When Religion Kills: How Extremists Justify Violence Through Faith
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Talking to the Muslim World: How, and with Whom?
Talking to the Muslim world: how, and with whom? AMITAI ETZIONI* One challenge, wrapped in a bigger one The struggle against terrorism in the Middle East has led to a quest to find ways to counter the normative appeal1 of violent extremists, especially the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). There is widespread recognition that ISIS has a very effective normative position, as indicated by the facts that it strongly motivates its rank and file; has persuaded many thousands of young Muslims from around the world to join its ranks; and has considerable appeal in parts of the Muslim world. Several analyses of ISIS’s normative appeal focus on its ability to exploit social media; however, much of its appeal derives not from the tools and platforms it leverages but from the underlying message that it broad- casts. Boaz Ganor, the executive director of the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism, writes: ‘IS [ISIS] captivates these young people, not only by virally disseminating its messages of victory and barbarism, but also, and perhaps mainly, by inviting them to join an alternative conceptual system.’2 Psychologist John Horgan finds that ISIS recruits typically feel ‘a very, very strong moral pull ... [a] passionate need to right some perceived wrong, to address some sort of injustice, to restore honor to those from whom it’s been taken’.3 Although the vast majority of the Muslim world opposes ISIS, there are significant minori- ties in several very disparate countries that seem to support the organization. A Pew Global Attitudes Survey in spring 2015 found that 20 per cent of Nigerian Muslims and 12 per cent of Malaysian Muslims had ‘favorable’ opinions of ISIS, with corresponding proportions for Pakistan and Senegal standing at 9 per cent and 11 per cent respectively.4 Although small minorities, these percentages repre- * I am indebted to David Kroeker-Maus for extensive research assistance on this article. -
Religious Terrorism
6 O Religious Terrorism errorism in the name of religion has become the predominant model for Tpolitical violence in the modern world. This is not to suggest that it is the only model because nationalism and ideology remain as potent catalysts for extremist behavior. However, religious extremism has become a central issue for the global community. In the modern era, religious terrorism has increased in its frequency, scale of violence, and global reach. At the same time, a relative decline has occurred in secular terrorism. The old ideologies of class conflict, anticolonial liberation, and secular nationalism have been challenged by a new and vigorous infusion of sec- tarian ideologies. Grassroots extremist support for religious violence has been most widespread among populations living in repressive societies that do not per- mit demands for reform or other expressions of dissent. What is religious terrorism? What are its fundamental attributes? Religious ter- rorism is a type of political violence motivated by an absolute belief that an other- worldly power has sanctioned—and commanded—terrorist violence for the greater glory of the faith. Acts committed in the name of the faith will be forgiven by the otherworldly power and perhaps rewarded in an afterlife. In essence, one’s religious faith legitimizes violence as long as such violence is an expression of the will of one’s deity. Table 6.1 presents a model that compares the fundamental characteristics of religious and secular terrorism. The discussion in this chapter will review the -
OF MANY THINGS 106 West 56Th Street New York, NY 10019-3803 Ph: (212) 581-4640; Fax: (212) 399-3596 Rom 1951 to 1969 the State Are Not
OF MANY THINGS 106 West 56th Street New York, NY 10019-3803 Ph: (212) 581-4640; Fax: (212) 399-3596 rom 1951 to 1969 the State are not. Perhaps this is what is meant Subscriptions: (800) 627-9533 of Florida was represented when presidential aspirants say that www.americamedia.org facebook.com/americamag Fin the U.S. Senate by George “we” are going to “take our country twitter.com/americamag A. Smathers, a Miami attorney and back.” Perhaps they are suggesting that future used car salesman who is best Peoria should reclaim from New York PRESIDENT AND EDITOR IN CHIEF Matt Malone, S.J. remembered for his close friendships what is rightly theirs? Maybe that’s EXECUTIVE EDITORS with two U.S. presidents: John F. not what is meant, but then just who Robert C. Collins, S.J., Maurice Timothy Reidy Kennedy, with whom he would is the “our” in “we are going to take our MANAGING EDITOR Kerry Weber occasionally raise hell; and Richard country back?” And from whom are LITERARY EDITOR Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. Nixon, to whom he sold his Key they (and or we) taking it back? SENIOR EDITOR AND CHIEF CORRESPONDENT Kevin Clarke Biscayne home—what would become Such is the logic of demagogues, EDITOR AT LARGE James Martin, S.J. Nixon’s Southern White House. which would be as laughable as EXECUTIVE EDITOR, AMERICA FIlmS My favorite story about the Smather’s Redneck Speech if it weren’t Jeremy Zipple, S.J. otherwise nondescript Mr. Smathers for the fact that in the current political POETRY EDITOR Joseph Hoover, S.J. -
