The conventions of the horror genre to create a vision of Victorian London Essay Example for Free

The conventions of the horror genre to create a vision of Victorian London Essay Robert Louis Stevenson uses the conventions of the horror genre to create a vision of London in the Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde to great effect. Stevenson uses all the different conventions of horror together to create a disturbing tale of good an evil, and incorporates the features of mystery, crime and death, suspense and atmosphere. One of Stevensons most effective themes in Jekyll and Hyde is the use of mystery. Stevenson asks and sets up countless questions throughout the novel, but answers only a few. This means that the reader is continually having to answer questions for themselves, but before you have come to a conclusion, Stevenson has set out another for you to try and answer. The first question, one which lasts throughout the novel, is the background of the characters and what has happened in the past between them. At first Stevenson gives a small description of Mr. Uttersons appearance and some of his background: Mr Utterson the lawyer was a man of rugged countenance, and his few hobbies, but little background information is given about any of the characters. Utterson, Jekyll and Lanyon all seem to be close friends at the start, but throughout the novel Lanyon and Jekyll grow apart as Lanyon discovers the truth about Jekyll. Lanyon also says that what Jekyll had been prior to this had been unscientific balderdash, and that Jekyll had begun to turn wrong in mind. This shows that Lanyon thought that Jekyll may uncover something untoward. During the novel we are never actually told what Jekylls plans are, but we are able to assume that something extraordinary and peculiar is about to be revealed. We know that he is a doctor, but no specific information on what the areas of science that he practices in are, what he has achieved to make him so important, and what his current areas of work are. The Victorian audience at the time would have thought that Jekyll may have been doing something wrong ever since the mention of the door being connected to Jekylls house, as body snatchers brought dead bodies to scientists through secretive measures so that the scientists could do medical experiments. They may have thought that at the time, but is not something that comes to mind for the modern day reader, as this is a very rare event in modern times. One of the largest unanswered questions in Jekyll and Hyde is what was Sir Danvers Carew actually doing on the night he was murdered. We get the impression that Carew was intending to meet Hyde, but no definitive answer is given by Jekyll as to what both Hyde and Carew were doing there in the first place, and why it was necessary for Hyde to kill him. Carew was meant to be a kind and well respected MP, but we never know what he was doing in that disreputable part of London in the first place. As is normal in a horror novel, the use of crime and death is hugely prominent in Jekyll and Hyde, with the whole novel and interest in Mr Hyde beginning with a horrific act of violence. Mr Hyde is walking through London one evening, when he and a little girl ran into one another. This though is not the horrifying part, as after they had collided Mr Hyde trampled calmly over the childs body. Mr Hyde casually walks off, and justice is only done when Mr Enfield chases after Mr Hyde. If it had not been for Mr Enfield, then this hideous crime would have just occurred, and nothing would have been done about it. As it is, Mr Hyde pays the girls family a sum of one hundred pounds so that his name does not become disreputable. Possibly the most disturbing thing about this incident though, is the fact that Hyde shows no remorse for what he has done, and all that he cares about is his name and whatever honour that he may have had, which can also be said for many people in both Victorian times and modern day. Appearance and reputation is the most important thing, what is on the outside, yet their secret and evil side that is on the inside is overlooked. Another terrifying theme is the death of Dr Lanyon. At first Lanyon is described as a hearty and healthy man, who has a boisterous and decided manner. This though changes drastically as the novel unfolds. He is said to have grown pale, and he was visibly balder and older, yet this has only happened over a short period of time. We know that Lanyon has discovered something terrible about Jekyll, and that he is quite done with that person. We later find out what it is that Lanyon had found out, the terrible truth behind Jekyll, and his true feelings which are disclosed in Doctor Lanyons Narrative. Lanyon