Home About us Products Services Contact us Bookmark
:: wikimiki.org ::
Robert Spencer

Robert Spencer

Robert Spencer is an American author who has written five books, seven monographs, and numerous articles about jihad and Islamic terrorism. . Robert Spencer is the Director of [http://jihadwatch.org/ JihadWatch] and [http://jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/ Dhimmiwatch] which documents Islamist and Islamic terrorism related events.

Background

Spencer (MA, Religious Studies, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: 1986) is an Adjunct Fellow with the Free Congress Foundation. His biography[http://www.jihadwatch.org/spencer/] states that he has studied Islam for twenty-five years, beginning in 1980 during his first year as an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina. Spencer's MA thesis is titled "The monophysite in the mirror"[http://webcat.lib.unc.edu/search/aspencer%2C+robert/aspencer+robert/1%2C15%2C59%2CB/frameset&FF=aspencer+robert+bruce&1%2C1%2C] has nothing to do with Islam. The subject of his thesis concerns the conversion of John Henry Newman to Catholicism in 1837 and Newman's denouciation of the Church of England as monophysite. Spencer opted not to enter any PhD program because he "could see even then that Middle East Studies and other departments were becoming highly politicized and retreating from genuine academic work"[http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/005715.php]. He has written seven monographs on Islam for the Free Congress Foundation: An Introduction to the Qur'an, Women and Islam, An Islamic Primer, Islam and the West, The Islamic Disinformation Lobby, Islam vs. Christianity, and Jihad in Context. Robert Spencer is currently the director of JihadWatch and an Adjunct Fellow of the Free Congress Foundation. He was (and some bios claim he still is) a board member of the Christian-Islamic Forum[http://www.freecongress.org/media/030826.asp][http://www.regnery.com/authors/bio_spencer.html], a Catholic group dedicated to the conversion of Muslims to Christianity using interpretations of Islamic scripture rather than the Christian materials[http://www.chnetwork.org/danaliconv.htm]. He has also co-written Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics with the founder of the Forum Daniel Ali. In this book, Spencer reasserts his goals: "As a Christian, I take even greater satisfaction in the present book, because both Daniel and I believe it will be a powerful tool to equip Catholics to become better witnesses of their own faith" (2003 paperback edition, page 18) His articles on Islam and other topics have appeared in various news outlets including the New York Post, The Washington Times, the Dallas Morning News, Canada's The National Post, FrontPageMag.com, WorldNet Daily, Insight in the News, Human Events, National Review Online, and many other journals. He has discussed jihad, Islam, and terrorism on CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, PBS, and C-Span, as well as on numerous radio programs including Michael Savage's Savage Nation, The G. Gordon Liddy Show, the Michael Medved Show, The Michael Reagan Show, The Larry Elder Show, Vatican Radio, and many others.

Thesis

In Spencer's long career as a writer, he has spent his time focused on religion-related topics, particularly (early in his career) on Catholic theological issues, and since 2001, on Islam, comparative religion, and Islamic doctrines of Jihad. Within the scope of this recent work, Spencer asserts:
- Islam, in part due to its early history and events in the life of Muhammad, has a higher propensity to violence than other mainstream religions such as Christianity, Judaism, and Hinduism.
- The Qur'an has to be read in the context of the hadiths (the sayings of Muhammad) and the early history of Islam to understand the motivations of Islamic extremists such as Osama bin Laden and extremist organizations such as al Qaeda.
- Jihad (in Arabic, "struggle") is a central duty of every Muslim. Modern Muslim theologians have spoken of many things as jihads: the struggle within the soul, defending the faith from critics, supporting its growth and defense financially, even migrating to non-Muslim lands for the purpose of spreading Islam. But violent jihad is a constant of Islamic history.
- Fundamentalism in Islam is of a completely different nature from fundamentalism in Christianity and Judaism, as, he asserts, modern Christianity and Judaism almost universally condemn extreme violent behavior in their own ranks. For example:
  - Christians are opposed to abortion, but when one of their members tries to use bombs or violence to stop abortion there is not a lot of sympathy in the community.
  - Many Muslim moderates are reluctant to criticize extremist Muslims (at least openly) because of the Qur'anic roots of Islamic extremism. In the interest political correctness, this small but violent subset of Islam (Islamist extremism) is either ignored or misunderstood.
- There is a "lack of any clear distinction between peaceful and violent, or moderate and radical, Muslims"[http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/009283.php]
- Islam poses a challenge to the Church and every Christian and is the Church's chief and most energetic present-day rival for souls because it is the fastest growing religion in the world. [http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=5375]
- "Islam itself is an incomplete, misleading, and often downright false revelation which, in many ways, directly contradicts what God has revealed through the prophets of the Old Testament and through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh" (Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics page 16 of the 2003 paperback edition, 1st paragraph)

Criticism

Credentials and Scholarship


- Spencer's credentials as a scholar of Islam are seen as questionable. Though he claims to have been a researcher of Islam for 25 years, there is no public record of any study, interest or publications by Spencer related to Islam prior to 2001. His biographies do not describe his career or activities from the time of his graduation from the university of North Carolina in 1986 to the publication of his first book on islam after 2001. His publication history in the 1990s consists of articles in Roman Catholic publications on matters of Catholic dogma and the need for absolute orthodoxy within the Church.
- There is no evidence that Spencer speaks or understands Classical Arabic, and he appears to rely on translations of the Quran and other Arabic scholars. This has opened him to criticism by that he does not understand the context of much of the scholarship, and that he ignores variations of interpretations amongst different religious sources.[http://www.frontpagemag.com/articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=6431]

Accusations of Stereotyping and Bigotry


- Spencer selective emphasis on the violent interpretations of jihäd and the worst possible interpretations of Islam may prejudice his readers' perception of a religion that has many facets besides those he brings to the public.[http://www.ratzingerfanclub.com/blog/2003/11/differing-interpretations-of-jihad.html]
- Many Islamic-American and Arab-American groups, such as The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), have often criticized Spencer.
  - "[http://www.cair-california.org/ CAIR-LA] has learned that Robert Spencer, who operates the “Jihad Watch” Internet hate site, spoke at Temple Shalom for the Arts during a Yom Kippur event. Spencer’s website is notorious for its depiction of Islam as an inherently violent faith that is a threat to world peace." [ed note: exact quote do not change]
    - November 11, 2005. CAIR press release [http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=1853&theType=NR]
  - "Since 9/11, right-wing evangelical preachers such as Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, and commentators such as Robert Spencer and Daniel Pipes, have spared no effort to spread fear and hatred of Islam and the growing American Muslim community."
    - American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, [http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=2153&type=100]