Religion and Violence
Religion and Violence Edited by John L. Esposito Printed Edition of the Special Issue Published in Religions www.mdpi.com/journal/religions John L. Esposito (Ed.) Religion and Violence This book is a reprint of the special issue that appeared in the online open access journal Religions (ISSN 2077-1444) in 2015 (available at: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/religions/special_issues/ReligionViolence). Guest Editor John L. Esposito Georgetown University Washington Editorial Office MDPI AG Klybeckstrasse 64 Basel, Switzerland Publisher Shu-Kun Lin Assistant Editor Jie Gu 1. Edition 2016 MDPI • Basel • Beijing • Wuhan ISBN 978-3-03842-143-6 (Hbk) ISBN 978-3-03842-144-3 (PDF) © 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. All articles in this volume are Open Access distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution license (CC-BY), which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles even for commercial purposes, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. However, the dissemination and distribution of physical copies of this book as a whole is restricted to MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. III Table of Contents List of Contributors ............................................................................................................... V Preface ............................................................................................................................... VII Jocelyne Cesari Religion and Politics: What Does God Have To Do with It? Reprinted from: Religions 2015, 6(4), 1330-1344 http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/6/4/1330 ............................................................................ 1 Mark LeVine When Art Is the Weapon: Culture and Resistance Confronting Violence in the Post-Uprisings Arab World Reprinted from: Religions 2015, 6(4), 1277-1313 http://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/6/4/1277 ......................................................................... -
Waves of Modern Terrorism: Examining the Past and Predicting the Future
WAVES OF MODERN TERRORISM: EXAMINING THE PAST AND PREDICTING THE FUTURE A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of The School of Continuing Studies and of The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Liberal Studies By Erin Walls, B.A. Georgetown University Washington, D.C. April 5, 2017 WAVES OF MODERN TERRORISM: EXAMINING THE PAST AND PREDICTING THE FUTURE Erin Walls, B.A. Mentor: Joseph Smaldone, Ph.D. ABSTRACT David C. Rapoport’s “The Four Waves of Modern Terrorism,” is one of the most influential and widely debated theories in the field of terrorism studies. Following the terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001, Rapoport created his theoretical framework for modern terrorism by grouping previously indistinguishable patterns of political violence into four distinct waves, each lasting a generation and inspired by ideologies derived from anarchism, anti-colonialism, socialism, and religious fundamentalism. Since 1979 the world has existed within the fourth “Religious” wave that will dissipate by 2025 if the generational life cycle remains constant. Rapoport’s model will serve as the foundational source for this thesis. It will discuss the importance of the wave model and how it can be useful in counterterrorism efforts. Rapoport argues that academics and governments unduly focus on specific organizations and contemporary events, which make us less sensitive to generational patterns. Individual terrorist organizations will have specific defining features but understanding overarching global and generational patterns in real time can help shape thinking on the most effective ways to combat terrorism. -
THE ROLE of RELIGION in CONFLICT and PEACE- BUILDING the British Academy Is the UK’S Independent National Academy Representing the Humanities and Social Sciences
THE ROLE OF RELIGION IN CONFLICT AND PEACE- BUILDING The British Academy is the UK’s independent national academy representing the humanities and social sciences. For over a century it has supported and celebrated the best in UK and international research and helped connect the expertise of those working in these disciplines with the wider public. The Academy supports innovative research and outstanding people, informs policy and seeks to raise the level of public engagement with some of the biggest issues of our time, through policy reports, publications and public events. The Academy represents the UK’s research excellence worldwide in a fast changing global environment. It promotes UK research in international arenas, fosters a global approach across UK research, and provides leadership in developing global links and expertise. www.britishacademy.ac.uk The Role of Religion in Conflict and Peacebuilding September 