A French statesman named Maximilien François Marie Isidore de Robespierre is associated with the etymology of the word terrorism, but in a fashion that is at variance with what we are accustomed to. Following the French revolution, at the tail end of the 18th century, Robespierre, acting as the leader of the French government and imbued with an exaggerated sense of authoritative morality, unleashed a bout of terror that saw his enemies psychologically terrorised and brutally executed. Terror that was instigated by the government! In our modern day, terrorism is associated with fear-instilling acts of terror by groups of individuals, normally targeting the government, its organs, property and ordinary beings.
I remember 9/11 as if it were yesterday. Primarily because the landmark twin structures of the World Trade Centre located in the heart of Manhattan, New York City, had made a lasting impression on me the year before they were razed to the ground. In 2000, accompanied by my wife, I had taken the express elevator to the observation deck of the World Trade Centre, appropriately dubbed Top of the World. Of course that was before the Petronas Towers and the Burj Khalifah. I had watched with a sense of awe and admiration as floors counted up fast, not in the conventional 1,2, 3 style, but in flying leaps of 10, 20, 30...a smooth ride that landed us with over 40 other people on the 107th floor. What a mind-blowing panoramic sight to behold from the top! The 360-degree deck gave us picturesque bird-eye views of impressive skyscrapers. Also in unobstructed view were four breathtakingly beautiful landmarks of New York City; the 102-storey Empire State Building, the sprawling Grand Central Park, Hudson River and Lady Liberty.