JihadWatch


- JihadWatch is a group founded and directed by Spencer. Spencer has received much criticism for the views of other JihadWatch members and readers [http://blogs.salon.com/0003494/2004/10/29.html], despite the fact these statements are often not made or posted by Spencer. Given that Spencer offers JihadWatch positions to people with more extreme stated views , and then posts articles authored by these Board Members, has led to Spencer being associated with, and criticised for, those extreme views.
  - Most notably, articles written by JihadWatch Board Member Hugh Fitzgerald (whom Spencer describes as "one of the most brilliantly insightful commentators on the scene today" [http://www.jihadwatch.org/dhimmiwatch/archives/003804.php]) and posted and endorsed by Spencer are seen as particularly incendiary. For example:
    - "A complete ban on Muslim migration to the Western world (which needs to be undertaken in any case), and limits put on any contact between Muslims living in the West, who may already have obtained ciizenship and -- unless they are native-born converts -- their countries of origin." authored by Fitzgerald, posted by Spencer on the JihadWatch website.[http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/007241.php]
    - "And the first way is to put a complete stop to Muslim immigration, and to find creative ways to deport all Muslim non-citizens. These two measures would be accompanied by the creation of an environment where the practice of Islam is made not easy but difficult."[http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/008486.php], authored by Fitzgerald and posted by Spencer on the JihadWatch website.
    - The West must "Understand how very useless is the concept of the "moderate" Muslim -- because it is impossible to know when someone's "moderation" is real or feigned"[http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/008667.php] and must take "specific moves to limit Muslim immigration. This can only take place if the Idols of the Age, about Diversity and Everyone Wants the Same Thing and Tolerance is Always the Only Conceivable Policy, are undermined, mocked, and shown up as the dangers they are."[http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/008667.php] authored by Fitzgerald and posted by Spencer on the JihadWatch website.
    - See also [http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/007241.php]

Published books


- The Myth of Islamic Tolerance: How Islamic Law Treats Non-Muslims (editor), Prometheus Books, 2005. ISBN 1591022495
- The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (And the Crusades), Regnery Publishing, 2005. ISBN 0895260131
- Onward Muslim Soldiers: How Jihad Still Threatens America and the West, Regnery Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0895261006
- Inside Islam: A Guide for Catholics (with [Daniel Ali]), Ascension Press, 2003. ISBN 0965922855
- Islam Unveiled: Disturbing Questions About the World's Fastest Growing Faith (Foreword by David Pryce-Jones), Encounter Books, 2002. ISBN 1893554589

External links


- [http://www.jihadwatch.org/spencer Biography]
- [http://www.jihadwatch.org Jihad watch]
- [http://www.dhimmiwatch.org Dhimmi watch] Spencer, Robert

Islamic Terrorism

Islamist terrorism is terrorism that is carried out to further the political and religious ambitions of a segment of the Muslim community. The term Islamic terrorism is used more commonly, especially in Western media, but some believe it to be a smear against Islam.

Use of Islamist versus Islamic

Some journalists and politicians use the terms "Islamic terrorism" and "Islamist terrorism" interchangeably, but this use is contentious; many Muslims do not accept that attacks on civilians can ever be justified by Islam. From this perspective, describing terrorism as "Islamic" is seen as insensitive, uneducated or even a slur against Islam. Although "Islamic terrorism" is commonly used by Western media to describe terror activities of a wide variety of groups, "Islamist terrorism" is perhaps a more accurate term that respects the sensitivities of Muslims in that it refers specifically to the ideology of Islamism and not to the entire religion of Islam. The term Islamist, though often used generically for any political or militant group that uses Islam as an identity or ideology, is used by experts in a specific meaning when there is no other substitute for the word. Recently, the Western media have adopted the phrases "Islamists", "Islamic militants", and others, to refer to this.

Organizations

The first Islamist terrorist groups, as defined by the U.S., were the Muslim Brotherhood of Egypt and Hezbollah of Lebanon. Both organizations are also involved in a wide range of other activities from community services to mainstream political activism. The Islamist group most closely associated with terrorism, and which has adopted terrorism as its central strategy, is Al-Qaeda. The group was formed in the aftermath of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan but has, as one of its primary objectives, the overthrow of the royal family of Saudi Arabia. The Saudi regime is perceived as being too closely associated with American foreign policy, particularly through granting permission to the United States to conduct military operations and establish bases on what is viewed as sacred soil. Al-Qaeda's ideology is an extreme form of Islam as a political movement, and among its ideals are pan-Islamic unity. To the group's leadership, the Saudi regime was seen as insufficiently Islamic. Such a view may seem bewildering to Westerners who often cannot imagine anything more 'Islamic' than the country's Wahhabi interpretation of Islamic law but many of the Saudi leaders are perceived as insincere and hypocritical in their practice of Islam. Also, to Al-Qaeda in particular, the world is viewed as a struggle between their extreme Islamist ideology on one hand and Zionism, Christianity and the secular West on the other.

Terrorist view

In the view of the terrorists involved, they are defending Islam and the Ummah. They believe that what they are doing is fighting agression by the west and Israel with agression. Many state that as long as terrorism against them continues, they will retaliate. Modern Islamist terrorist groups are often inspired by the Muslim Brotherhood, which was the prototype of the later Islamist groups. Some Islamist terrorist groups, notably Hezbollah, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad and Al-Qaeda have employed suicide bombers as a weapon of choice. Their use of suicide bombers occurs in spite of Islamic strictures against suicide and condemnation of suicide bombings by Muslim religious authorities not affiliated with terrorist groups. These groups refer to suicide bomber attacks as martyrdom operations and the suicides are characterized as shohada (plural of "shahid"). These groups believe that suicide bombers, as martyrs to the cause of Jihad against the infidels, and entitled to the rewards of jannah for their actions. The members of such groups are more likely to see themselves as freedom fighters rather than terrorists, as the political origins of such groups in Israel/Palestine, Afghanistan during the Soviet occupation, Chechnya and most recently post-Saddam Iraq are often connected to demands for statehood and nationalist self-determination. In an interview with The American Conservative magazine, Robert Pape, author of the book Dying to Win, said "The central fact is that overwhelmingly suicide-terrorist attacks are not driven by religion as much as they are by a clear strategic objective: to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from the territory that the terrorists view as their homeland. From Lebanon to Sri Lanka to Chechnya to Kashmir to the West Bank, every major suicide-terrorist campaign — over 95 percent of all the incidents — has had as its central objective to compel a democratic state to withdraw." [http://www.amconmag.com/2005_07_18/article.html]