2015 THE BRITISH ACADEMY 10 –11 Carlton House Terrace London SW1Y 5AH www.britiahacademy.ac.uk Registered Charity: Number 233176 © The British Academy 2015 Published September 2015 ISBN 978-0-85672-618-7 Designed by Soapbox, www.soapbox.co.uk Printed by Team Contents Acknowledgements iv Abbreviations v About the authors vi Executive summary 1 1. Introduction 3 2. Definitions 5 3. Methodology 11 4. Literature review 14 5. Case study I: Religion and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict 46 6. Case study II: Mali 57 7. Case study III: Bosnia and Herzegovina 64 8. Conclusions 70 9. Recommendations for policymakers and future research 73 10. Bibliography 75 Acknowledgements The authors are grateful to Leonie Fleischmann and Vladimir Kmec for their assistance in the preparation of this report and to Philip Lewis, Desislava Stoitchkova and Natasha Bevan in the British Academy’s international policy team. -
PERSPECTIVES on TERRORISM Volume 9, Issue 5
ISSN 2334-3745 Volume IX, Issue 5 October 2015 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 9, Issue 5 Table of Contents Welcome from the Editor 1 I. Articles Radicalisation to Terrorism in Kenya and Uganda: a Political Socialisation Perspective 2 by Anneli Botha Countering the (Re-) Production of Militancy in Indonesia: between Coercion and Persuasion 15 by Paul J. Carnegie Globalisation and Terrorism in the Middle East 27 by Brenda J. Lutz and James M. Lutz II. Research Notes Lost Souls Searching for Answers? Belgian and Dutch Converts Joining the Islamic State 47 by Marion van San Designing and Applying an ‘Extremist Media Index’ 57 by Donald Holbrook III. Policy Brief The Afghan Insurgency and the Uncertainty of Peace Negotiations 69 by Kambaiz Rafi IV. Resources Bibliography: Muslims and the West 73 Compiled and selected by Judith Tinnes V. Book Reviews Anne Speckhard. Bride of ISIS: One Young Woman’s Path into Homegrown Terrorism. 109 Reviewed by Anita Perešin Counterterrorism Bookshelf: 16 Books on Terrorism & Counter-Terrorism-Related Subjects 111 Reviewed by Joshua Sinai ISSN 2334-3745 i October 2015 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 9, Issue 5 V. Notes from the Editor Announcement: Dr. Anneli Botha: Winner of the Best Ph.D. Thesis 2014 Award 118 About Perspectives on Terrorism 120 ISSN 2334-3745 ii October 2015 PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 9, Issue 5 Welcome from the Editor Dear Reader, We are pleased to announce the publication of the October 2015 issue (PT IX 5) of Perspectives on Terrorism at: < www.terrorismanalysts.com >. Now approaching its 10th year of publication, our journal has 5,600 e-mail subscribers and many more website visitors (287,483 in 2014), making it probably the most widely read journal in the field of terrorism- and counter-terrorism studies. -
YEARBOOK-2001.Pdf
ISSN 1392-9321 © Institute of International Relations and Political Science Vilnius University, 2002 CONTENTS PREFACE ...................................................................................................7 TERRORISM AS A CHALLENGE TO THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD Asta Maskoliûnaitë. Definition of Terrorism: Problems and Approaches .................................................................................. 11 Egdûnas Raèius. Sacred Violence: in Search for Justification of Violence in the Holy Texts ............................................................ 26 POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY AND THEORY Alvydas Jokubaitis. Postmodernism and Politics ...................................... 43 Zenonas Norkus. Academic Science and Democracy ............................... 53 PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS Vitalis Nakroðis, Ramûnas Vilpiðauskas. Implementation of Public Policy in Lithuania: Europeanization through the “Weakest Link” ............. 93 Haroldas Broþaitis. Dismantling Political-Administration Nexus in Lithuania ........................................................................... 113 INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND EURO-ATLANTIC INTEGRATION PROCESS Èeslovas Laurinavièius, Raimundas Lopata, Vladas Sirutavièius. Military Transit of the Russian Federation through the territory of the Republic of Lithuania....................................................................... 131 Klaudijus Maniokas. Concept of Europeanisation and its Place in the Theories of the European Integration .................................. -
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Terror in the Name of God