is so distraught after finding out the truth, that not only his mentality suffers, but his usually excellent physical state rapidly deteriorates and is shortly followed by his death. A different aspect of crime that is connected with Jekyll and Hyde is homosexual blackmail. Although Stevenson never specifically mentions homosexuality, it is fair to say that it is what the reader is meant to believe and if he had talked directly about it then he would have been thought of badly when it was first published. In Victorian times homosexuality was a crime, and was thought of a lot worse then than it is now, and it would have been thought that Jekyll was being blackmailed by Hyde and that he was homosexual. We find out that this is not the case, and that Hyde is in fact Jekylls evil side. As well as Lanyons death, there are also a number of other deaths. The first of these, Sir Danvers Carew, is described as Suspense is a very important horror them in Jekyll and Hyde, as it incorporates lots of other themes, and is what makes any horror story terrifying. Suspense is a build up of lots of different things, and the excellent use of atmosphere and mystery is what makes the novel so terrifying. Probably the greatest cause of suspense is that the reader only finds out the truth about Jekyll and Hyde towards the end of the novel. Mr Utterson is used as a cipher, as the story is told with the reader only finding out what Mr Utterson finds out. The reader is gradually able to piece bits together from what Utterson uncovers, but as facts are rarely given, only opinions, nothing is ever particularly clear. Due to all this personal opinion, we are unable to tell what is fact and what is just incorrect and what is just incorrect personal opinion. Throughout the novel we just get given what Utterson thinks and knows, and even with Lanyons and Jekylls statements, we are still unable to tell what is the truth, as both narratives contradict each other. Lanyon describes Jekylls transformations as horrific: , yet Jekyll says that they are: . Either way, the thought of the evil side of someone taking over their body is horrifying, but with this varying of opinions it leads us to think what other things described are inaccurate. Atmosphere and the descriptions of London used by Stevenson are very important aspects of horror in Jekyll and Hyde. It shows the importance for all of the different aspects, as they all closely link together. The atmosphere that Stevenson creates builds suspense and adds mystery, and the eerie atmospheric descriptions are metaphors for the crime and death that goes on throughout the novel. One of the most important descriptions of London and the positioning of places is Soho. In Victorian times Soho was an extremely disreputable part of London, and crime and indecent activities were widely linked to this part of the city. That is why it is strange that a place like Soho was positioned in the middle of the supposedly respectable west side of London. This is the same as with Hyde, as he is a bad and disreputable person among a group of important and well respected people. Throughout Jekyll and Hyde Stevenson uses vivid descriptions of the city of London to portray the eeriness of the people and events that occur. He regularly talks about the fog and mist that hung over the city, which some may say was because of the huge industrial changes that Britain was going through, but after looking deeper into the story you can tell that this is not the reason, and that Stevenson is cleverly using the idea of physcogeography. When bad and mysterious events are happening, this is shown in the weather and atmospheric descriptions that Stevenson uses. This is excellently shown by: The fog still slept on the wing above the drowned city, and: a pale moon, lying on her back as though the wind had tilted her. Both these descriptions of London are implying that the city is dead, but this is only a metaphor for the terrible events that are happening in the city. The second quote occurs when Poole and Utterson are preparing to break into Jekylls cabinet, which is shortly followed by the death of Hyde and Jekyll. The first is shortly after the death of Sir Danvers Carew, and illustrates the feelings of the characters being described, in this case Utterson and Mr Guest. From Jekyll and Hyde we can tell that all of the different conventions of the horror genre are required to create a truly terrifying novel. Stevenson uses these conventions to create a vivid and horrific vision of Victorian London, with not only its physical description but of the people inside it. Mystery, suspense, crime and death and atmosphere are all incorporated and closely joined to create a truly spine chilling horror novel.