Other Muslim views

The extent of support for "Islamist terrorism" within the Muslim population is disputed. Many Muslims have denounced support for terrorism[http://www.freemuslims.org/]. For example, the Free Muslims Coalition rallied against terror, stating that they wanted to send "a message to radical Muslims and supporters of terrorism that we reject them and that we will defeat them," while Islamist terrorism has been condemned and rejected by the leading religious leaders and groups in the United Kingdom [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4694441.stm] [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/1554177.stm], Australia [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/09/20/1095651245879.html?from=storylhs&oneclick=true], Canada [http://muslim-canada.org/news09112001.html] [http://www.caircan.ca/itn_more.php?id=A82_0_2_0_M] [http://www.caircan.ca/itn_more.php?id=A76_0_2_0_M] [http://www.caircan.ca/itn_more.php?id=A57_0_2_0_M] [http://www.caircan.ca/itn_more.php?id=A61_0_2_0_M], France [http://www.atsnn.com/story/77263.html], New Zealand [http://www.angelfire.com/biz2/FIANZWEB16/PressRelease1.html], the United States [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/27/AR2005072702082.html?nav=hcmodule] [http://www.islam-democracy.org/terrorism_statement.asp] [http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=1294&theType=NR] [http://www.forrelease.com/D20040311/dcth043.P2.03112004160858.10244.html] [http://www.cair-net.org/default.asp?Page=articleView&id=878&theType=NR] [http://www.islamicity.com/articles/Articles.asp?ref=AM0109-335] [http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2001-09/13/article1.shtml], Germany [http://www.islamonline.net/English/News/2004-03/19/article03.shtml], the Netherlands [http://islamonline.net/English/News/2004-11/02/article06.shtml] [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6446342/], Russia [http://english.pravda.ru/world/2001/09/20/15781.html], Spain [http://www.geocities.com/Paris/Rue/4637/terr42a.html] and Saudi Arabia [http://www.fatwa-online.com/news/0040508.htm] as well as by the Organization of the Islamic Conference [http://www.islam-online.net/English/News/2001-09/13/article18.shtml]. Abdel Rahman al-Rashed, the general manager of Al-Arabiya said: :It is a certain fact that not all Muslims are terrorists, but it is equally certain, and exceptionally painful, that almost all terrorists are Muslims. This view is not widely accepted - there are many non-Muslim terrorist groups with various political and religious backgrounds, particularly on the Indian sub-continent, in Africa and in South America. (See also Religious terrorism) According to journalist Johann Hari, "Two-thirds of the suicide killings committed in the past two decades were not committed by Muslims." Muslim scholars in North America, in a statement just after the September 11, 2001 attacks, wrote: :We encourage Muslim medical professionals and Muslim relief agencies to assist in whatever possible way with humanitarian and relief efforts both locally and nationally. Moreover, we urge people of diverse religious traditions, faith groups and spiritual expressions, including Christians, Jews, Buddhists, Hindus and members of other communities, to share their grief and sorrow together as one family, the human family. In July 2005, the Fiqh Council of North America issued a fatwa that called "all acts of terrorism targeting civilians... harām in Islam" and said that "targeting civilians' life and property through suicide bombings or any other method of attack is harām." Many Muslims also share the view that Islām ("submission") comes from the same root as Salām, meaning "peace", and that terrorism in the name of Islam; Islamic terrorism, is an oxymoron. (See etymology of "Islam")

Islamist ideology and theology

Islamist ideology often clashes with Western norms. The United States is often seen as personifying 'everything that is wrong with the modern world - and the Western secular domination of it that America has such an influence in molding'. The West is seen as inherently un-Islamic, immoral, perverted, secular, and worshipping money and limitless freedom rather than God. The US, through Hollywood, television, and its perceived dominance of the United Nations and NATO, is viewed as being the greatest of the world's moral and cultural pollutants - the 'great Satan' of this modern time. Further, democracy and freedom outside Islamic boundaries is seen as a direct threat to 'true Islam', with pornography, promiscuity, money-worship, and the acceptance of 'heretics and the immoral' (homosexuals, feminism, non-believers, etc.) seen as inevitable consequences. The Crusades still loom large in the mind of the Islamist. They see conflict with Christianity, today personified by the US-dominated West, as inevitable, and the latest chapter in a historic struggle between the two faiths. More recently the Ottoman defeat by 'Christian European armies' in the First World War, and subsequent abolition in 1924 of the Khalifa (the Islamic ruling system established since 632) are viewed as a temporary setback for Islam that has to be rectified as priority. However, many Christians share the view that modern Western culture is perverted. The Israel issue is actually part of the broader context related to the Islamist view of Jews, based on the conviction that there is historic conflict between Judaism and Islam similar to the one with Christianity. Bin Laden's umbrella network is more correctly called the 'International Islamic Front for Jihad Against the Jews and Crusaders'. As Binyamin Netanyahu alleged in a speech to Congress on September 20th: : "The soldiers of militant Islam do not hate the West because of Israel, they hate Israel because of the West - because they see it is an island of Western democratic values in a Muslim-Arab sea of despotism. That is why they call Israel the Little Satan, to distinguish it clearly from the country that has always been and will always be the Great Satan - the United States".

The Qu'ran

The Qur'an, the highest source of authority in Islam, vehemently denounces the killing of any person who is not guilty of at least one of two crimes: :[5:32] "Whosoever killed a person – unless it be for killing a person or for creating disorder in the land – it shall be as if he killed all mankind; and whoso saved a life, it shall be as if he had saved the life of all mankind." According to this verse of the Qur'an, if one human being is killed who is neither guilty of murdering another person nor guilty of causing disorder/strife, it would be equivalent of massacring the entire human race, which is an inconceivably barbaric crime, and a monumental sin. Some Islamist terrorists interpret the phrase "or for creating disorder in the land" as justification for the use of violence against those they view as creating disorder or disunity. Some Islamist terrorists also use the following verse as justification for killing members of other Islamic sects: :[9:107] And there are those who put up a mosque by way of mischief and infidelity - to disunite the Believers - and in preparation for one who warred against Allah and His Messenger aforetime. They will indeed swear that their intention is nothing but good; But Allah doth declare that they are certainly liars. Hence it is possible for Islamist terrorist to justify killing fellow Muslims by first using the practise of Takfir to declare them as kafir. Other possibly relevant Qur'anic verses include: :2.190-1: "Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loveth not transgressors. And slay them wherever ye catch them, and turn them out from where they have turned you out; for tumult and oppression are worse than slaughter; but fight them not at the Sacred Mosque, unless they (first) fight you there; but if they fight you, slay them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith." This verse is traditionally interpreted (for example by Ibn Kathir) as forbidding attacks on non-combatants; see al-Baqara for further details. With reference to the Hypocrites (munafiqin), a group at Medina, who are said to have pretended to be Muslims while secretly supporting their enemies, the Qur'an says: :[4.89-91] "They desire that you should disbelieve as they have disbelieved, so that you might be (all) alike; therefore take not from among them friends until they fly (their homes) in Allah's way; but if they turn back, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them, and take not from among them a friend or a helper. Except those who reach a people between whom and you there is an alliance, or who come to you, their hearts shrinking from fighting you or fighting their own people; and if Allah had pleased, He would have given them power over you, so that they should have certainly fought you; therefore if they withdraw from you and do not fight you and offer you peace, then Allah has not given you a way against them. You will find others who desire that they should be safe from you and secure from their own people; as often as they are sent back to the mischief they get thrown into it headlong; therefore if they do not withdraw from you, and (do not) offer you peace and restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you find them; and against these We have given you a clear authority."

Examples of Islamist Terrorism

A partial list of Islamist terrorist incidents:
- 9 November 2005 - 2005 Amman bombings, over 60 killed and 115 injured, in a series of coordinated suicide attacks on Hotels in Amman, Jordan. Four attackers including a husband and wife team were involved,
- 7 July 2005 - Multiple bombings in London Underground, 53 dead killed by four suicide bombers.
- 4 February 2005 - Muslim militants attacked the Christian community in Demsa, Nigeria, killing 36 people, destroying property and displacing an additional 3000 people.
- 11 March 2004 - Multiple bombings on trains near Madrid, Spain. 191 killed, 1460 injured. (alleged link to Al-Qaeda)
- 16 May 2004- Casablanca Attacks - 4 simultaneous attacks in Casablanca killing 33 civilians (mostly Moroccans) carried by Slafaia Jihadia.
- 12 October 2002 - Bombing in Bali nightclub. 202 killed, 300 injured.
- 24 September 2002 - Machine Gun attack on Hindu temple in Ahmedabad, India. 31 dead, 86 injured
- 7 May 2002 - Bombing in al-Arbaa, Algeria. 49 dead, 117 injured
- March 9 2002 - Café suicide bombing in Jerusalem; 11 killed, 54 injured
- March 3 2002 - Suicide bomb attack on a Passover Seder in a Hotel in Netanya, Israel. 29 dead, 133 injured
- February 26 2002 - Train of Hindu pilgrims bombed in Gujarat, India; 59 dead
- 11 September 2001 - 4 planes hijacked and crashed into World Trade Center and Pentagon by 19 hijackers. Nearly 3000 dead.
- 7 August 1998 - Embassy bombing in Tanzania and Kenya. 225 dead. 4000+ injured
- 25 June 1996 - Khobar Towers bombing, 20 killed, 372 wounded.
- 26 February 1993 - First World Trade Center bombing. 6 killed.
- 18 April 1983 - Embassy in Lebanon bombed. 63 killed.