Article 83 Terror in the Name of God MARK JUERGENSMEYER Perhaps the first question that came to mind on Septem- struggle that every religion has within its repository of sym- ber 11 when the horrific images of the aerial assaults on the bols: the fight between good and bad, truth and evil. In this World Trade Center and the Pentagon were conveyed sense, the attack on the World Trade Center was very reli- around the world was: Why would anyone want to do such gious. It was meant to be catastrophic, an act of biblical a thing? As the twin towers crumbled in clouds of dust and proportions. the identities and motives of the perpetrators began to What is striking about the World Trade Center assault emerge, a second question arose: Why would anyone want and many other recent acts of religious terrorism is that they to do such a thing in the name of God? have no obvious military goal. These are acts meant for These are the questions that have arisen frequently in the television. They are a kind of perverse performance of post–cold war world. Religion seems to be connected with power meant to ennoble the perpetrators’ views of the violence everywhere—from the World Trade Center bomb- world and to draw us into their notions of cosmic war. ings to suicide attacks in Israel and the Palestinian Author- The recent attacks in New York City and Washington, ity; assassinations in India, Israel, Egypt, and Algeria; nerve D.C.—although unusual in the scale of the assault—are re- gas in Tokyo subways; unending battles in Northern Ire- markably similar to many other acts of religious terrorism land; abortion-clinic killings in Florida; and the bombing of around the world. -
Critical Reflection on the Explanation of Western Homegrown Religious Terrorism (Part II) by Lorne Dawson
PERSPECTIVES ON TERRORISM Volume 15, Issue 2 Bringing Religiosity Back In: Critical Reflection on the Explanation of Western Homegrown Religious Terrorism (Part II) By Lorne Dawson Abstract An unusual feature of the social scientific study of religious terrorism is the erasure of religiosity as a significant motivational factor. This article delineates and criticizes the presence of this peculiar interpretive preference, demonstrating that it is methodologically unsound and theoretically and empirically unhelpful. In Part I of the article, published by the same author under the same title in the February 2021 issue of Perspectives on Terrorism, the foundations of the critique were established. In this article, Part II, three types of arguments commonly used to minimize the role of religiosity in motivating religious terrorism are examined. These arguments are identified by the primary interpretive errors they rely on. Some arguments (1) mistakenly treat the religious background and knowledge of homegrown jihadists as a sound indicator of their religiosity; others (2) inappropriately apply a modern Western normative conception of religion to homegrown jihadists; and some arguments (3) rely on an overly dichotomized conception of the relationship of social processes and ideology in the process of radicalization. The critique argues the need to develop a more refined conception of the role of ideology, and more specifically religiosity, in the determination of the actions of religious terrorists. Keywords: Al-Qaeda, extremism, ideology, Islamic State (IS), jihadism, radicalization, religion, religious terrorism, salafism Introduction Is the primary motivation for religious terrorism political or religious? This issue continues to be a source of controversy in the study of religious terrorism. -
Peace and Violence in the Qu'ran
UNDERGRADUATE COURSE SPRING 2011 PEACE AND VIOLENCE IN THE QUR’AN (REL 255) CLASSROOM: DEMAREST 117A TIME: MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, AND FRIDAY AT 10:10-11:05AM CONTACT INFORMATION Instructor: Shalahudin Kafrawi Office: Demarest 202; Phone: (315) 781-3833; E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 12:00-2:00 PM; or by appointment CONTENTS This course explores Qur’anic view on peace and violence. It discusses Qur’anic views regarding the meaning of Islam and Qur’anic treatment of various forms of peace including liberation, justice, equality, submission, freedom, and tolerance, as well as those of violence including war, self-defense, killing, suicide, sacrifice, and punishment. To appreciate the meaning of Qur’anic verses on these issues, the course pays attention to the horizon of the questions focusing on their specific circumstances. Throughout the semester, the class discusses questions on Qur’anic support for peace and violence: Does the Qur’an support peace or violence? How is peace to be achieved in a Qur’anic worldview? What kinds of violence does the Qur’an allow or disallow to take place? Since Qur’anic verses seem to suggest both peace and violence, to what extent does the Qur’an promote peace and to what extent does it allow violence? Does the Qur’an promote peace/violence as an end or as a means? What are the historical circumstances that students of the Qur’an should know in order to better understand the meaning of Qur’anic verses regarding peace and violence? COURSE OBJECTIVES At the end of the semester, students are expected to be able to: understand the historical circumstances of Qur’anic teachings about peace and violence; identify Qur’anic verses that promote peace and those that encourage violence; have a comparative glance at peace and violence in the Qur’an with those in other scriptures; express agreement or disagreement in on the interpretations regarding Qur’anic stance on peace and violence with solid arguments from Qur’anic verses and their historical contexts.