"Historically, terrorism falls in a category different from crimes that concern a criminal court judge"

This quote by Jurgen Habermas suggests that historically, terrorism has actually been considered as an unique phenomenon from other criminal activities. This indicates that terrorism is not simply a criminal act, but rather a kind of political violence that is encouraged by a desire to attain a specific political goal. This is in contrast to other criminal activities, which are generally inspired by individual gain or vengeance. Hence, terrorism is viewed as a special form of violence that requires a different approach from criminal courts. This is why terrorism is typically dealt with through diplomatic and political methods, rather than through the criminal justice system.