History of Terrorism and Religion
One point that is not highly contested is that terrorism is not new, but it has, for long, been a method of violent techniques by individuals and organizations that aimed to achieve some political goals. People from all walks of life agree that terrorism is not new. Terrorism has evolved considerably over the years. In some instances, terrorism has abandoned the traditional characteristics that defined it. It is believed that what people call terrorism today began some 2000 years ago. Terrorism has increased in such an intensity that it is considered a challenge that can only be managed but not solved.
Religion has played a crucial role in the expansion of terrorism which results from their attempts, to expand, the desire to conquer or the aspiration to dominate other religions[1]. However, some of the principles that are applied by some religions to support violence do not imply that there should be ferocity, but they are taken out of context. Most of the messages in the holy books advocated for peace, but a few have worrisome undertone[2]. Most of the perpetrators of violence use the justification from the holy books to vindicate their activities. Terror activities in religion sprouts from brainwashing by making the followers believe that there is an eternal reward they will receive if they kill people who do not subscribe to their faith. This manipulation in religion is the one that should be blamed for misleading the follower into acts of violence.[3] Almost all religions in the world have had some form of conflict and violence, which can be seen as the earliest form of terrorism.
This essay endeavours to look at the history of terrorism and its connection with religious beliefs.
Connection Between Terrorism and Religion
The term terrorism denotes the use of violence or the use of threats to invoke fear, intimidate or coerce an individual, a group of persons, or the entire nation to the demands of the perpetrators of such acts. The term terrorism has its roots in the fear that is caused to people who are subjected to the threats[4]. The primary strategy that is used by terrorists is the deliberate targeting or disregarding the safety of other people especially the innocent in the society[5]. Most of the time, the terrorist will target the defenceless and will rarely confront the armed forces. Some of the objectives of terrorism include reprisal or destabilization of an existing government or devastation of the economy[6]. Terrorism is perpetrated for various reasons, such as political, religious, and ideological terrorism. The term terrorism has wrongly been used in society to implying freedom, independence, disenchantment, adventurism, preservation, and self-assertion. However, one of the roots of terrorism can be attributed to the diverse religions that exist in the society with different teachings.
Religious groups perpetrate terrorism in an organized manner, some with very sophisticated networks or cells. In some cases, terrorism is perpetrated by religious groups that function randomly to stage attacks or victimize people. Religious terrorism can also be perpetrated by individuals who act alone and who are motivated by the ideologies that exist. The ideologies may include religious beliefs, race, colour, or xenophobia[7]. Such an individual will perpetrate terror activities to inflict physical and psychological pain to the victims. The violence they commit to society leaves people with pain and loss of both lives and property. A good example of single individuals who perpetrated terrorism is the lone Norwegian terrorist, Anders Behring, who carried out the attack on July 22, 2011, and killed more than 77 people and left 320 injured. The terror activity was conducted in the Oslo region of Norway. Another example of a lone individual who committed an act of terror is Christchurch attacker in New Zealand who stormed a mosque and killed 49 Muslims[8]. The attacker was against the Muslims and viewed the community as the perpetrators of violence in society. The examples above show that even a single individual may be propelled by their ideologies to commit acts of terror in society. In some cases, the individual attackers do this will the aim of creating a name of themselves. For example, Anders Behring had a significant impact on Norwegians, and almost one in four Norwegians knew his name.
Religious terrorism denotes the violence or threats that are associated with religions or those that the perpetrators commit in the name of religious beliefs. It is based on beliefs that the religious supreme being or deity has authorized it, and this belief cannot be compromised. The people who commit such violence believe that they will get an eternal reward for committing such acts.
The common denominator in religious terrorism is that it based on the interpretation of religious beliefs. Most of these are interpreted by extremists in the religion and use such teachings to justify their terrorist activities. This means that religious terrorism can sprout from any religion. For example, terrorism may arise from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, and Muslims. Religious terrorism has existed for an extended period and, at times, has been used as a defensive tool and also a strategy to conquer and dominate a certain area or religion. Sometimes, some governments, especially in countries that apply religious laws, may use such teaching to perpetrate terrorism. Therefore, religion can be seen both as the root cause of terrorism and also an instrument through which terrorism is perpetrated. Most of the perpetrators of terrorism will come in the name of religion so that they can earn the sympathy of the followers of the religion.
Different religions will have diverse ways through which they teach their followers to maintain peace. The message that the religions teach their adherent are meant for their missionary work or maturation, and in most of the cases, the followers will justify their actions based on the teachings of the religions[9]. There are so many religions in the world, but some of the notable ones that have been linked with terrorism include African traditions, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, and Islam.
African Traditions and Terrorism
Terrorism in African traditions can be traced as early as the 15th century. African tradition was a system of beliefs that prevailed among Africans. The religion was focused on the security and the wellbeing of the people. In this religion, there was a belief in both the physical and the and the spiritual world. There were also spiritual beings who were to be honoured and respected. It was a polytheistic religion where there was a supreme deity who was thought to collaborate with other gods who were responsible for other departments in issues that affected humanity. One of the keys beliefs in this religion was the offering of human sacrifice.