U.S. State Department's list of Islamist terrorist groups


- Abu Sayyaf, Philippines
- Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, Gaza Strip and West Bank
- Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, Egypt also known as The Islamic Group
- al-Qaeda, Worldwide
- Ansar al-Islam, Iraq
- Armed Islamic Group (GIA), Algeria
- Army of Ansar al-Sunna, Iraq
- AZF, France
- Egyptian Islamic Jihad, Egypt
- Al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, Egypt
- Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front (IBDA-C), Turkey
- Hamas, Gaza Strip and West Bank
- Harkat-ul-Mujahideen al-Alami, Pakistan
- Hizballah, Lebanon
- Islamic Movement of Central Asia, Central Asia
- Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan
- Jaish-e-Mohammed, Pakistan and Kashmir
- Jemaah Islamiyah, Indonesia
- Lashkar-e-Toiba, Pakistan and Kashmir
- Lashkar i Jhangvi, Pakistan
- Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Philippines
- Moroccan Islamic Combatant Group, Morocco and Europe
- Palestinian Islamic Jihad, Gaza Strip and West Bank
- Tawhid and Jihad (Al-Qaeda in the Land between the Two Rivers (Iraq)), Iraq, allegedly led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

See also


- Islamophobia
- Kharijites

religious articles


- Tenth Crusade -procalimed by presiden G. W. Bush
- Kingdom Now theology -for perceived Christian Totalitarianism
- Dominionism -for perceived Protestant Christian evangelicalism and fundamentalism political lobbying.
- Dominion Theology - for perceived Christian strive for political world domination.
- Islamism
- Islamophobia

terrorism articles


- American terrorism
- Christian terrorism
- Zionist terrorism
- War on Terrorism
- Criticisms of the War on Terrorism

Islamic Concepts


- Jihad
- Ghazw
- Takfir

Geographic regions afflicted with Islamist terrorism


- India
- Iraq
- Israel
- Afghanistan
- Kashmir

Commonly used techniques


- Suicide bombing
- Car bomb
- Improvised explosive device

Books on the subject of Islamist terrorism


- An Autumn of War: What America Learned from September 11 and the War on Terrorism by Victor Davis Hanson
- Jihad: The Trail of Political Islam by Gilles Kepel
- Onward Muslim Soldiers by Robert Spencer
- The War for Muslim Minds by Gilles Kepel

Al Qaeda Training Manual

http://www.usdoj.gov/ag/trainingmanual.htm

External links

Links critical of the topic


- [http://www.icapi.org International Coalition Against Political Islam]
- [http://www.ntpi.org No to Political Islam]
- [http://jihadwatch.org/ Jihad Watch] -Daily criticism/commentary of Extremist Islam by Robert Spencer
- [http://www.nixoncenter.org/publications/monographs/Leiken_Bearers_of_Global_Jihad.pdf Bearers of Global Jihad: Immigration and National Security after 9/11] from the Nixon Center.
- [http://www.danielpipes.org/article/2798 What Do the Terrorists Want?] by Daniel Pipes, published in the New York Sun July 26, 2005
- [http://www.adl.org/Learn/internet/jihad.asp Jihad Online: Islamic Terrorists and the Internet] report for law enforcement from the Anti-Defamation League
- [http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1127987659736 Islamic terrorism spreads via Internet] by Judy Siegel And Talya Halkin, published in the Jerusalem Post, September 30, 2005 Category:Islam Category:Terrorism

Master's degree

:For other degrees, see Academic degree or Degree (disambiguation) A master's degree is an academic degree usually awarded for completion of a postgraduate or graduate course of one to three years in duration. In the United Kingdom it is sometimes awarded for an undergraduate student whose final year consists of higher-level courses and a major research project. In the recent standardized European system of higher education diplomas, it corresponds to a two-year graduate program to be entered after three years of undergraduate studies and in preparation for either high-qualification employment or for doctoral studies.

North America

MA, MS, MSc, MSE, AM, SM

The Master of Arts (Magister Artium) and Master of Science (Magister Scientiæ) degrees are the basic type in most subjects and may be entirely course-based, entirely research-based or (more typically) a mixture. Admission to a masters program is normally contingent upon holding a bachelors degree, and progressing to a doctoral program usually requires a master's degree. In some fields or graduate programs, work on a doctorate begins immediately after the bachelors degree. Some programs provide for a joint bachelors and masters degree after about five years. Some universities use the Latin degree names, and due to the flexibility of Latin word order, Artium Magister (AM) or Scientiæ Magister (SM) may be used at some schools. For example, Harvard University uses the degree abbreviations A.M., S.M. and Ed.M. for its master's degrees.

MASc, MEng

The Master of Engineering degree is awarded to students who have done graduate work at the masters level in the field of engineering. While in the United States, candidates in engineering are typically awarded MS degrees, in the U.K. and Canada, they are generally given MSc, MASc or MEng degrees. (An example of an MEng-awarding U.S. university is the University of California, Berkeley, of which the Civil & Environmental Engineering department offers both MS and MEng degrees.) In Canada, the Master of Applied Science (MASc) is awarded to masters students with a research focus (having completed work leading to a thesis), while an MEng is awarded to masters students with a coursework focus and the completion of a research paper. The distinction between MASc and MEng is not definite since some universities grant only an MEng and some universities grant only an MASc, either research or coursework-focused.

MAT

Coursework and practica leading to a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree is intended to prepare individuals for a teaching career in a specific subject of middle and/or secondary-level curricula (i.e., middle or high school). The MAT differs from the MEd degree in that the course requirements are dominated by classes in the subject area to be taught (e.g., foreign language, math, science, etc.) rather than educational theory. Work toward most MAT degrees will, however, necessarily include classes on educational theory in order to meet program and state requirements. Work toward the MAT degree may also include practica (i.e., student teaching).

MBA, MHA, MPA, MAL

Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Health Administration (MHA) and Master of Public Administration (MPA), are professional degrees focusing on management for the private and public sector.

MAcc or MAc

Master of Accountancy (MAcc or MAc) is typically a one-year, non-thesis graduate program designed to prepare graduates for public accounting and to provide them with the 150 credit hours required by most states before taking the CPA exam.

MArchHist

The two-year Master of Architectural History (M.Arch.Hist.) is the first professional degree in architectural history or historic preservation and often is awarded for progress toward a Ph.D.

MDiv, MTh, STM

The Master of Divinity (M.Div.) is the first professional degree in ministry and is a common academic degree among theological seminaries. It is typically three years in length. Other theology degree titles used are Master of Theology and Master of Sacred Theology.

MEd

Master of Education degrees are similar to MA, MS, and MSc where the subject studied is education. In the United States some states license teachers with a bachelors degree but require a masters within a set number of years as continuing education. Other Education related master's degrees conferred in the United States are Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed. or M.S.E.), Master of Arts in Education (M.A.Ed.) and Master of Adult Education (M.Ad.Ed.).

