Religious terrorism
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Religious terrorism is a type of religious violence where terrorism is used as a strategy to achieve certain religious goals or which are influenced by religious beliefs and/or identity.[1]
In the
Former United States Secretary of State Warren Christopher said that terrorist acts in the name of religion and ethnic identity have become "one of the most important security challenges we face in the wake of the Cold War."[4]: 6 However, political scientists Robert Pape and Terry Nardin,[5] social psychologist Brooke Rogers,[6] and sociologist and religious studies scholar Mark Juergensmeyer have all argued that religion should only be considered one incidental factor and that such terrorism is primarily geopolitical.
Definition
According to Juergensmeyer, religion and violence have had a symbiotic relationship since before the Crusades and even since before the Bible.[4] He defines religious terrorism as consisting of acts that terrify, the definition of which is provided by the witnesses – the ones terrified – and not by the party committing the act; accompanied by either a religious motivation, justification, organization, or world view.[4]: 4–10 Religion is sometimes used in combination with other factors, and sometimes as the primary motivation. Religious terrorism is intimately connected to current forces of geopolitics.
Bruce Hoffman has characterized modern religious terrorism as having three traits:
- The perpetrators must use religious scriptures to justify or explain their violent acts or to gain recruits.[7]
- Clerical figures must be involved in leadership roles.[3]: 90
- Perpetrators use apocalyptic images of destruction to justify the acts.[8]: 19–20
Martyrdom and suicide terrorism
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Important symbolic acts such as the blood sacrifice link acts of violence to religion and terrorism.
Financing
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Terrorism activities worldwide are supported through not only the organized systems that teach holy war as the highest calling, but also through the legal, illegal, and often indirect methods financing these systems; these sometimes use organizations, including
Criticism of the concept
Michael A. Sheehan stated in 2000, "A number of terrorist groups have portrayed their causes in religious and cultural terms. This is often a transparent tactic designed to conceal political goals, generate popular support and silence opposition."[16]
Terry Nardin wrote,
A basic problem is whether religious terrorism really differs, in its character and causes, from political terrorism... defenders of religious terrorism typically reason by applying commonly acknowledged moral principles... But the use (or misuse) of moral arguments does not in fact distinguish religious from nonreligious terrorists, for the latter also rely upon such arguments to justify their acts... political terrorism can also be symbolic... alienation and dispossession... are important in other kinds of violence as well. In short, one wonders whether the expression 'religious terrorism' is more than a journalistic convenience.[5]
Professor Mark Juergensmeyer wrote,
...religion is not innocent. But it does not ordinarily lead to violence. That happens only with the coalescence of a peculiar set of circumstances – political, social, and ideological – when religion becomes fused with violent expressions of social aspirations, personal pride, and movements for political change.[4]: 10
and
Whether or not one uses 'terrorist' to describe violent acts depends on whether one thinks that the acts are warranted. To a large extent the use of the term depends on one's world view: if the world is perceived as peaceful, violent acts appear to be terrorism. If the world is thought to be at war, violent acts may be regarded as legitimate. They may be seen as preemptive strikes, as defensive tactics in an ongoing battles, or as symbols indicating to the world that it is indeed in a state of grave and ultimate conflict.[4]: 9
David Kupelian wrote, "Genocidal madness can't be blamed on a particular philosophy or religion."[17]: 185
Riaz Hassan wrote, "It is politics more than religious fanaticism that has led terrorists to blow themselves up."[18]
On July 2, 2013, in
See also
- Anti-abortion violence
- Aum Shinrikyo
- Buddhism and violence
- Christianity and violence
- Christian terrorism
- Destructive cult
- Fundamentalism
- Indoctrination
- Islam and violence
- Islamic terrorism
- Judaism and violence
- Jewish terrorism
- List of designated terrorist organizations
- Religious abuse
- Religious discrimination
- Religious fanaticism
- Religious intolerance
- Religious persecution
- Religious segregation
- Religious violence
- Religious war
- Saffron terrorism
- Violent extremism
- Khalistan movement
References
- ISBN 9789004124332.
- .
- ^ ISBN 0-231-11469-9.
- ^ ISBN 0-520-24011-1.
- ^ JSTOR 2691794.
- S2CID 22885752.
- ISBN 0-7425-4473-7
- ISBN 0-8330-2667-4.
- S2CID 143826088.
- ISBN 978-8690830923
- ISBN 9788366675582.
- ^ Madsen, Julian (August 2004). "Suicide Terrorism: Rationalizing the Irrational" (PDF). Strategic Insights. 3 (8). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-05-11.
- ^ ISBN 1-4000-6317-5.
- S2CID 144519175.
- JSTOR 2844331.
- ^ Michael Sheehan Lecture: "A Foreign Policy Event Terrorism: The Current Threat" Archived 2007-11-02 at the Wayback Machine, The Brookings Institution, 10 February 2000
- ISBN 978-1-4391-6819-6.
- ISBN 978-0-415-58885-0.
- ^ "Fatwa issued against suicide bombings, targeted killings and terrorism". Lahore. 2 July 2013.
External links
- Mark Juergensmeyer. From Bhindranwale to Bin Laden: The Rise of Religious Violence. Presentation at Arizona State University/National Bureau of Asian Research Conference, October 14–15, 2004 "Religion and Conflict in Asia: Disrupting Violence".
- Robert A. Pape. It's the Occupation Stupid. Foreign Policy magazine, October 18, 2010
- Booknotes interview with Jessica Stern on Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill. October 12, 2003