World conflict

Running Head : TERRORISM AND HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES

Terrorism and Human Rights Abuses in the Balkans , Eastern Europe and the Persian Gulf

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Abstract

This essay aims to explain the history of and the reasons for the existence of terrorism in the Balkans . It also compared the similarity between human rights abuses in Persian gulf nations and Islamic fundamentalist-themed terrorist attacks on the United States . Lastly this essay will also answer why the fall of the Soviet Union will lead to an increase

in terrorism in Eastern Europe

Terrorism and Human Rights Abuses in the Balkans , Eastern Europe and the Persian Gulf

The Balkans , despite being a relatively small area , is home to an expansive assortment of nationalities , cultures and religions (Popescu 2008 . Hence , it is inevitable that any changes in the balance between them will have important political , social and economic consequences that will affect the entire region (Popescu , 2008 . Terrorist groups took advantage of the instability brought about by the distrust of Balkan societies in their respective governments (Popescu , 2008 . As a result , they easily turned the region into a breeding ground for extremist and fundamentalist groups , as well as a transit corridor for missions in third countries (Popescu , 2008

The war in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the 1990s , for instance , originated from the desire of the Bosniaks (Bosnian Muslims ) to establish an Islamic state (Popescu , 2008 . They used Islam as a nationalistic rhetoric ' equating the survival of their country with the restoration of Muslim national identity (Popescu , 2008 . The Bosniaks were supported by Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia , Afghanistan , Kuwait , Libya and Iran , providing them with weapons and soldiers (Popescu , 2008 . From 1992 to 1995 , 6 ,000 Arab-Afghan ' rebels came to the country to fight in the hostility (Popescu , 2008

After 9 /11 , majority of the charitable institutions in Bosnia-Herzegovina were investigated and closed down due to their alleged ties with terrorist organizations like the Al-Qaeda (Popescu 2008 . In March 2002 , police raided the Bosanska

Idealna Futura-BIF , a Sarajevo-based humanitarian organization (Popescu , 2008 . They found military manuals , forged passports , weapons and personal correspondence between Osama bin Laden and BIF founder Enaam Mahmud Arnaout (Popescu , 2008

Human rights abuses by Persian Gulf nations (Saudi Arabia , Iraq , UAE Kuwait , etc ) and terrorist attacks against US interests were both intended to supress political opposition . Despite publicly denouncing American imperialism ' the aforementioned countries are notorious for grossly violating the human rights of their citizens (Simbulan , 2002 Majority of political prisoners in the Persian gulf nations were detained for speaking out against corruption and their respective countries (Simbulan , 2002

Prominent Omani playwright and human rights activist Abdullah Ryami was imprisoned on July 2005 for vocally criticizing the Omani government 's arrest and trial of 31 Omanis belonging to the Ibadi sect for allegedly plotting a coup (Human Rights Watch , 2005 . At the time of his incarceration , he had no contact with his family or a legal counsel (Human Rights Watch , 2005 . He was also banned from writing in newss...