This was done at the request of gods so that they could avert particular calamities that faced humanity. Human sacrifice was also offered to attain some needs of the society, or for some members. For the society to acquire peace and serenity, human beings were killed, and their families were left in anguish. For example, before the arrival of the missionaries, twins were often abducted to the forest and murdered because they were considered to be an abomination. The arrival of the twins in a family brought terror because they would be kidnapped and killed. The mothers of the twins were terrorized because they were considered to be the source of the evil that befall society. In some cases, the mothers were regarded as a curse to the community, and therefore they were driven out of the society. The mothers of twins were subjected to conditions that were dehumanizing and were left to die in forests. This was a mild form of terrorism where the society through its beliefs terrorized mothers who gave births to twins[10].
Buddhism and Terrorism
Terrorism in this religion can also be traced in the 15th and 16th centuries. Buddhism is a monotheist religion that was started by the awakened one, Siddhartha Gautama. This region teaches that arousal of life is accomplished by being helpful to sentient beings to overcome their suffering by avoiding ignorance. This religion is mostly found in Asia, but gradually, it is spreading to other parts of the world. Generally, this religion preaches peace and pacifism, but over the cause of history, there are instances when violence has erupted. The violence emanated from individuals who were motivated by their beliefs. There are cases on record of self-flagellation as a religious ritual, war, suicide, and torture in this religion. For example, a Buddhist monk in Thailand in 1970 stated that a person who killed a communist did not break the Buddhist faith, and therefore the killing was justified. Buddhist monks have been known to use the “969” as a way of promoting anti-Islamic tendencies. This has mostly been the case in Myanmar, where Buddhists have been persecuting Muslims.
The history of Buddhism and terrorism began as early as 15th centuries during the “Ikko-Ikki” uprising that occurred in Japan in the 15th and 16th centuries. Buddhist were encouraged to use the slogan “the mercy that Buddha has shown should be recomposed even by pounding flesh to pieces”[11]. This meant that the duty to the teacher should be recompensed even by smashing bones to bits. The Ikko-Ikki was a mass movement of the Buddhists, which gained momentum and became powerful in the 15th century. The Buddhists appeared to occupy the lowest position in Japanese society and therefore resulted in amassing power through military campaigns. The word Ikko means devoted, focused, or single-minded. This meant that they were committed to following their supreme being, Amida, who is the highest Buddha whom they thought would welcome them to paradise when they died. They were fanatical in their belief where they just welcomed masses, without any form of meditation or follow any other intellectual path to salvation[12]. The monks were also not required to be celibate, and they had the freedom to engage with the material world, and they could interact freely with the people.
Ikko, on the other hand, means league and sometimes can also be used to mean riot or mob. It was through the riots that were staged by the group that it gained recognition. Having been influenced by a belief that paradise was waiting for them, the monks who were warriors were fearless, and they were instrumental in being available servants when called for duty. When engaging in battle, the group would often use mass chanting of the name “Nembutsu” to invoke fear in the camp of the enemies as well as motivating the warriors to be brave. In 1488, the Ikko-Ikki rebellion rose and seized the control of Kaga province, a region in Japan, and started to spread to other areas around Kyoto. By 1570, the group had two main bases, and it was able to control the politics of the japan. The first base was in the fortress of Nagashima and the second in the cathedral of Ishiama Hoganji[13]. The group guarded these bases with a lot of zeal so that it could maintain its position in society. This group was later destroyed in 1580 after a long and bloody campaign. Even though this group was defeated, it had carried several attacks and terror activities in the country to the extent of gaining the political control of the country.
Terrorism by Buddhism has continued to the present age as depicted by the current Rohingya crisis, where there is strife between two religions, Islam and Buddhism of Burma. This occurred in Myanmar’s province of Rakhine, where Muslims have been subject to intense suffering in the hands of the government and their fellow countrymen. About 25,000 Muslims have tried to escape the subjugation by the use of a boat. The core issue under the Rohingya crisis is the religious tension between the two faiths. It is a war that has been fought based on two different principles. Generally, Buddhism has been known to be a peaceful religion until recently, when there has been an upsurge of violence in areas where they occupy.
For example, in Sri Lanka, the conflict between the Tamils Hindus and the Buddhists ended in gratuitous murder where thousands of Tamils were killed. The conflict lasted for almost thirty-two years. In the southern parts of Thailand, the government that is dominated by Buddhists has been suppressing Muslims in the area, by calling for the separation of Muslims. The Buddhist religion believes that people should live in peace, and so it came as a massive shock that they were involved in the Rohingya crisis. However, the answer to the rebellion that has been witnessed in Rohingya can be explained in several ways. One of the ways is that the Buddhism religion has been politicized, and this has made the follower advance political moves[14]. The politicization, in this case, has been due to the issue of nationalism where they want to protect their own country, and also it is as a result of wanting to maintain their identity. This has made the religion to organize some groups to fight other groups so that it can achieve some political end. Buddhists have been mobilized to rise against the unsympathetic state and the minority in their midst whom they do not consider to be part of them[15]. Another way is that the secularization of India, the origin of the religion, has led to the worsening of the problem, and this has threatened the precarious peace among different communities that hold different faiths. To them, the secularization of the state is a detrimental move, which means the aversion of religion. This has raised their anger, and this has been contributed to the increase in terror activities that are they commit to maintain their identity.