MMus

Master of Music is a three or four year degree in the field of music.

MFA

The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) is a two to three year terminal degree in a creative field of study such as theatre arts, creative writing, filmmaking or studio art.

M.A.L.S., MLA, MLS

The Master of Arts in Liberal Studies (M.A.L.S.), Master of Liberal Arts (MLA), Master of Arts in Liberal Arts (M.A.L.A.) and Master of Liberal Studies (MLS) are interdisciplinary master's degrees, occasionally awarded in specific subjects. Regardless of the title, these degrees are essentially similar, often requiring the completion of a liberal arts curriculum and a master's thesis or capstone project. In the 1950s, Wesleyan University initiated the first master's program of this sort, to refresh the educations of local secondary school teachers. Today, these degrees are often undertaken for personal enrichment, or to explore an interdisciplinary subject that does not conform to the scope of traditional master's degree programs.

MLS, MLIS, MSIS

A Master of Library Science (MLS) degree is the culmination of an interdisciplinary program encompassing information science, information management, librarianship, and/or related topics. Modern variants include Master of Library and Information Studies (MLIS), Master of Science in Information Studies (MSIS), Master of Librarianship, et al. While some universities use standard degree titles such as Master of Arts (University of Iowa) and Master of Science (University of Illinois) for their Library Science master's degrees.

MPH

The Master of Public Health degree is awarded to students who have completed a post-graduate course of study in Public Health.

MPhil

In the United States and Canada, a Master of Philosophy or Magister Philosophiae (MPhil) degree is sometimes awarded to ABD (all but dissertation) doctoral candidates who have completed all coursework, passed their written and oral examinations, and met any other special requirements before beginning work on the doctoral dissertation. Assuming all requirements are met, the MPhil degree is generally awarded after about one year of full time study towards a doctorate. The MPhil is considered equivalent to the former French DEA Diplôme d'études approfondies.

MSN, M.Nur.

The Master of Science in Nursing is the most common title for a graduate professional degree in nursing. A few schools also use the titles Master of Nursing or Master of Arts.

MSW

The Master of Social Work (MSW) is a semi-professional degree preparing students to become social workers.

United Kingdom

Undergraduate Masters

(MSci, MChem, MComp, MEng, MMath, MPhys, etc.) In the UK, many universities now have a four year (five years in Scotland) undergraduate programmes in science courses, with a project in the final year. The awards for these are named after the subject, so a course in mathematics would earn a Master in Mathematics degree, (abbreviated to MMath), or have a general title such as MSci (Master in Science at most universities but Master of Natural Sciences at Cambridge). Although these degrees reflect a higher level of achievement than the traditional bachelor's degree, some are generally considered less prestigious than postgraduate masters degrees such as MSc and MA. In content the first three years are generally identical to those of the equivalent bachelor's degree while the fourth year is a combination of higher-level taught courses and a research project.

Postgraduate Masters

Postgraduate masters in the United Kingdom can either be "taught" degrees, involving lectures, examination and a short dissertation, or "research" degrees (though the latter have largely been replaced by MPhil and MRes programmes, see below). Taught masters programmes involve 1 or 2 years of full-time study. The programmes are often very intensive and demanding, and concentrate on one very specialised area of knowledge. Some universities also offer a Masters by Learning Contract scheme, where a candidate can specify his or her own learning objectives; these are submitted to supervising academics for approval, and are assessed by means of written reports, practical demonstrations and presentations.

Taught Postgraduate Masters

(MSc, MA, LL.M., MLitt, MSSc, etc) The most common types of postgraduate taught Masters degrees are the Master of Arts (MA) awarded in Arts, Humanities, Theology and Social Sciences and the Master of Science (MSc) awarded in pure and applied Science. However, some universities - particularly those in Scotland - award the Master of Letters (MLitt) Master of Letters to students in the Arts, Humanities, Divinity and Social Sciences. [It should be noted that the MLitt is a research degree at the University of Cambridge, where the Master of Philosphy (MPhil) is the stanadard one-year taught degree.] In Law the standard taught degree is the Master of Laws, but certain courses may lead to the award of MA or MLitt. Until recently, both the undergraduate and postgraduate masters degrees were awarded without grade or class (like the class of an honours degree). Nowadays however, masters degrees are normally classified into the categories of Pass or Distinction, which tend to require marks of 50% and 70% respectively.

Research Postgraduate Masters

(MPhil and MRes) The Master of Philosophy (MPhil) is a research degree awarded for the completion of a thesis. It is a shorter version of the Ph.D. and some universities routinely enter potential PhD students into the MPhil programme and allow them to upgrade to the full PhD programme a year or two into the course. The Master of Research (MRes) degree is a more structured and organised version of the MPhil, usually designed to prepare a student for a career in research. For example, an MRes may combine individual research with periods of work placement in research establisments. Like the PhD, the MPhil and MRes degrees are awarded without class or grade.

MAs in Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin

The universities of Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin award masters degrees to BAs without further examination, when a certain number of years after matriculation (7 in the case of Oxford and Cambridge) have passed, and (in some but not all cases) upon payment of a nominal fee. It is commonplace for recipients of the degree to have graduated several years previously and to have had little official contact with the university or academic life since then. The only real significance of these degrees is that they historically conferred voting rights in University elections, and certain other privileges e.g. the right to dine at the holder's college's high table. They still do confer some restricted and rarely used voting rights. The MAs awarded by Oxford and Cambridge are colloquially known as the Oxbridge MA. The University of Cambridge also offers an MA to certain senior staff - both academic and non-academic - after three years' employment with the university. Until the advent of the modern research university in the mid 19th century, several other British and American universities also gave such degrees "in course".

Scottish MA

In Scotland the first degree in Arts, Fine Art, Humanities and Social Sciences awarded by many universities is the Master of Arts It should be noted the Science and Law faculties of Scottish universities award the BSc and LLB degrees respectively and the New Universities generally award the BA. The Scottish MA is roughly equivalent to a BA from a University elsewhere in the United Kingdom.

European Union

In order to facilitate the movement of students between European Union countries, a standardized schedule of higher education diplomas, also known as the Bologna process, was proposed: a 3-year undergraduate degree called licence or bachelors degree, then a two-year diploma called master, then a doctorate, meant to be obtained in 3 years. Because of these indicated schedules, the reform is also referred to as 3-5-3.

Austria

The traditional Austrian equivalent to the Master degree is the Diplomstudium, (At an university, only.) leading to the title Diplom-Ingenieur (female title: Diplom-Ingenieurin) in engineering or Magister (female: Magistra) in almost every other discipline. This is a first degree after 5 years of study. (The fields of Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine pose an exception. The first degree in these disciplines is a professional doctorate.) Due the Bologna process these first degrees are replaced by postgraduate degrees (2 years) leading to the same titles . The admission to these new degrees require a Bakkalaureus degree (female: Bakkalaura - the Austrian title for a Bachelor degree after 3 years of study) in the same or a related field or an equivalent Bachelor from other countries. The continuing use of the traditional titles for the new degrees reflects the relatively high social prestige of these titles in the Austrian society. The traditional degrees at an Austrian Fachhochschule (University of Applied Science), the Magister(FH)/Magistra(FH) and the Diplom-Ingenieur(FH)/Diplom-Ingenieurin(FH) (first degrees after 4 years of study, and not equivalent to the Master degree) are also replaced by undergraduate Bakkalaureus(FH)/Bakkalaura(FH) degrees (3 years) and postgraduate degrees (2 years, and equivalent to a Master degree) with the traditional titels. However, in some disciplines existing also postgraduate degrees with the English title Master. (e.g. the MBA in business administration or the Master of Advanced Studies, the Master of Arts, and the Master of Science in various fields of study) The admission to these new degrees also require an undergraduate degree, but not always in the same or a related discipline.

