Includes bibliographical references and index.

ch. 1. Are some religious groups harmful? -- 1. Religion is easily exploited by extremist groups / Matthew C. Ogilvie -- 2. Religion can counter violent extremism / David Ostendorf -- 3. Islamic fundamentalists in the United States pose a serious threat / David Horowitz -- 4. Most followers of Islam in the United States reject terrorism / Shibley Telhami -- 5. The religious right has a harmful agenda / Frederick Clarkson -- 6. The religious right has a beneficial agenda / Norman Podhoretz -- 7. The Jewish Defense League is justified / Jewish Defense League -- 8. The Jewish Defense League promotes hate and violence / Angela Valkyrie -- ch. 2. Do some liberal groups benefit society? -- 1. Radical animal rights groups harm society / Frederick K. Goodwin, Adrian R. Morrison -- 2. Radical animal activism is justified / Noel Molland -- 3. Socialists encourage violent extremism / Brian Paterson -- 4. Socialism would benefit society / John Fisher -- 5. Radical environmentalists are terrorists / Brad Knickerbocker -- 6. Ecoterrorism is justified / Emily Kumpel -- ch. 3. Do white supremacist groups promote hate and violence ? -- 1. White supremacist groups promote hate and violence / Carl Rowan -- 2. The danger from white supremacist groups is exaggerated / Adrian H. Krieg -- 3. Racial hatred is necessary to save the white race / Matthew Hale -- 4. Racial hatred is immoral / Doug Anstaett -- ch. 4. What extremist groups pose a threat worldwide? -- 1. Al Qaeda is a worldwide terrorist threat / Daniel Pipes, Steven Emerson -- 2. The threat of al Qaeda is exaggerated / John L. Scherer -- 3. The Palestine Liberation Organization promotes violence and terrorism / Paul Eidelberg -- 4. The Palestine Liberation Organization condemns violence and terrorism / Yasir Arafat -- 5. Basque separatists promote terrorism / Paul Sussman -- 6. Basque separatists promote nonviolent political change / Euskandi Ta Askatasuna.