Free Essays on Picture of Dorian Gray: Tthe Seduction of the Reader :: The Picture of Dorian Gray Essays

The Picture of Dorian Gray and the Seduction of the Reader "To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim," writes Oscar Wilde in the famous preface of his classic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. One might find it a bit ironic the fact that posterity always has looked upon this book as being more or less an autobiography. Wilde was surrounded by scandals until his death, stirring the strict, Victorian society he lived in with his homosexual bent and libertine views on life. The Picture of Dorian Gray was therefore also regarded by many people as "highly immoral" and has probably earned the title "classic" years after the author's death. With rarely less than two cogent aphorisms per page, it is hard not finding myriads of subtle meanings in the text, why I am only focusing on the main themes I found interesting. The obsession of aestheticism and beauty runs all through the story in a kind of contradictory way. Oscar Wilde states in the preface: "Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope." With this he means that one should not, for example, judge a piece of art on a moral basis; the art is only there for being aesthetically admired and one should only be enchanted with its beauty, not let oneself be misled by a deeper idea behind it. At the same time, he lets his protagonist Dorian Gray suffer the penalty for his narcissistic behaviour by killing him off at the end of the book, giving the reader the opposite message - that beauty after all is nothing to strive for. Also, Wilde lets the painting of Dorian become a symbol of the young man's degeneration, showing very well the immorality of his life through a work of art. It is like Wilde means to tell us that art indeed has its important place among people, and beauty is seducing to the viewer. However it is temporary, dangerous, and powerful enough to spoil the life of a man. One must know how to look upon beauty to be able to love it without succumbing to it. As Oscar Wilde was a confirmed aesthete himself, this conclusion may appear paradoxical, but it should be mentioned that not much in this book is not. Free Essays on Picture of Dorian Gray: Tthe Seduction of the Reader :: The Picture of Dorian Gray Essays The Picture of Dorian Gray and the Seduction of the Reader "To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim," writes Oscar Wilde in the famous preface of his classic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. One might find it a bit ironic the fact that posterity always has looked upon this book as being more or less an autobiography. Wilde was surrounded by scandals until his death, stirring the strict, Victorian society he lived in with his homosexual bent and libertine views on life. The Picture of Dorian Gray was therefore also regarded by many people as "highly immoral" and has probably earned the title "classic" years after the author's death. With rarely less than two cogent aphorisms per page, it is hard not finding myriads of subtle meanings in the text, why I am only focusing on the main themes I found interesting. The obsession of aestheticism and beauty runs all through the story in a kind of contradictory way. Oscar Wilde states in the preface: "Those who find ugly meanings in beautiful things are corrupt without being charming. This is a fault. Those who find beautiful meanings in beautiful things are the cultivated. For these there is hope." With this he means that one should not, for example, judge a piece of art on a moral basis; the art is only there for being aesthetically admired and one should only be enchanted with its beauty, not let oneself be misled by a deeper idea behind it. At the same time, he lets his protagonist Dorian Gray suffer the penalty for his narcissistic behaviour by killing him off at the end of the book, giving the reader the opposite message - that beauty after all is nothing to strive for. Also, Wilde lets the painting of Dorian become a symbol of the young man's degeneration, showing very well the immorality of his life through a work of art. It is like Wilde means to tell us that art indeed has its important place among people, and beauty is seducing to the viewer. However it is temporary, dangerous, and powerful enough to spoil the life of a man. One must know how to look upon beauty to be able to love it without succumbing to it. As Oscar Wilde was a confirmed aesthete himself, this conclusion may appear paradoxical, but it should be mentioned that not much in this book is not.

Traffic Problem

Interstate 80, seen here in Berkeley, California, is a freeway with many lanes and heavy traffic. Traffic on roads may consist of pedestrians, ridden or herded animals, vehicles, streetcars and other conveyances, either singly or together, while using the public way for purposes of travel. Traffic laws are the laws which govern traffic and regulate vehicles, while rules of the road are both the laws and the informal rules that may have developed over time to facilitate the orderly and timely flow of traffic. Organized traffic generally has well-established priorities, lanes, right-of-way, and traffic control at intersections.Traffic is formally organized in many jurisdictions, with marked lanes, junctions, intersections, interchanges, traffic signals, or signs. Traffic is often classified by type: heavy motor vehicle (e.g., car, truck); other vehicle (e.g., moped, bicycle); and pedestrian. Different classes may share speed limits and easement, or may be segregated. Some jurisdictions may have very detailed and complex rules of the road while others rely more on drivers' common sense and willingness to cooperate. Organization typically produces a better combination of travel safety and efficiency.Events which disrupt the flow and may cause traffic to degenerate into a disorganized mess include: road construction, collisions and debris in the roadway. On particularly busy freeways, a minor disruption may persist in a phenomenon known as traffic waves. A complete breakdown of organization may result in traffic congestion andgridlock. Simulations of organized traffic frequently involve queuing theory, stochastic processes and equations of mathematical physics applied totraffic flow. Traffic in English is taken from the Arabic word taraffaqa, which means to walk along slowly together.Contents1 Rules of the road 1.1 Directionality 1.2 Traffic regulations 2 Organized traffic 2.1 Priority (right of way) 2.1.1 Uncontrolled traffic 2.2 Turning 2.2.1 Intersections 2.2.2 P edestrian crossings 2.3 Level crossings 2.4 Speed limits 2.5 Overtaking 2.5.1 Lanes 2.6 One-way roadways 2.6.1 High-speed roads 2.6.2 One-way streets 3 Congested traffic 3.1 Rush hour 4 Congestion mitigation 4.1 