Hinduism: The Thugees
This was a religious group that originated in India. The word means concealment, and it was made of professional assassins. At times this grouped described itself with the first name mafia. This was the manifestation of terrorism from the Hindu community that started their operations in 13 to 19th century[16]. This group was infamous for its weird ritualistic assassinations that were carried out in honour of the Hindu goddess, called Kali. They were known as thugs, which is a word that passed to English during the British occupation of India. This group operated by joining travellers and later surprising them during the night. They ensured that they gained the trust of the travellers, and during the journey, they surprised them by straggling them using a nose or, in some cases, handkerchiefs. This method was effective for them since it was quick, quiet, and left no blood in the scene of the crime. It was affordable for them since they did not need any form of special weapon to carry out their heinous acts. After killing the victims, they would steal from them and later bury them carefully.
This was one of the earliest groups that had the best form of organization, coordination, and teamwork, especially during the process of infiltration and the attack. Each of the team members of the gang had a special role that they wore supposed to execute without fail. Some of the team members were required to lure travellers with sweet words. Others were supposed to be on the lookout while some were supposed to kill. Its activities were in such a massive magnitude that it got recognition in the Guinness book of record where the group was responsible for killing more than two million people. However, this estimation varies widely since there was no official recording that was being carried out during that time.
The group was first declared as thugs as opposed to ordinary thieves in around 1356. The Hindus obeyed their goddess of destruction and renewal, kali, and this was regarded as the basis upon which the group operated[17]. It believed that by killing and stealing from the people, it was helping Kali to maintain a balance of good and evil in society. However, this belief of faith was not very different from what the Hindus believe. At some point, this group of thugs was joined by some Muslims, which made it even more fierce.
The available evidence shows that the Thugees were united by a common purpose, superstitions, and rituals that made the group be termed a cult. This group had initiated its language that is used to pass messages among the members by using jargon such as Ramasi. They also supplemented their language by signs that they used to recognize the members of the group who operated in other remote areas of India. This group was also guided by some rules which the members wore supposed to adhere to strictly, such as not stealing from a person without killing them first. They were not to kill the Brahmas, whom they considered to be pure while the sick were spared since they were regarded to be the incarnation of their goddess Kali.
This group carried out terrorist activities for so long because the membership was through hereditary lines, which was passed down from parents to their children, especially the sons. There was the recruitment that occurred, and the recruits were trained so that they could align with the other members that operated in other parts of India[18]. In some cases, the children of the people who were killed by the thugs were trained to become thugs. Furthermore, the group used the children as camouflage since the presence of children, in any event, helped eliminate any form of suspicion.
The group continued with its activities until 1830 when it was oppressed by the British after the implementation of the Thugees and Dacoit suppression act. The act stated that any person who would be proved to belong to the group either before or after the act would be imprisoned for life with hard labour. The group had been in operation for over six centuries, but finally, it came to an end. The magnitude of the activities that they committed made the group to be recognized to date. The group, however, employed most of the tactics that are used by modern terror groups.
Christianity and Terrorism
Christianity is another monotheistic religion that is founded on the teachings of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Christians believed that Jesus is the son of God and was sent on earth to come and save humanity and that there is nowhere else a person gets salvation apart from Him. Christianity is a religion of peace that preaches that people should live together in harmony. Some scriptures encourage believers not to revenge after an attack. Equally, some scriptures may be interpreted to allow Christians engage in violence, such as an “eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot and wound for wound”[19]. This passage can be used to exacerbate violence, where the measure of evil should be returned equally to the person who did wrong. If people can take such a passage independently, they are likely to engage in violence, which will be supported by the Bible. In terms of terrorism, Christians have mainly been recipients of violence in society. As a result, most of them have suffered from marginalization, and a significant number have lost their lives in the persecutions.
However, in 312 CE, emperor Constantine made Christianity the religion of the state, and thus the state-protected it. This made the religion to survive and expand to other parts of the world. During this period, Christians committed many acts of violence, especially to the people who failed to convert to the religion or those who abandoned the faith. They wanted to compel them to convert to Christianity by force, which resulted in a lot of violence. Furthermore, the crusaders during this time used violence in trying to get the land they had lost back in early and late ages.
