Terrorism and Istishhadi (Martyrdom) Operation

Some researchers have considered the two notions of “Terrorism” and “Istishhadi (Martyrdom) operations as equal and considered Istishhadi operation a type of Terrorism; hence, the question rises “what is the relationship between Terrorism and Istishhadi operations?”. This paper tries to explain the indices and structural bases of Terrorism and Istishhadi operations and differentiate Terrorism and Istishhadi operation with reference to the above questions and by using descriptive-analytical method. In most cases, terrorists target innocent individuals to send their message to their opponent and the public opinion. Those who die in terrorist attacks didn’t do any crime and were invaded unintentionally. So, Terrorist attack is an aggressive attack and is not compatible with divine and humane laws. Any operation which is done under such situations, even under the name of “religion”, is considered Terrorism. Whereas, due to religious and ethical indices, Istishhadi operation lacks any similarity with Terrorism and is not considered a terrorist attack, but a defensive and religious action which emphasizes Islamic texts and the one in which Islamic and ethical dignities are observed.