Rush hour policies 4.2 Pre-emption 4.3 Intelligent transportation systems 5 Future of congestion mitigation 6 See also 7 References 8 External links 9 Further reading Rules of the road[edit]Traffic controller in Chicago, Michigan AvenueTraffic control in Rome, Italy. This traffic control podium can retract back to road level when not in use. Rules of the road and driving etiquette are the general practices and procedures that road users are required to follow. These rules usually apply to all road users, though they are of special importance to motorists and cyclists. These rules govern interactions between vehicles and with pedestrians. The basic traffic rules are defined by aninternational treaty under the authority of the United Nations, the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.Not all countries are signatory to the convention and, even among signatories, local variations in practice may be found. There are also unwritten local rules of the road, which are generally understood by local drivers. As a general rule, drivers are  expected to avoid a collision with another vehicle and pedestrians, regardless of whether or not the applicable rules of the road allow them to be where they happen to be.In addition to the rules applicable by default, traffic signs and traffic lights must be obeyed, and instructions may be given by a police officer, either routinely (on a busy crossing instead of traffic lights) or as road traffic control around a construction zone, accident, or other road disruption. These rules should be distinguished from the mechanical procedures required to operate one's vehicle. Seedriving. DirectionalityMain articles: Bidirectional traffic and right- and left-hand traffic Traffic going in opposite directions should be separated in s uch a way that they do not block each other's way. The most basic rule is whether to use the left or right side of the road. Traffic regulationsSee also: Category:Rules of the roadIn many countries, the rules of the road are codified, setting out the legal requirements and punishments for breaking them. In the United Kingdom, the rules are set out in the Highway Code, which includes obligations but also advice on how to drive sensibly and safely. In the United States, traffic laws are regulated by the states and municipalities through their respective traffic codes. Most of these are based at least in part on the Uniform Vehicle Code, but there are variations from state to state. In states such as Florida, traffic law and criminal law are separate, therefore, unless someone flees a scene of an accident, commits vehicular homicide or manslaughter, they are only guilty of a minor traffic offense. However, states such as South Carolina have completely criminalized their traffic law, so , for example, you are guilty of a misdemeanor simply for travelling 5 miles over the speed limit.Organized trafficPriority (right of way)[edit] See also: Right-of-way (disambiguation) Vehicles often come into conflict with other vehicles and pedestrians because their intended courses of travel intersect, and thus interfere with each other's routes. The general principle that establishes who has the right to  go first is called â€Å"right of way†, or â€Å"priority†. It establishes who has the right to use the conflicting part of the road and who has to wait until the other does so. Signs, signals, markings and other features are often used to make priority explicit. Some signs, such as the stop sign, are nearly universal.When there are no signs or markings, different rules are observed depending on the location. These default priority rules differ between countries, and may even vary within countries. Trends toward uniformity are exemplified at an international lev el by the Vienna Convention on Road Signs and Signals, which prescribes standardized traffic control devices (signs, signals, and markings) for establishing the right of way where necessary. Crosswalks (or pedestrian crossings) are common in populated areas, and may indicate that pedestrians have priority over vehicular traffic. In most modern cities, the traffic signal is used to establish the right of way on the busy roads.Its primary purpose is to give each road a duration of time in which its traffic may use the intersection in an organized way. The intervals of time assigned for each road may be adjusted to take into account factors such as difference in volume of traffic, the needs of pedestrians, or other traffic signals. Pedestrian crossings may be located near other traffic control devices; if they are not also regulated in some way, vehicles must give priority to them when in use. Traffic on a public road usually has priority over other traffic such as traffic emerging fro m private access; rail crossings and drawbridgesare typical exceptions.Uncontrolled trafficUncontrolled traffic comes in the absence of lane markings and traffic control signals. On roads without marked lanes, drivers tend to keep to the appropriate side if the road is wide enough. Drivers frequently overtake others. Obstructions are common. Intersections have no signals or signage, and a particular road at a busy intersection may be dominant – that is, its traffic flows – until a break in traffic, at which time the dominance shifts to the other road where vehicles are queued. At the intersection of two perpendicular roads, a traffic jam may result if four vehicles face each other side-on.Traffic ProblemsTraffic congestion in many cities around the world is severe. One possible solution to this problem is to impose heavy taxes on cardrivers and use this money to make public transport better. This essay will discuss the benefits and drawbacks of such a measure. One of t he first benefits of such a measure is that the heavy taxes would discourage car owners from using their cars because it would become very expensive to drive. This would mean that they would begin to make use of public transport instead, thus reducing traffic problems and pollution as well. Another benefit would be that much more use would be made of public transport if it was improved. It is often the case that public transport in cities is very poor.For example, we often see old buses and trains that people would rather not use. High taxes would generate enough money to make the necessary changes. Nevertheless, there are drawbacks to such a solution. First and foremost, this would be a heavy burden on the car drivers. At present, taxes are already high for a lot of people, and so further taxes would only mean less money at the end of the month for most people who may have no choice but to drive every day. In addition, this type of tax would likely be set at a fixed amount. This wo uld mean that it would hit those with less money harder, whilst the rich could likely afford it. It is therefore not