During the 16th century, there was massive violence that was witnessed by Christians during the protestant reformation, which was a war between different groups of people who confessed the Christian faith. There was the use of force during the protests as a way of fighting against the heresies that were being propagated at the time. These acts of violence were motivated by religious convictions, which encouraged them to fight and victimize other people. Some of the people, such as St. Augustine, who is attributed to the just war theory, tried to justify the war and the violence that occurred at the time. Even though the foundation of Christianity teaches that differences should be resolved amicably, this did not happen depending on the context of the time and can be classified in the category of terrorism. After the protestant movement war, there has not been much violence that has been witnessed by Christians. The followers have been taught the need to maintaining peace and treat everybody as a brother or a sister, even if they do not subscribe to the Christian faith.
Judaism and Terrorism
Judaism is also another monotheistic religion. It is the faith in which the beliefs and the traditions of the Jewish people are enshrined. This religion represents the Jewish people, the people who are chosen by God in an exclusive agreement. In the covenant between the Jewish people and God, there is an interrelationship between the land and faithfulness, and they are supposed to guard their territories. They are expected to have a belief in the sanctity of life, and they are also commanded to have respect for their lives. This religion has precepts that advocated for respect of life and requiring that a person who kills another be killed in the same way in the “tit for tat” commandment. However, there are several instances in their faith, where they have been involved in violence.
One of the activities that have been attributed to violence is that of Sicari, which culminated in people being killed with a knife as a result of protesting against the Roman empire. Additionally, the desire by Zionist to overcome their enemies and the claim they lay to the historical land of Israel has been used by Zionist militants in the 21st century[20]. They have used the Zionist movement to secure their land from enemies who surround them. This movement has been perceived to be ill-motivated by the Palestinians who have interpreted its activities to be ethno-territorial and ethnocentric[21]. The Palestinians have stated that the methods that are used by this movement in their combat movement are meant to ignore, isolate, dispose, evict, and ultimately exterminate the people who do not follow the religion. Even though the group has been claiming its action are a response to provocation from the Palestinians it has been observed to cause massive destruction and killing of the Palestinians as it focuses on securing its territories[22]. The Zionist movement was also experienced in other parts of the world, such as in Morocco and Algeria.
Muslim and Terrorism
Islam is another monotheistic religion that can be found in the context of Judaism and Christianity. Fundamentally, the teaching of the Muslim faith is based on peace and reconciliation. However, their belief in confronting their opponents has been seen to be inconsistent with the teachings. This religion owes its existence to prophet Mohammed who is believed to have received the perfect instructions from Allah[23]. The instructions that Mohammed received were to be respected by every human being. According to the teaching of Islam, Muslims are supposed to respect Christianity and Judaism and to maintain peace and reconciliation with them. They believe they are entitled to receive a reward after they follow the instructions given to them.
According to the teaching of the Muslims, there should be no denunciation of the faith, and any person who does that is to be punished. Furthermore, it places a charge on every Muslim to protect the cause of Allah at all cost[24]. However, the adherents are cautioned against violence. They are admonished to fight those who fight Allah, but they should not aggress beyond the limit. Therefore, from the statement above, it is clear that the Muslims are allowed to fight the aggressors, the adversaries of the Muslim faith, those who fight the Muslims and those who damage their activities. Additionally, the Quran teaches them that when they are engaged in the fight, they should be courageous because Allah will be there for their support. Therefore, they will not be defeated at any cost. Muslims believe that the ones who die in the cause of the jihad, holy war, will be considered martyrs, and they have their eternal reward reserved for them[25]. Allah teaches that those who die while fighting for Allah, should not be considered dead, because they are resting with their maker.
There are various ways through which Muslims fight for the cause of Allah. One of them is fighting the jihad, which they have to fight by the sword, tongue, heart, and hand. This gives the Muslims the express authority to use violence against the people who have not harkened to their call. The resistance that is staged by the Muslims can be divided into many forms, including protecting the frontiers, fighting the apostate, secessionist, those who disregard the public security, and those who fail to pay the capital tax. Furthermore, the terrorism that is propagated by the Muslims is also motivated by the political gains where they kill others so that they can achieve some political objectives.
The Legality of the Jihad
The jihadist ideology is often viewed as typical and radical, but indeed, the doctrine of jihad military is not foreign or new to the Muslim faith. The debate that has taken place concerning the jihad is not about the principles but how they are applied in the actual behaviour. Muslims acknowledge that there exist the jihad that gives them the authority to kill other people who do not accept Muslims faith[26]. Therefore, jihad is legal since it has been allowed by the Muslim faith. According to the Muslims, the laws that are given for them to follow are immutable. Therefore, it is the duty of the followers to apply them daily. Islam, just like other religions, has rules that govern the way they carry themselves. According to the Quran, the followers will be judged on the sins of omission, where a person failed to be involved in the jihad or through commission when they will be judged for doing that is which is forbidden. According to the Quran, the jihad is a personal duty which should be executed by all people no matter their position[27].
The Assassins
This was one of the elite groups of Muslims that were engaged in terrorism. This group was active between the eleventh and thirtieth century. It operated between 1090 and 1270 in some parts of Iran and Levant. This group has been recognized for its assassinations more than anything else.[28] It was involved in killing prominent personalities who were often Muslims, but in some cases, it also assassinated non-Muslims. The action of killing was done in a suicidal manner because they perpetrators of the crime knew that they would not return from their mission upon killing. The assassins were made to believe that the process of death through assassination was short, less painful, and guaranteed them entry into paradise.