Belgium

In Belgium, owning a masters degree means that you have completed a higher education (usually university) programme of 4 or 5 years. Before the Bologna process most university degrees required 4 years of studies (leading to a licence), but some programmes required 5 years of study. An example in the field of education in business/management was the 5-year programme of "Ingénieur de Gestion" (Dutch "Handelsingenieur" - English' "Management Engineer") with an important amount of mathematics and sciences, and which corresponds to a M.Sc. in Management. This degree co-existed with an undergraduate degree in business (4 years) named "Licence en sciences économiques appliquées (Dutch. "Licentiaat in toegepaste economische wetenschappen" - English. "Licence in applied economics").

Germany

In Germany the Magister or Diplom (first degree after 5 years, from either an University or a Technische Hochschule and NOT from a Fachhochschule (University of Applied Science)) has traditionally been the equivalent to the Master degree. Due the Bologna process these academic titles are mostly being replaced by the (postgraduate) Master degree, which has caused widespread scepticism among many faculty and student body members who prefer the traditional title and curriculum. The traditional degree at a German Fachhochschule (University of Applied Science), the Diplom(FH) (first degree after 4 years of study) is also replaced by undergraduate Bachelor's degrees (3 years) and postgraduate Master's (2 years).

Finland

In Finland, the introduction of Bologna Process has standardized most of the degrees into the European model. The higher degree is called Master (of respective field) in all fields of study and takes two yeas after the Bachelor's degree. Medicine-related fields of Medicine, Dentistry, and Veterinary Medicine pose an exception. In medical fields, the licenciate (In Finnish, lisensiaatti) is an equivalent degree, the completion of which takes five (dentistry) or six years (medicine and veterinary), while the Bachelor degree is gained after second year of studies. In Engineering, the higher degree is either diplomi-insinööri (literally: "Engineer with diploma") or arkkitehti (Architect) although in international use MSc is used. In Pharmacy, the degree is proviisori. All such degrees retaining their historical name are classified as Masters. Some other Masters degrees give the right to use the traditional title of the degree-holder. E.g. the Masters of Science in Agriculture and Forestry may use the titles of metsänhoitaja or agronomi depending on their field of study.

France

In France, a traditional diploma was the maîtrise (which translates literally as "master's qualification") after 4 years of studies. This diploma becomes the first year of the Masters program, often referred to as M1. Because of this change, legal texts specifying a maîtrise (for instance, those defining the conditions for the external agrégation) had to be amended. The Masters programs subsume the former DEA (research-oriented 1-year degree), and DESS (industry-oriented 1-year degree), which become the second year of the Master (M2).

Italy

The old university system (Vecchio ordinamento) consisted in a unique five year course program, followed by a variable period (6-12 months usually) for the thesis work. This system has been reformed in 1999/2000 to adapt it to the Bologna process. Now (Nuovo Ordinamento) you have a three year course program called Laurea Breve, and after two years of specialisation, called Laurea Specialistica. Both have a final study work. Then, one can start a phd program. Medicine universities have not changed the system, and consist in six year of study followed, eventually, by the specialisation (3-6 years more).

Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the traditional acadamic degrees were doctorandus (drs.) (after 4 years; 5 years for some natural sciences, 6 years for medicine), ingenieur (ir.) (after 5 years) and for Law meester in de rechten (mr.) (after 4 years). Even though universities have adopted the masters and bachelors degree system, the old titles drs., ir. and mr. are still used (and the use of them is protected by law). The doctorandus (literally meaning "he who has to become doctor") degree is comparable with the MA degree (sometimes MSc). The ingenieur (engineer) degree is comparable with an M.Eng. or MSc degree. Finally, the mr. degree is comparable with the LL.M degree. In the Netherlands a suffix degree (MA / MSc / MEng / LL.M) can be used for holders of a prefix degree (drs., ir., mr.) instead of the prefix degree (e.g. 'ir. Jansen' or 'Jansen MSc'). A pre- and postfix can not be used at the same time (e.g. 'drs. Jansen MSc').

Poland

Currently there are two models of higher education in Poland. In the traditional model, a masters degree is awarded after completion of a university curriculum—a 5 year programme in science courses at a university or other similar institution, with a project in the final year called magisterium (it can be translated as a Master of Arts or a Master of Science thesis) that often requires carrying out research in a given field. An MA degree is called a magister (abbreviated mgr) except for medical education where it is called a lekarz medycyny (this gives the holder the right to use the title of physician) or a lekarz weterynarii in the veterinary field. Technical universities usually give the title of magister inżynier (abbreviated mgr inż.) corrseponding to an MSc Eng degree. More and more institutions introduce another model, which as of 2005 is still less popular. In this model, following the Bologna process directives, higher education is split into a 3-year bachelor programme ending with a title of licencjat (non-technical) or inżynier (technical fields), and a 2-year programme (uzupełniające studia magisterskie) giving the title of magister or magister inżynier. Nevertheless, even in these institutions, it is often possible to bridge the bachelor education directly into the master programme, without formally obtaining the licencjat degree, thus shortening the time needed for completing the education slightly. Depending on field and school, the timing may be slightly different.

Hong Kong

MA, MSc, MSocSc, MSW, MEng, LLM

Hong Kong requires two years of full-time coursework to achieve a masters degree. For part-time study, three years of study are normally required to achieve a postgraduate degree.

MPhil

As in the United Kingdom, MPhil or Master of Philosophy is a research degree awarded for the completion of a thesis, and is a shorter version of the PhD.

Taiwan

In Taiwan, bachelor degrees are basically four years (with honors). There is an entrance examination required for people who want to study in Master and PhD degrees. The course offered for Master and PhD normally is research-based.

See also


- Bachelor's degree
- Professional Master's degree
- Master of Business Administration
- Master of Engineering
- Master of Fine Arts
- Master of Theology
- Licentiate
- Engineer's degree
- Doctorate
- British degree abbreviations
- Degrees of Oxford University
- Degrees of Cambridge University

External links


- [http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-9210/degree.htm The Masters Degree]
- [http://www.collegeart.org/caa/ethics/mfa_standards.html College Art Association Visual Arts MFA Guidelines]

Chapel Hill

Chapel Hill may refer to:
- Chapel Hill, Queensland, a town in Australia
- Chapel Hill, North Carolina, a town in the United States, or
  - the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a major university within the town.
- Chapel Hill, Monmouthshire in Wales, United Kingdom. The name is typically applied to a hill where stands (or once stood) a chapel or church.

1986

1986 (MCMLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar.

Events

January

Gregorian calendar
- January 1 - Spain and Portugal enter the European Community
- January 1 - Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands and is separated from the Netherlands Antilles.
- January 9 - After losing a patent battle with Polaroid, Kodak leaves the instant camera business.
- January 12 - Space shuttle Columbia is launched with the first Hispanic-American astronaut, Dr. Franklin R. Chang-Diaz.
- January 20 - The United Kingdom and France announce plans to construct the Channel Tunnel.
- January 20 - The first federal Martin Luther King Day, honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
- January 24 - Voyager 2 space probe makes first encounter with Uranus
- January 28 - Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrates 73 seconds after launch, killing its crew of six astronauts and a schoolteacher.
- January 29 - Yoweri Kaguta Museveni became President of the Republic of Uganda after leading a successful five-year liberation struggle.