a fair tax. To conclude, this solution is worth considering to improve the current situation, but there are advantages and disadvantages of introducing such a policy.Traffic managementCreating a travel planOne of the most effective ways to ease traffic congestion at schools is to reduce the number of cars coming and going from your school. Boards of trustees can encourage students and staff to walk, cycle, take public transport, ride the school bus, participate in a walking school bus or car pool to school. Another way to manage traffic is to prepare a travel plan for traffic movement in and around the school, parking and pedestrians. Developing a travel plan with your community will get people thinking about alternative options for getting to and from school.Complete the Traffic management checklist [Word; 92kb] before preparing the travel plan. Guidance on developin g a travel plan is available at: NZ Transport Agency – provides a guide for developing school travel plans and organising a walking school bus Safe Kids New Zealand – has resources for educators about keeping kids safe including child pedestrian safety NZPolice – has a School Road SafetyEducation programme which teaches young people road safety skills. Check with your local council as they often have information about safety on the road. For example, Auckland Transport has information about road safety, walking and cycling, and encouraging students to use alternative transportation; Christchurch City Council has a programme called Safe Routes to Schools which investigates road safety issues in school communities and develops strategies to encourage safe and active travel to school. Improving traffic movement through the schoolA good system for dropping off and picking up students will help manage traffic around and through the school. The system will depend upon the school, for example, if the school is located in an urban area with busy streets, coordinating traffic in and out of the school during peak times is critical, otherwise drivers are tempted to park illegally in the surrounding neighbourhood. Illegal practices include double parking and parking on yellow lines, across driveways, and near crossings. Many drivers justify this behaviour because they are only parked for a short time and they usually stay with the car. However, this practice is irritating for neighbours and unsafe for other road users. Traffic movement checklistA good traffic system through the school includes: car traffic flows in a clearly marked oneway direction pedestrian access points located separately from car access points the bus bay is separated from car and pedestrian access points an off-street drop-off/pick-up zone staff station at key points to manage traffic flow car access separate from the car park. If your school does not have land available to creat e an on-site drop-off/pick-up zone, you can contact the local council and ask for a dedicated kerbside access area on an adjacent street, if there are traffic issues. An example of an efficient traffic systemOther ideas for improving the flow of traffic include: staggering start and finish times for different year groups having staff to manage drop-offs and pick-ups at peak times will encourage  cars to move along and not park. Paying for work to improve traffic systemsBoards can use Five Year Agreement (5YA) funding for work to improve traffic systems on their school site. Work needs to be planned in the 10 Year Property Plan (10YPP), and budgeted within the available 5YA funding. Car parkingBoards of trustees should have a parking policy about who can use the car parks on the school site. The policy will usually provide for staff and some visitors' car parks. It is likely that there are not enough parks for students at a secondary school, which can create congestion in the neigh bourhood. Schools can to talk to their local council, including parking enforcement officers familiar with the area, for ideas about managing the school’s parking issues. New car parksThe need for new or upgraded car parks may be triggered by new teaching spaces for roll growth space. In the new teaching spaces budget, boards are given a site works allowance for each roll growth classroom to pay for new car parks. The Ministry does not have a policy on the number of car parks schools should have, but local councils may have requirements in their District Plans that kick in when the school applies for building consent for a roll growth room or other type of project.The council may require a traffic impact assessment. If the costs of new parks exceed the site works allowance, either because of the number required by the council or their cost, then additional funding will be considered. If the board wants car parks in excess of the council requirement, this must be funded throug h 5YA.Special events – parkingSpecial events can cause parking problems. Ideas to manage these problems include: encouraging people to walk, car pool or use public transport opening up some of the grounds, such as playing fields or tennis courts, to provide extra parking arranging the use of nearby parking facilities  arranging the use of remote parking facilities and provide shuttles to the event employing staff to direct traffic.Traffic impact assessments When a school applies for a building consent for a new building project the council may ask for a traffic impact assessment. The council will want to know if the proposed project will generate extra traffic and a need for additional parking, and how the school intends to manage the changes in traffic or parking. For larger projects, the council may require a professionally-prepared traffic impact assessment with an engineer’s report. Ask your council for names of companies who carry out these assessments or search the internet for traffic assessment consultants.Traffic requirements vary depending on what the council has in their district plan. Some councils may require more parking spaces to be provided and some may have traffic requirements depending on the educational use, breaking them down by primary, secondary and tertiary institutions. Other councils may have more general requirements. Schools will have to convince the council they are managing parking and traffic flows – having a good travel plan and traffic system will help. Boards should ensure their school community are not causing traffic and parking problems for neighbours because those neighbours may object to a school’s building consent application. Traffic management checklistThe following checklist will be helpful: before starting the travel plan for use by the professional consultant hired to prepare a traffic impact assessment – the assessment should address these issues as a minimum and providing this information will reduce the time and therefore cost of a consultant.

