Religious terrorism

Religious terrorism is terrorism by those whose motivations and aims have a predominant religious character or influence.

According to Juergensmeyer, religious terrorism consists 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. 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.

According to Hoffman, to be considered religious terrorism the perpetrators must use religious scriptures to justify or explain their violent acts or to gain recruits and there must be some sort of clerical figures involved in some leadership roles.

In the modern age, after the decline of ideas such as the divine right of kings and with the rise of nationalism, terrorism more often involved anarchism, nihilism and revolutionary politics, but since 1980 there has been an increase in activity motivated by religion.

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." Stephen Weinberg has argued that religion is the most important factor, famously saying "for good people to do evil things, that takes religion". However, Robert Pape, Rogers et al, Nardin, and Mark Juergensmeyer have all argued that religion should be considered only one incidental factor, and that so-called "religious" terrorism is primarily geopolitical.

Criticism of the concept of "religious terrorism"

Robert Pape, political science professor of the University of Chicago, compiled the first complete database of every documented suicide bombing from 1980-2003. He argues that the news reports about suicide terrorism are profoundly misleading - "There is little connection between suicide terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism, or any one of the world's religions". After studying 315 suicide attacks carried out over the last two decades, he concludes that suicide bombers' actions stem from political conflict, not religion.

Rogers et al write, "Although religion is not a single, simple causal factor in terrorist violence, religious elements often feature strongly in the belief systems associated with terrorist violence, and can also feature in other important fostering factors for terrorist violence, such as the use of rhetoric."

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."

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".

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." 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".

Christian

Main article: Christian terrorism

See main article for list of organizations dedicated to Christian terrorism.

Islamic

Main article: Islamic terrorism

Organizations involved in Islamic terrorism:

Sunni Groups:

• Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG): Separatist. Aims for the establishment of an Islamic state in the Southern Philippines.
• Al-Gama'at al-Islamiya (GI): The violent overthrow of the Egyptian Government and establishment of an Islamic state and the removal of Western influence from the Arab world.
• Al-Jihad: Aims for violent overthrow of the Egyptian government and the establishment of an Islamic state in Egypt, destruction of U.S. and Israeli interests.
• Al-Qaeda: Led by Osama bin Laden, its aims are the expulsion of Western forces from Saudi Arabia, overthrow of the House of Saud, and the destruction of Israel and governments that support Israeli foreign policy.
• Al-Qaeda in Iraq: Aims to create a Sunni Islamic state in Iraq.
• Ansar al-Islam(AI): Aims to create an Islamic state in Iraq; alleged link with Al-Qaeda.
• Armed Islamic Group (Groupe Islamique Armée) (GIA): The aim of the GIA is the violent overthrow of the Algerian government and the creation of an Islamic state in Algeria.
• Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ): The aim of the EIJ is to overthrow the Egyptian Government and replace it with an Islamic state, global Jihad against non-Muslims societies.
• Front Pembela Islam (FPI): An anarchic terrorist group growing in some parts of Indonesia. They have a primary agenda to force the government to implement the Islamic laws within the country.
• Hamas: Islamic organization based in Gaza City with the aim of the destruction of Israel and the creation of an Islamic state in its place. Considered to be terrorist by Israel, the United States and the EU.
• Islamic Army of Aden (IAA): The IAA's aim is to overthrow the Yemeni government and resist U.S. interests in the region.
• Islamic Jihad
• Jaish e Mohammed (JeM): JeM seeks separation of Kashmir from Indian control.
• Jeemah Islamiyah (JI): JI's aim is the creation of a unified Islamic state in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Southern Philippines.
• Lashkar e Tayyaba (LeT): LeT seeks an independent Kashmir and reestablishment of Islamic rule over India.
• Moro Islamic Liberation Front: Aims to create Islamic state in Mindanao, Philippines.
• Palestinian Army of Islam or Jaysh al Islam
• Salafist Group for Call and Combat (Groupe Salafiste pour la Predication et le Combat) (GSPC): Its aim is to create an Islamic state in Algeria.

Shia Groups:

• Hezbollah: Considered a terrorist group by several states, it calls for the destruction of Israel and the creation of an Islamic state in Lebanon although it has abandoned that goal.

Jewish

The following groups were all started or branched off from those started by Meir Kahane in the 1970's. Kahanist groups are banned in Israel:

• Jewish Defense League: A "violent extremist Jewish organization" according to the FBI. Although several members have been charged or convicted with offenses related to the handling of explosives, the group is not thought to have any current connection to terrorism.

• Kach and Kahane Chai: Israel and United States.

• Gush Emunim Underground: (1979-1984) Sometimes called the (Jewish Terror Organization) [2]. Formed by prominent members of Gush Emunim. Planned to destroy the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock. The plan was aborted following the group's failure to gain explicit approval from leading Gush rabbis. On April 27, 1984, twenty-five Gush activists, mostly West Bank settlers, who were charged in connection with the placement of bombs under five Arab buses—a plan thwarted by Israeli police.

Mark Juergensmeyer has cited the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre, 1994, in which Baruch Kappel Goldstein shot and killed 39 Muslims, and wounded another 150, as a case of Jewish religious terrorism.

Tibetan Buddhism

During the 2008 Tibetan unrest China accused the Dalai Lama of being a terrorist mastermind. State-run media have portrayed the Dalai Lama as the shadowy figure behind violent riots and ethnic tension. Hundreds of Tibetan monks have been arrested in a security crackdown. The People's Daily wrote "The Dalai Lama is scheming to take the Beijing Olympics hostage to force the Chinese Government to make concessions to Tibetan independence". The People's Daily also accused the Dalai Lama of conspiring with Islamic terrorists and Muslim seperatists in East Turkestan.

The Dalai Lama has denied the accusations, and has repeatedly called for peace and dialogue between the Chinese and Tibetan people. He has also said that he supports the Beijing Olympics: "I always support the Olympics should... take place in Beijing... so that more than one billion human beings, that means Chinese, they feel proud of it."

Hindu

According to the BBC, the Nepal Defence Army is a "shadowy Hindu extremist group" responsible for bombing a mosque in Biratnagar, Nepal in March 2008, resulting in the deaths of two people.

Other

• Aum Shinrikyo

See also

• Destructive cult section on Terrorism [3]
• Indoctrination
• Propaganda
• Religious Wars

External links

• From Bhindranwale to Bin Laden: The Rise of Religious Violence, University of California
• Sikh Terrorism in Punjab, Human Rights Watch