February


- February 7 - 28 years of one-family rule end in Haiti, when President Jean-Claude Duvalier flees the Caribbean nation.
- February 9 - Mohinder Amarnath becomes the first batsman dismissed for handling the ball in one-day international cricket.
- February 9 - Comet Halley reaches its perihelion, the closest point to the Earth, during its second visit to the solar system in the 20th century.
- February 11 - Human Rights activist Anatoly Shcharansky is released by the USSR and leaves the country.
- February 16 - The Soviet liner Mikhail Lermontov runs aground in the Marlborough Sounds, New Zealand
- February 19 - The Soviet Union launches the Mir space station
- February 19 - After waiting 37 years, the United States Senate approves a treaty outlawing genocide
- February 25 - EDSA Revolution: President Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines goes into exile to USA after 20 years of rule; Corazon Aquino becomes the first Filipino woman president, first as in interim president.
- February 25 - Egyptian military police, protesting bad salaries, enter four luxury hotels near the pyramids, set fire to them and loot them
- February 27 - The United States Senate allows its debates to be televised on a trial basis
- February 28 - Swedish prime minister Olof Palme is shot dead on his way home from the cinema.

March


- March 8 - Japanese spacecraft Suisei flies by Halley's Comet, studying its UV hydrogen corona and solar wind.
- March 9 - United States Navy divers find the largely intact but heavily-damaged crew compartment of the Space Shuttle Challenger. The bodies of all seven astronauts were still inside.
- March 27 - A car bomb explodes at Russell Street Police HQ in Melbourne, killing 1 police officer.
- March 31 - A fire devastates Hampton Court Palace in Surrey, England.

April

England
- April 2 - A bomb explodes on a TWA flight from Rome to Athens - 4 dead
- April 5 - In the terroristic La Belle discotheque bombing the West-Berlin discotheque, a known hangout for U.S. soldiers, was bombed, killing 3 and injuring 230 people. Libya is held responsible.
- April 13 -- Pope John Paul II officially visits the Synagogue of Rome — the first time a modern Pope had visited a synagogue.
- April 14 - 2.2 lb (1 kg) hailstones fall on the Gopalganj district of Bangladesh, killing 92.
- April 15 - At least 100 people died after USA planes bombed targets in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, and the Benghazi region as part of Operation El Dorado Canyon
- April 17 - British journalist John McCarthy kidnapped in Beirut (released in August 1991) - three others are found dead, Revolutionary Cells claims responsibility in retaliation for the US bombing of Libya.
- April 17 - Treaty signed, ending Three Hundred and Thirty Five Years' War between the Netherlands and the Isles of Scilly.
- April 26 - In Ukraine, one of the reactors at the Chornobyl (Chernobyl) nuclear plant explodes creating the world's worst nuclear disaster. 31 are killed directly by the incident, many thousands more were exposed to significant amounts of radioactive material, vast territories in Ukraine and Belarus rendered uninhabitable.
- April 27 - "Captain Midnight" interrupts HBO satellite feed

May-July


- May 2 - The 1986 World Exposition in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada opens.
- May 7 - Steaua Bucharest wins the European Champions Cup in Sevilla
- May 25 - Hands Across America
- May 26 - The European Community adopts the European flag.
- June 4 - Jonathan Pollard pleads guilty to espionage for selling top secret United States military intelligence to Israel.
- June 8 - Former United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim is elected president of Austria.
- June 9 - The Rogers Commission releases its report on the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster
- June 17 - The The Legend of Zelda is release for the Nintendo Entertainment System.
- June 29 - Argentina defeat West Germany 3-2 to win the Football World Cup 1986
- June 22 - Pirate radio Euro Weekend begins to broadcast
- July 5 - The Statue of Liberty is reopened to the public after an extensive refurbishing
- July 23 - In London, Prince Andrew, Duke of York marries Sarah Ferguson at Westminster Abbey.
- July 30 - Estate agent Suzy Lamplugh vanishes after a meeting in London

August-September


- August 6 - A low pressure system moving from South Australia and redeveloping off the New South Wales coast dumps a record 328 millimetres of rain in a day on Sydney.
- August 18 - Australian Democrats leader Don Chipp retires from federal parliment and is succeded by Janine Haines, becoming the first woman to lead a political party in Australia
- August 19 - Picasso painting Weeping Woman is found in a locker at the Spencer Street Station in Melbourne, Australia. It had been stolen from the Victoria National Gallery two weeks earlier
- August 20 - In Edmond, Oklahoma, United States Postal Service employee Patrick Sherrill guns down 14 of his co-workers before committing suicide.
- August 21 - The Lake Nyos tragedy occurs, killing nearly 2000 people.
- August 31 - The Soviet passenger liner Admiral Nakhimov collides with the bulk carrier Pyotr Vasev in the Black Sea and sinks almost immediately, killing 398.
- August 31 - An Aeroméxico Douglas DC-9 collides with a Piper PA-28 over Cerritos, California, killing 67 on both aircraft and 15 on the ground.
- August 31 - Cargo ship Khian Sea departs from the docks of Philadephia, Pennsylvania, carrying 14,000 tons of toxic waste. It will wander the seas for the next 16 months trying to find a place to dump its cargo
- September 5 - Pan Am Flight 73 with 358 people on board is hijacked at Karachi International Airport.
- September 6 - In Istanbul, two Arab terrorists from Abu Nidal's terror organization kill 22 and wound six inside the Neve Shalom synagogue during Sabbath services.
- September 7 - Desmond Tutu becomes the first black to lead the Anglican Church in South Africa.

October


- October 1 - President Ronald Reagan signs the Goldwater-Nichols Act into law, making official the largest reorganization of the United States Department of Defense since the Air Force was made a separate branch of service in 1947.
- October 9 - United States District Court Judge Harry E. Claiborne becomes the fifth federal official to be removed from office through impeachment.
- October 10 - An earthquake measuring 7.5 on the Richter Scale strikes San Salvador, El Salvador, killing an estimated 1,500 people.
- October 11 - Cold War: Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev meet in Reykjavík, Iceland, in an effort to continue discussions about scaling back their intermediate missile arsenals in Europe (the talks break down in failure).
- October 26 - Bus deregulation in the United Kingdom, except Greater London and Northern Ireland.
- October 27 - The New York Mets win the Major League Baseball World Series, beating the Boston Red Sox in seven games.
- October 28 - The centennial of the Statue of Liberty's dedication is celebrated in New York Harbor.
- October 28 - Jeremy Bamber is found guilty of the murder of his parents, sister and twin nephews and is given five life sentences.

