Exercising Influence
Terror as a Tool for the Religious Extremist
What kind of people would take their own lives to perpetrate acts of terror? Are they insane or simply evil? The fact is they are neither. Terrorists are rational, deliberate and know exactly what they are doing and what their purpose is. Additionally, terrorism is not intrinsically religious by definition. Regardless of motivation or reason, terrorism is simply a method of changing behavior through fear.
Terrorists are not generally driven by personal desires or ambitions. The psychological effect, not the victim, is the target as terrorist acts are directed at political adversaries not individuals. These themes hold true for all flavors of terrorism but hold true with religious terror in particular. The death of the innocent is rarely the motivation. The motivation is the resulting societal change.
Violence in the Name of God - No Matter Which GodViolence in the name of God is not exclusive to one religion or sect. Despite its recent prevalence, Islamic terror is not the only existing example. Christian groups are not above this method of influence. Many oft cited sources of Christian terrorism are closely tied to racist doctrine and promotion of white supremacy - most notably the Ku Klux Klan. Also worth noting is the group Army of God who are known recently to be a group connected with anti-abortion terror.
For the fundamentalist, sacred scripture is considered the authentic and literal word of their god or gods. There are two primary truths that fundamentalists own. The first is that their god has articulated his will precisely to prophets and the second is that followers also have a reliable and perfect record of that prophecy. In this case, since the scripture is the word of god, zealots believe that no person can disagree with or change it.
The Literal Word of God - A Perfectly Articulated Prophecy
Extreme religious interpretations of the Quran and the movement of Islamic revivalism have influenced the emergence and growth of violent jihadist movements. Islamic "terrorists" are able to legitimize the movement as an act of Jihad permitted by the Quran, essentially because of religious sanctions that permit the use of violence as an act of defense and a preservation of the will of Allah. According to extreme jihadist doctrine, Muslims can interpret and determine the extent of their Islamic practices as long as they are directed towards that purpose.
As the influence of religious fundamentalists increases politically, the question of how to conceive law and order, or society itself without employing repression becomes critical. The current rhetoric of the U.S. government in opposition to terrorism employs the ideals of absolute good and absolute evil as does the rhetoric of those opposed. More succinctly, each opposing side believes the other to be evil. The religious extremists share the unquestioned belief in Good vs. Evil and that God is on their side. They see themselves on the side of purity and goodness fighting against impurity and corruption - the holy against the heathens.
Many Different Creeds but Only One GoalIt is a mistake to dismiss religious terrorists simply as insane. For better or worse, there are distinct lines that can be drawn from religious terrorists to all sects and denominations. The creed may vary but the motivation is the same - to exercise influence and exact societal change. Understanding this concept is critical to combating acts of religious terror. The goal is not to destroy the most human life and property. The goal is to maximize the feeling of terror that results from the loss of human life and property. Success for a terrorist is not maximum casualties; it is maximum fear as fear is a great motivator for change.
Sources:
Appleby, R. Scott et al. Strong Religion. Chicago: Chicago University Press, 2003.
Garrison, Arthur H. "Defining Terrorism: Philosophy of the Bomb, Propaganda by Deed and Change through Fear and Violence." Criminal Justice Studies. 17(2004): 259-279.
Oliver, Kelly. "The Good Infection." Parallax: July-Sept 2005, Vil. 11 Issue 3 pg 87-99.
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