During the time this group operated, there was widespread fear in the region and other parts of the world. A German priest, Brocardus, named the group “assassin” when explaining its activities to the king of France, asking him to be very careful of a secret group that was carrying out assassinations. He described the group a being thirsty for human blood, skillful, ruthless, and competent killers, and they suffered death immediately they were recognized. The fear was everywhere since the assassin could strike anywhere, either in the Muslims or the Christian world. One of the leaders of the assassin initiated a mission that was meant to kill the king of France, King Louis IX, but he soon sent another message to tell the person on a mission not to execute the order. This is a demonstration of how this group was powerful in its mission. Their attacks were never expected, and therefore they found people off guard.
Furthermore, the fear was all over the place because no one knew when and where the group would strike. This group operated through the doctrine of the Ismaili. They believed that the orders that were given by the imam are god inspired and hence was to be obeyed and executed without questioning because there was no room for error[29]. The leaders of the group, such as Hassan ibn Sabbah, who was the most powerful leader of the group, capitalized on this doctrine to make his followers slaves. He addressed them as fidais (self-sacrificers), a name that has been adopted by the modern terror groups[30]. It was surprising that Sabbah never ran short of people who were willing to give their lives for the sake of the eternal reward that was promised. Like the modern terror groups, the assassins used to ask for ransom from people in political positions. However, the group differed from the contemporary terror groups because it did not hold people in custody. It just alerted individuals that they had high chances of being killed, but if they gave the ransoms, they would be spared. This group thrived due to brainwashing and had many similarities with contemporary terrorism.
Weltanschauung of Radical Islam
The assassin was followed by weltanschauung of radical Islam. Muslims have been involved in terrorism for an extended period. One of the earliest groups of terrorism from the Muslims was the weltanschauung of radical Islam. This was a terrorist group that started its operations in the 20th century and is seen as the offshoot of modern terrorism. This group emerged in the Arab world and India due to the dismal state of the Muslim communities in those countries. Some of the things that motivated the group to rise were the changes in the society, such as oppression, social injustices, rejection of their traditions, infiltration, and acceptance of foreign culture[31]. The group noted that the modern Muslims have strayed from their original path, and therefore every Muslims has an obligation of returning to their original teachings
The belief of this group was further underlaid by the ahistorical dichotomist, which is based on the prophet Mohamed and the events of his time. According to the group, there are two groups of people, Dar Al-Islam, which is the house of Islam, and the countries that use the sharia law and the Dar al-Harb, which is the house of war. The second group is also composed of the countries that do not apply the sharia law in their administration. The Muslims have to wage war with the latter house until it gains the final victory. The group has used this view to propagate their terrorist activities. Their activities were meant to awaken the Muslim faith and were often motivated by the need to eliminate the west who were occupying their territories. They believed that western superiority could be traced from the failure to follows the laws that were given by the prophet Mohammed. Therefore, they noted that the solution to the society is to re-Islamize. This group was involved in the fighting of the infidel, who had denounced and deviate from the Muslim faith.
Al Qaida Terror Group
Al-Qaida was one of the transnational groups that sprouted from the Muslim world. The group was founded in the year 1988 by Osama Bin Laden and Abdullah Azzam and other volunteers who were willing to be involved in terror activities[32]. The group was formed during the Soviet-Afghan war, where the Soviet Union gave support to the communist Afghan government, and this motivated the Muslim insurgents who called themselves Mujahideen to fight the jihad war against the invaders. The group was assigned weapons and the money they needed to fight by Osama Bin Laden. When the Soviet Union withdrew from the war in Afghanistan, the group was officially formed so that it could take over the future holy war. The group intended to take the sacred war globally. However, the group weakened and was later succeeded by ISIS.
ISIS Terror Group
The assassin and the weltanschauung of radical Islam gave rise to the existence of modern terror groups such as ISIS. This is a Sunni jihadist that has a violent ideology and calls itself the caliphate and claims that it has authority over the other Muslims. It was initiated by al-Qaida to take on jihad in the Middle East. The group has been able to carry out terrorist activities in the region and oversee and has widely been responsible for using social media to recruit and raise funds that will enable it to continue with its activities. The group has mainly benefited from the instability in the middles east, and it has been successful than its predecessor, the al-Qaida, because it has been able to draw Americans to its cause.