November


- November 1 - Queensland, Australia: Joh Bjelke-Petersen wins his final election as Premier of Queensland with 38.6% of the vote. He resigns on December 1 1987 following revelations of his involvement corruption released in the Fitzgerald Inquiry.
- November 3 - Iran-Contra Affair: The Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa reports that the United States has been selling weapons to Iran in secret in order to secure the release of seven American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon.
- November 9 - Romania: Ellection of Patriarch Teoctist Arǎpaşu/Theoctist
- November 11 - Sperry Rand and Burroughs merge to form Unisys, becoming the second largest computer company
- November 12 - Australian singer John Farnham releases the album "Whispering Jack", which becomes the highest selling album in Australia's history.
- November 21 - Iran-Contra Affair: National Security Council member Oliver North and his secretary start to shred documents implicating them in the sale of weapons to Iran and channeling the proceeds to help fund the Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
- November 25 - Iran-Contra Affair: US Attorney General Edwin Meese announces that profits from covert weapons sales to Iran were illegally diverted to the anti-communist Contra rebels in Nicaragua.
- November 26 - Iran-Contra Affair: U.S. President Ronald Reagan announces that as of Monday, December 1 former Senator John Tower, former Secretary of State Edmund Muskie, and former National Security Adviser Brent Scowcroft will serve as members of the Special Review Board looking into the scandal (they became known as the Tower Commission). Reagan denies involvement in the scandal.

December


- December 14 - Voyager, an experimental aircraft designed by Burt Rutan and piloted by Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager, begins its flight around the world.
- December 19 - Soviet dissident Andrei Sakharov is permitted to return to Moscow after years of internal exile
- December 23 - Voyager completes the first nonstop circumnavigation of the earth by air without refueling in 9 days, 3 minutes and 44 seconds
- December 31 - A fire at the Dupont Plaza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico, kills 97 and injures 140.

Unknown dates


- Rajendra Sethia flees from England to India owing £170 million
- Atomic force microscope invented
- The National park passport stamps program begins.

Births


- January 24 - Mischa Barton, English-born American actress
- January 24 - Ricky Ullman, Israeli-born actor
- February 19 - Maria Mena, Norwegian singer
- February 21 - Charlotte Church, Welsh soprano
- February 25 - Justin Berfield, American actor
- March 9 - Brittany Snow, American actress
- March 14 - Jamie Bell, English actor
- April 3 - Amanda Bynes, American actress and variety show host
- June 3 - Rafael Nadal, Spanish tennis player
- June 11 - Shia LaBeouf, American actor
- June 13 - Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, American actresses and entrepreneurs
- June 25 - Aya Matsuura, Japanese singer
- July 2 - Lindsay Lohan, American actress and singer
- September 12 - Emmy Rossum, American actress and singer
- September 16 - Hasib Hussain, English suicide bomber (d. 2005)
- October 9 - Laure Manaudou, French swimmer
- November 3 - Jasmine Trias, American singer
- November 5 - BoA, Korean singer
- November 15 - Sania Mirza, Indian tennis player

Deaths

January-March


- January 1 - Alfredo Binda, Italian cyclist (b. 1902)
- January 8 - Pierre Fournier, French cellist (b. 1906)
- January 10 - Jaroslav Seifert, Czech writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
- January 14 - Donna Reed, American actress (b. 1921)
- January 24 - L. Ron Hubbard, American writer and founder of Scientology (b. 1911)
- January 24 - Gordon MacRae, American actor, singer (b. 1921)
- January 24 - Vincente Minnelli, American director (b. 1903)
- January 27 - Lilli Palmer, actress (b. 1914)
- January 28 - Crew of Space Shuttle Challenger:
  - Greg Jarvis (b. 1944)
  - Christa McAuliffe (b. 1948)
  - Ronald McNair (b. 1950)
  - Ellison Onizuka (b. 1946)
  - Judith Resnik (b. 1949)
  - Francis R. Scobee (b. 1939)
  - Michael J. Smith (b. 1945)
- February 1 - Alva Myrdal, Swedish politician, diplomat, and writer, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1902)
- February 11 - Frank Herbert, American author (b. 1920)
- February 27 - Jacques Plante, Canadian hockey player (b. 1929)
- February 28 - Olof Palme, Prime Minister of Sweden (b. 1927)
- March 4 - Richard Manuel, American musician (The Band) (b. 1943)
- March 6 - Georgia O'Keeffe, American artist (b. 1887)
- March 10 - Ray Milland, Welsh actor (b. 1907)
- March 30 - James Cagney, American actor (b. 1899)

April-June


- April 3 - Peter Pears, English tenor (b. 1910)
- April 7 - Leonid Kantorovich, Russian economist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1912)
- April 14 - Simone de Beauvoir, French feminist writer (b. 1908)
- April 15 - Jean Genet, French writer (b. 1910)
- April 23 - Otto Preminger, Austrian-born film director (b. 1906)
- April 26 - Broderick Crawford, American actor (b. 1911)
- April 26 - Dechko Uzunov, Bulgarian painter (b. 1899)
- May 3 - Robert Alda, American-born actor (b. 1914)
- May 4 - Henri Toivonen, Finnish rally car driver (b. 1956)
- May 9 - Tenzing Norgay, Nepalese sherpa (b. 1914)
- May 12 - Elisabeth Bergner, Austrian actress (b. 1897)
- May 15 - Elio de Angelis, Italian race car driver (b. 1958)
- May 15 - Theodore H. White, American writer (b. 1915)
- May 23 - Sterling Hayden, American actor (b. 1916)
- May 25 - Chester Bowles, American politician (b. 1901)
- May 31 - James Rainwater, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1917)
- June 13 - Benny Goodman, American jazz musician (b. 1909)
- June 14 - Jorge Luis Borges, Argentine writer (b. 1899)
- June 16 - Maurice Duruflé, French composer (b. 1902)
- June 17 - Kate Smith, American singer (b. 1907))

July-December


- July 4 - Oscar Zariski, Russian mathematician (b. 1899)
- July 6 - Jagjivan Ram, Indian politician (b. 1908)
- July 8 - Hyman Rickover, American admiral (b. 1900)
- July 8 - Skeeter Webb, baseball player (b. 1909)
- July 14 - Raymond Loewy, French-born industrial designer (b. 1893)
- July 15 - Billy Haughton, American harness driver and trainer (b. 1923)
- July 24 - Fritz Albert Lipmann, American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1899)
- August 2 - Roy Cohn, American lawyer and anti-Communist (b. 1927)
- August 20 - Milton Acorn, Canadian poet, writer, and playwright (b. 1923)
- August 31 - Urho Kekkonen, President of Finland (b. 1900)
- August 31 - Henry Moore, British sculptor (b. 1898)
- September 4 - Hank Greenberg, baseball player (b. 1911)
- September 25 - Nikolay Nikolayevich Semyonov, Russian chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1896)
- September 27 - Cliff Burton, American bassist (Metallica) (b. 1962)
- October 5 - James H. Wilkinson, English mathematician (b. 1919)
- October 16 - Arthur Grumiaux, Belgian violinist (b. 1921)
- October 22 - Albert Szent-Györgyi, Hungarian physiologist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1893)
- October 23 - Edward Adelbert Doisy, American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1893)
- October 25 - Forrest Tucker, American actor (b. 1919)
- October 26 - Jackson Scholz, American runner (b. 1897)
- October 28 - Ian Marter, British actor and writer (b. 1944)
- October 31 - Robert S. Mulliken, American physicist and chemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (b. 1896)
- November 6 - Elisabeth Grümmer, Alsatian soprano (b. 1911)
- November 8 - Artur London, Czech statesman (b. 1915)
- November 8 - Vyacheslav Molotov, Soviet politician (b. 1890)
- November 21 - Dar Robinson, American film stuntman (b. 1947)
- November 22 - Scatman Crothers, American actor, musician (b. 1910)
- November 29 - Cary Grant, British actor (b. 1904)
-