Historical and Modern Terrorist Groups by Type

While there is no universally agreed-upon or legally binding definition of a terrorist act, the U.S. gives it a good try in Title 22 Chapter 38 U.S. Code  § 2656f, by defining  terrorism as an act of premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents.  Or, in brief, the use of violence or threat of violence in the pursuit of political, religious, ideological, or social objectives. What we do know is that terrorism is nothing new. Even a cursory glance over the centuries reveals a startling list of groups for whom some form of violence is justified to  achieve  social, political, and religious change. Terrorism in Early History Most of us think of terrorism as a modern phenomenon. After all, many of the terrorist groups listed below rely or have relied on the mass media to spread their message through non-stop coverage. However, there are some pre-modern groups who used terror to achieve their ends, and who are often considered precursors to modern terrorists. For instance, the Sicarii, organized in the first century in Judea to protest Roman rule or the Thugee cult of assassins in ancient India who wreaked havoc and destruction in the name of Kali. Socialist/Communist Many groups committed to socialist revolution or the establishment of socialist or communist states arose in the last half of the 20th century, and many are now defunct. The most prominent included: Baader-Meinhof Group  (Germany; renamed Red Army Faction but defunct as of 1998)  Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP)Red Brigades (Italy)Revolutionary Struggle (Greece)Shining Path (Peru)Weather Underground Organization (United States) National Liberation National liberation is historically among the most potent reasons that extremist groups turn to violence to achieve their aims. There are many of these groups, but they have included: ETA (Basque)Fatah (PLO) (Palestinian)Irgun (Zionist)IRA (Irish)(Kurdish)Tamil Tigers (Sri Lankan Tamils) Religious-Political There has been a rise in religiosity globally since the 1970s and, with it, a rise in what many analysts call religious terrorism. It would be more accurate to call groups such as Al Qaeda religious-political, or religious-nationalist. We call them religious because they use a religious idiom and shape their mandate in divine terms. Their goals, however, are political: recognition, power, territory, concessions from states, and the like. Historically, such groups have included: Al Qaeda (transnational, Islamist)Aum Shinrikyo (renamed Aleph; Japanese, with various influences, including Hindu and Buddhist)Ku Klux Klan (U.S.,  Christian)Abu Sayyaf  (Philippines,  Islamist)Egyptian Islamic JihadHamas (Palestinian,  Islamist) (Hamas is designated by the U.S. and other governments as a terrorist group, but it is also the elected government of the Palestinian Authority)Hezbollah (Hezbollah is designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S. and other governments, but others argue it should be considered a movement, rather than a terrorist group) State Terrorism Most states and transnational organizations (like the United Nations) define terrorists as non-state actors. This is often a highly contentious issue, and there are long-standing debates in the international sphere over a few states in particular. For instance, Iran and other Islamic states have long accused Israel of supporting terrorist acts in the surrounding settlements, Gaza, and elsewhere. Israel, on the other hand, contends it is fighting for its right to exist free of terror.  There are some states or state actions in history over which theres no dispute, though, such as in Nazi Germany or Stalinist Russia.