How Al-Qaeda Began

How Al-Qaeda Began

How Al-Qaeda Began
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 5 to 7
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	5.13

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		al-Qaeda, jihad, non-Muslim, battlefield, well-known, provides, network, often, religion, wealthy, destruction, camps, terrorist, rarely, injure, death
	content words:		Ancient Greeks, Roman Emperor Caligula, French Revolution, Osama Bin Laden, Saudi Arabia, Bin Laden

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How Al-Qaeda Began
By Toni Lee Robinson

¹     How often do you hear the word "terrorism"? Probably every day. When we hear the word, most of us think of September 11, 2001. That day, on our TV screens, we saw death, destruction, and fear. All these are elements of terrorism.

²     Terrorists work outside the law. Violence is their basic tool. They injure, kill, and destroy. Their aim is to create terror, or extreme fear. Through fear, they hope to force people to go along with their ideas.

³     Has terrorism always played such a major part in world events? Not really. Our grandparents rarely heard the word. But terrorism began long ago.

⁴     Ancient Greeks wrote of the use of fear as a weapon of war. The Roman Emperor Caligula killed people and kept their property. He used fear to keep people from opposing him.

⁵     In France, the years 1793-94 were called the "Reign of Terror." New rulers had taken over in the French Revolution. They used terror to force people to accept their rule. Many people were put in prison. Some were beheaded. The word "terrorism" was first used during this time.

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