consider drone strikes sometimes they hit noncombatant targets that would make it a terrorist attack. Unless an acknowledged state is the one to plan and execute that attack. Darshika brings up another example, where the Sri Lankan military bombed several churches with civilians in it. Instead of being a terrorist attack it was a military maneuver. This sets up an unequal distribution of power that is often abused. Any small groups that does not agree with the majority could be labeled as a terrorist organization, unless they appeal to other state powers. For example, Syrian rebels are considered a rebel group rather than a terrorist group in America. By appealing to American beliefs about democracy and freedom, they gain legitimacy. This happens in America’s history as well, our Revolution started with terrorist origins. By the definition promoted by the US State Department our Founding Fathers were terrorists until the French joined.