Taliban
Taliban was another Muslim terror group that called itself Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. It was composed of Islamic fundamentalists, and it was a political and military movement in Afghanistan. It was involved in the jihad in Afghanistan. The group was powerful because, from 1996 to 2001, the group was able to exercise control over three-quarters of Afghanistan and forced people to observe strict sharia law or the Islamic law. This group was mainly made of students (Talib) from the Pashtun areas of the south and eastern Afghanistan. The group was overthrown when it was attacked by the Americans in 2001, at the time of its peak. The Taliban government in Afghanistan was only recognized by three states of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
Boko haram and al-Shabaab
These are some of the latest Muslim terror groups to sprout. The al-Shabaab in the East African region has been carrying out attacks in east Africa and the Somali land[33]. The Boko haram has been involved in terrorist activists in west Africa, especially in Nigeria, and spreading to other countries such as Cameroon[34]. It has been involved in massive attacks that have claimed thousands of lives. The name Boko haram means detesting western education, but their activities seem unrelated to the claims. Boko haram has been targeting Christian in southern Nigeria where it has been carrying out attacks, including in churches. The group has benefited mostly from recruiting poor individuals and kidnapping children whom they train for war. Boko Haram is one of the Islamic terror groups that have gained a lot of influence in the recent past, and it seems to have gained branches in the regions such as in Mali, where they control a significant part of the country.
Some of the notable terror activities that have been conducted by the Muslim terror groups include the bombing of USA embassy in Nairobi in 1998 and the September 11, 2001 attack on the twin towers at the world trade center, the leader of the group Osama Bin Laden claimed responsibility and termed it as a jihadist war against the enemies of the Muslim faith. The motivation of this group seems to have originated from the teaching of Mohamed Abd al Wahhab, who advocates for the Muslims to go back to their roots.
Religious Communion and Manipulation
Most of the religions are based on the establishment of a relationship that exists between humanity and the deities. This belief has resulted in the manipulation of the followers of the religions because they are told that the deities have the full control of the person, including their thoughts, interests, desires, and even their destinies. Therefore, religion can be interpreted to be an interplay between communion and manipulation. There are varying degrees of manipulation, ranging from mild to extreme. In religions where the leader has more control over the followers, they are likely to be involved in terrorist activities. Religion teaches people the reason why they should live, how they should live, and what they must do for them to achieve the rewards that they are promised. In some cases, people are told that if they kill, they will receive a bigger reward than those who do not kill and this has given rise to the rising cases of terrorist including the suicide bombers[35]. They believe that by killing a vast number of people, they book their place in paradise. However, this will depend on the level of manipulation on the side of the followers, since not all people are terrorists in a given religion.
The World Can Only Manage and but Eliminate Terrorism
The modern terrorists have a number of motives that induce them to engage in terror activities. Typically, their structure will be based on the prevailing situation, such as poverty and economic conditions, the international environment, and the leadership of the group. The sophistication and the nature of terrorism have changed significantly in the past decade, and the tactics used by terrorists will continue to evolve mainly due to the changes in technology[36]. In the past, most of the terror groups were supported by the states financially. Today, due to cooperation between countries and the ongoing fight against terrorism, the funding has decreased significantly[37]. The groups have evolved and look for an additional source of support to finance terror activities. Some of the terror groups have individual sponsors who provide the funding that enables them to carry out their terror activities.
An excellent example of this sophistication is how terrorists worked in the al-Qaida terrorist group, which took advantage of the open and more integrated world. The group harnessed the modernization in the world so that it could serve its agenda of destruction. The operations of al-Qaida were a multinational network that had operations in more than 60 countries. The group had a sanctuary in Afghanistan, and its bank accounts were used as trust funds to fund their terrorist activities.
This group was able to carry out coordinated attacks done through the use of personal couriers and used technology in passing communication among the group members. The group took advantage of the current technology such as the use of cell and satellite phones, encryption of emails, use of internet chat rooms, videotaping and also the use of CD rooms[38]. Through the expansion of the interconnectivity of the world, terror groups are able to exploit the connectivity for their advantage.
Another evolution in contemporary terrorism is the migration of the terrorist where they move from one continent to another with ease. Most of them will hide in the name of business people or even vacationers[39]. The unprecedented movement of these people as migrants and the technique of blending with the society where they go has enabled the terror groups to succeed in carrying out terror attacks.
Modern terrorists are paid for their work through money that is acquired through front business, credit card fraud, drug trafficking, extortion, or through their supporters[40]. Today terrorist groups are like charitable and non-governmental organizations that receive funding from donors. They mostly transfer their money through banks’ money exchange and other methods of remittance, such as hawala.
In contemporary society, terrorism is also international in that when they strike a place, they are likely to kill and injure people from different nations, which brings a global impact. For example, during the September 11 attack, several nations were affected, such as Australia, Brazil, China, Switzerland, Turkey, UK, Russia, South Africa, Israel, India, El Salvador, France, Germany, and Egypt. This means that effect is felt worldwide, unlike in the past, where their activities were localized to a single geographical area.
Terrorism in the modern world is mutating in a manner that was not anticipated. Today, instead of conducting group training, they use technology to dispatch the leadership, training manuals, and even the logistics using the internet[41]. Through technology, they have been able to establish moving cells with relative ease.
Additionally, modern terrorist groups have become more self-sufficient in their operations by exploiting the global environment to support their actions. Modern terrorists are using criminal pursuits to support their activities such as kidnaping[42]. Apart from their sanctuaries, the terrorists have also identified countries where they can operate from where the central government is weak and cannot be able to stop their activities. However, they have also carried out attacks that are stationed in very liberal, open, and tolerant societies.
