Information AboutMilitant |
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The word militant has come to refer to any individual or party displaying serious comment or engaged in aggressive physical or verbal combat, usually for a cause. Journalists often use ''militant'' as a neutral term for soldiers who do not belong to an established government Military organization. Typically, a ''militant'' engages in Violence as part of a claimed struggle against oppression, but the word is sometimes used to describe anyone with strongly held views (e.g. militant Christian, militant atheist). Popular usage sometimes sees "militants" as synonymous with Terrorists . The term "militant state" colloquially refers to a state which holds an aggressive posture in support of an Ideology or cause. In French and Philippine English the term "militant" retains a more moderate meaning of "activist" which it formerly had in most other varieties of English. CHARACTERISTICS OF MILITANCY Persons described as ''militants'' -- either individuals or groups (composed of citizens) -- have usually enrolled and trained for . The term ''militant'' can describe those who aggressively and violently promote a political philosophy in the name of a movement (and sometimes have an extreme solution for their goal). Sample goals of modern militants may include establishing Dictatorship s or establishing a single World Government . The various movements that seek to apply militancy as a solution, or who use militancy to rationalize their solutions for issues in the modern world seldom share common tactics. Traits shared by many militants include: # employing force or violence directly, either in offence or in defense # justifying the use of force using the ideological rhetoric of their particular group A ''militant view'' sometimes constitutes an extremist's position. A person or group in a psychologically ''militant state'' expresses a physically aggressive posture while in support of an Ideology or of a cause. Potential legal restrictions One could argue that those resisting a foreign military occupation do not merit the label ''terrorists'' because their acts of political violence against the military targets of a foreign occupier do not violate International Law . Protocol 1 of the Geneva Conventions gives lawful combatant status to those engaging in armed conflicts against alien (or foreign) Occupation , Colonial Domination and Racist Régime s. Non-uniformed Guerrilla s also gain combatant status if they carry Arms openly during Military Operation s. Protocol 1 does not legitimise attacks on Civilian s by militants who fall into these categories, however. The concept is spelled out in the major , of peoples forcibly deprived of that right..., particularly peoples under colonial and racist regimes and foreign occupation or other forms of colonial domination, nor...the right of these peoples to struggle to this end and to seek and receive support accordance with the Charter and other principles of international law ." The Resolution passed 153-2, US and Israel opposed, Honduras alone abstaining. ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD The word ''militant'' comes from the 15th Century Latin "''militare''" meaning "to serve as a Soldier ". The related modern concept of the Militia as a defensive Organization against invaders grew out of the Anglo-Saxon "fyrd". In times of crisis, the Militiaman left his Civilian duties and became a soldier until the emergency was over, when he returned to his Civilian status. MASS MEDIA USAGE OF THE WORD The Mass Media often uses the term "''militant''" in the context of Terrorism . Journalists often apply the term ''militant'' to movements using Terrorism as a tactic. The mass media also has repeatedly called terrorist organizations ''militant groups'' or ''radical militants''. The terms often serve to avoid placing the label '' Terrorism '' on individuals or groups who have not actually committed violent acts. Newspapers, magazines, and other information sources may deem ''militant'' a neutral term, whereas ''terrorist'' conventionally indicates disapproval of the behavior of the individual or organization so labeled, regardless of the motivations for such behavior. ''Militant'', other times, can refer to any individual engaged in War fare, a fight, Combat , or generally serving as a Soldier . EXAMPLES Militants occur across the October 2004.. Various secret societies are known to be militarists. Some groups who identify themselves as militants include:
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