Another feature that has characterized modern terrorism is the use of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)[43]. Today there are possibilities that terrorist groups can be able to use chemical weapons, high yield explosives, biological, nuclear, and radiological weapons, which have increased the threat of terrorism in the modern society[44]. In contemporary society, there is the availability of crucial technology that they can use to manufacture the weapons. Also, the willingness of some scientists to help them in carrying out their activities has favoured them. In modern society, terrorists still use the traditional method of a suicide bombing that was used by their predecessors, the assassins. They also demand money from the people they hold hostage, which they use to finance their activities. Today, the terrorists have been able to recruit locals from the countries that they target, and this gives them the intelligence and the human resources they need to carry out attacks[45].
There has been an increase in the cases of cyber-attacks from terrorists, which has been used to supplement their conventional methods of operations. Some of the terror groups have sought to acquire the knowledge to develop weapons of mass destruction that they can use to carry out their activities[46].
The intensity of terrors activities has increased significantly over the last decade. On average, it is estimated that they killed an average of 21,000 people every year during the previous ten years. For instance, in 2014, about 44,000 lives were lost as a result of terrorism. In 2017, terrorism was responsible for 0.05 percent of the global deaths[47]. Terrorism operates in different intensities in different parts of the world, where in 2017, 95 percent of all the deaths occurred in the middle east, Africa, and South Asia. Terrorism accounts for less than 0.01 percent of the deaths in most countries, but in some that are ravaged by conflict the number may be slightly higher[48]. Even though incidences such as airline hijacking has continued to decrease. Terror groups have sought to use other methods that yield higher chances of success. However, public concerns over terrorism have been on the rise, with more than half of the population in some countries fear that they would become victims of terrorism. The coverage of terrorism activities by the media has also fueled their activities, such that they receive credit for their activities. Therefore, the intensity at which terrorism is taking place in the modern can only be managed, but it is hard to eradicate terrorism because of its dynamics[49]. Furthermore, the use of sophisticated technologies and the rapid mutations of the group presents a challenge while fighting the vice. This is especially hard if terrorism is backed by religious teaching. The believers are told that they will earn an eternal reward if they die in the war.
Conclusion
Religion has played a crucial role in the spread of terror activities in the world. Most religions in the world have had some form of conflict that has been seen as the predecessor to the escalation of modern terrorism. Although most of the religions advocate for peace; some passages imply that people should either fight for their defence or to defend the deity[50]. In some cases, the passages are taken out of context and interpreted wrongly with the intension of manipulating the followers. Most of the religions teach the need to surrender self-dependence, trust, and unquestionably follow the direction of their beliefs. This disposition has made religion to be an instrument for violence in society. The history of religious violence can be traced as early as the eleventh century, where groups such as assassins started their activities. Religions such as Christianity and Hinduism have had some violence but not for prolonged period[51]. Christians were involved in the protestant war, which resulted in massive killing. Zionist has been seen as the group that has emerged to advocate for the union of the Jewish people, and the group has persisted in its endeavours to fight the enemies of Israel. The group has been involved in a war with its neighbours. Islam has been more actively engaged in terrorism because of the holy war, jihad. The violence of the Muslims can be traced as early as the eleventh century when the assassins were killing people. This was followed by the westachuung terror group. These early terror groups laid the foundation of the modern terror organizations which borrow a lot from the success of the early groups such as the assassin which used suicide bombers to carry out its activities[52]. This is the same method that is being employed by groups such as ISIS, Taliban, Boko haram, and al-Shabaab. They encourage the follower to sacrifice their lives because they book a place in paradise.
Terrorism has evolved in modern society where there is the use of sophisticated weapons of mass destruction, and the intensity at which they commit the crimes have increased. Terror groups have taken advantage of the global interconnectivity and the advancement in technology to advance their activities. They now use modern communication methods to dispatch materials and communicate with each other. Furthermore, terrorists have been able to recruit people who are educated, and this has helped them increasing activities such as cyber-attacks, which is common in contemporary society. The terror groups have also expanded their network where they have cells in most of the countries, even though they have a sanctuary from where they plan their activities. This changing phenomenon and mutation of terrorism have presented the world with a unique problem. Therefore, the magnitude and the intensity of terrorism in the world today can only be reduced, but terrorism cannot be eliminated because of its extensive network.
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[1] Ibid., 72
[2] Ibid., 72
[3] Rapoport, David C. “Fear and trembling: Terrorism in three religious traditions.” American Political Science Review 78, no. 3 (1983): 658-677.
[4] Ibid 72
[5] Ibid., 73
[6] Squires, Josephine. “The Ethnic, Nationalist, and Religious Roots of Terrorism.” In Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies. 2010
[7] Ganor, Boaz. “Terrorism as a strategy of psychological warfare.” Journal of aggression, maltreatment & trauma 9, no. 1-2 (2005): 33-43.
[8] Besley, Tina, and Michael A. Peters. “Terrorism, trauma, tolerance: Bearing witness to white supremacist attack on Muslims in Christchurch, New Zealand.” (2020): 109-119.
[9] Ibid., 17
[10] Ibid., 73
[11] Dugdale, Pointon. Ikko-Ikki (8 November 2005), articles/weapons_ikko.html
[12] Ibid
[13] Ibid
[14] Kaplan, Jeffrey. “History and terrorism.” The Journal of American History 98, no. 1 (2011): 101-105.
[15] Juliet. “The Rohingya Crisis and the Politics of Buddhist Violence.” Centre tricontinental, August 24, 2015
[16] Wagner, Kim A. “Thugs, and Assassins.” In The Oxford Handbook of the History of Terrorism.
[17] Ranstorp, Magnus. “Terrorism in the Name of Religion.” Journal of international affairs (1996): 41-62.
[18] Ibid., 32
[19] Ibid., 73
[20] Laskier, Michael M. “The Evolution of Zionist Activity in the Jewish Communities of Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria: 1897–1947.” Studies in Zionism 4, no. 2 (1983): 205-236.
[21] Charbit, Denis. “The Zionisms of the 20th Century: Between Context and Contingency.” Vingtième Siècle. Revue d’histoire 3 (2009): 27-46.
[22] Ibid
[23] Burgess, Mark. “A Brief History of Terrorism.” Project On Government Oversight, February 13, 2013. https://www.pogo.org/investigation/2015/02/brief-history-of-terrorism/.
[24] Ibid
[25] Hoffman, Bruce. “H0LY TERROR”: THE IMPLICATIONS (0F TERRORISM M0TIVATED BY A RELIGIOUS IMPERATIVE.” (1993).
[26] Ibid
[27] Ibid
[28] McCarthy, Kevin M. “The Origin of Assassin.” American Speech 48, no. 1/2 (1973): 77-83.
[29] Fellman, Michael. In the Name of God and Country: reconsidering terrorism in American history. Yale University Press, 2010.
[30] Miller, Scott. The President and the assassin: McKinley, terror, and empire at the dawn of the American century. Random House, 2011.
[31] Bar, Shmuel. “The Religious Sources of Islamic Terrorism.” Hoover Institution, June 1, 2004
[32] History.com Editors. “Al Qaeda.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, December 4, 2018
[33] Gallazzi, Luca. “Al-Shabaab.”
[34] Brechenmacher, Saskia. Stabilizing Northeast Nigeria After Boko Haram. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2019.
[35] Ibid 400
[36] Bush, George W. National strategy for combating terrorism. Wordplay, 2009.
[37] Silberman, Israel. “Religious violence, terrorism, and peace.” Handbook of the psychology of religion and spirituality (2005): 529-549.
[38] Rapoport, David C. “The four waves of modern terror: international dimensions and consequences: David C. Rapoport.” In An International History of Terrorism, pp. 293-321. Routledge, 2013.
[39] Czinkota, Michael, Gary A. Knight, and Peter W. Liesch. “Terrorism and international business: conceptual foundations.” Terrorism and the international business environment: The security-business nexus (2004): 43-57
[40] Knott, Kim, Alistair McFadyen, Seán McLoughlin, and Matthew Francis. “The Roots, Practices, and Consequences of Terrorism: A Literature Review of Research in the Arts & Humanities, Final Report (for the Home Office).” (2006).
[41] Weimann, Gabriel. www. terror. Net: How modern terrorism uses the Internet. Vol. 31. United States Institute of Peace, 2004.
[42] Ibid 38
[43] Ganor, Boaz. “Terrorism in the twenty-first century.” In Essentials of terror medicine, pp. 13-26. Springer, New York, NY, 2009.
[44] Rubenstein, Richard E. Alchemists of revolution: Terrorism in the modern world. New York: Basic Books, 1987.
[45] Blum, Andrew, Victor Asal, and Jonathan Wilkenfeld. “Nonstate actors, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction.” International Studies Review 7, no. 1 (2005): 133-137.
[46] Byman, Daniel. “Iran, terrorism, and weapons of mass destruction.” Studies in Conflict & Terrorism 31, no. 3 (2008): 169-181.
[47] Ritchie, Hannah, Joe Hasell, Cameron Appel, and Max Roser. “Terrorism.” Our World in Data, July 28, 2013
[48] Ibid
[49] Ganor, Boaz. “Trends in modern international terrorism.” In To Protect and To Serve, pp. 11-42. Springer, New York, NY, 2009.
[50] Pyszczynski, Tom, Matt Motyl, and Abdolhossein Abdollahi. “Righteous violence: killing for God, country, freedom, and justice.” Behavioral Sciences of Terrorism and Political Aggression 1, no. 1 (2009): 12-39.
[51]s Abdulrahman, Salam Abdulqadir. “The Assassins: ancestors of modern Muslim suicide bombers?.” Journal of University of Human Development 2, no. 4 (2016): 399-409.
[52] Ibid 411