The term, fundamentalism, today names a broad religiopolitical perspective found in most, if not all, major religions. In the eyes of the world and particularly the american public, the face of terrorism has vastly changed over the past thirty years. Terrorism and religious fundamentalism publikationsserver ub. Almost every major belief system in the world has believers who use their faith to strictly guide their daily lives and views, at times resulting in violence. Religious fundamentalism today is understood as relying on pure faith and a literal read. It seeks to examine the relationship between the culture and conditions from which terrorists are recruited, as well as the psychological impact of fundamentalist religious teachings upon the minds of susceptible people. This article aims to develop and explore diagnostic frameworks to enhance ones understanding of the religiously. Introduction at first glance, the link between religious extremism and terrorism seems obvious. Religious fundamentalism and terrorism are products of globalization.
Surveying work over the past two decades, we find both substantial progress in sociological. The causes, forms and manifestations of terrorism are varied and include religious fundamentalism and ideological radicalisation. Our epoch is characterized by startling advances on the one hand and conditions of extreme socioeconomic retrogression. Because these new forms of violence are so often linked to religious radicalism, modern terrorism has challenged the secular ethics of contemporary civil society. Religious fundamentalisms effect on terrorism in the modern. Why, though, have religiouslyaffiliated acts of terrorism become such a common occurrence. Virtually any type of fundamentalism can be defined as a strict adherence to the basic principle or belief system. By looking at the definitions and historical ties of fundamentalism and terrorism, exploring the religiopolitical and sociopolitical discourse relating to islamic fundamentalism, and examining the shift from nationalistic terrorism to religious terrorism, one can better understand the reasoning presented to argue that fundamentalism has, in.
Not all terrorism is religious fundamentalism, and not all religious fundamentalism is terrorist, says a professor. Contemporary terrorism is often equated with religious terrorism, and more so. Religious fundamentalism defines people by what divides them. By examining how religious fundamentalism has accelerated and intensified terrorism within. Religious fundamentalism and terrorism free essays. In islamic fundamentalism, it is the case both among sunnis as well as shiites, but it takes on particular characteristics in each group. Religious fundamentalism as a paradigm for terrorism fundamentalism is bot h a specifically focussed mindset and a certain kind of narrow worldview, a modus operandi, which can apply to just. Islamic fundamentalism, jihad, and terrorism byungock chang prof. Religious fundamentalism names an ideological perspective found in most, if not all, major religions and is cur rently associated with variant forms of extremism. Other features were left behind, such as the basis on a sacred text and pseudo. Most disturbingly, it is associated with variant forms of religious.
Religious fundamentalism and terrorism springerlink. Religious fundamentalism in india and beyond krishna kumar w e live in turbulent times. Fundamentalism and terrorism citizens worldwide are becoming all too familiar with the accelerated frequency of terrorist attacks in the 21st century, particularly with those involving a religious underpinning. Since then the phenomena of religious fundamentalism, political radicalization and terrorism have become fused in the public mind, partly. Fundamentalism also available in format docx and mobi. Second religious terrorism that doesnt have such a worldly goal and that. Fundamentalism and terrorism karnataka pcs free notes. I survey three major religions judaism, islam, christianity and one sect zionism and a case study of crusades. Fundamentalism simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Religious fundamentalism, a belief in an absolute religious ideology with no. The fact is that all terrorists may not be fundamentalist, but given the need and opportunity, fundamentalists and extremists will opt for terrorism, if they think it.
Jan 01, 2006 this article aims to develop and explore diagnostic frameworks to enhance ones understanding of the religiously. In my view it is imperative to attempt to understand critically any potential let alone real relationship between fundamentalism and terrorism. Extremism and fundamentalism fundamentalism is not a new phenomenon and is common to many religions. Nowadays, it is looked upon as radicalism, extremism, terrorism, and incompatibility with western democratic systems. But the period of zias military regime proved to be a vital phase for spreading, infusing and injecting religious extremism, radicalization, fundamentalism, sectarianism and intolerance into the pakistani society. So what is the ideology of religious fundamentalism and what might be its link to terrorism as such. Within true islamic fundamentalism one would never see crimes against humanity, heinous acts of hatred, political killing, terrorism, oppression, religious extremism or zealotry, or the forcing of ones religion on others. People today who study fundamentalism see it as a response to modern society. In an interview with zenit in the wake of the july 7. Broadly speaking, fundamentalism denotes a religiopolitical perspective found. Religious fundamentalism and terrorism journal of global peace. The term religious fundamentalism has come to be applied to regional, national, and even global developments holding both religious and political dimensions. Religious fundamentalism names an ideological perspective.
In the modern era, religious terrorism has increased in its frequency, scale of violence, and global reach. Page 2 of 32 for ideological religious reasons, was of special significance. Religious fundamentalism and radicalisation european parliament. Our epoch is characterized by startling advances on the one hand and conditions of. Fundamentalism centers on unswerving faith in the authority of fixed principles, usually enshrined in sacred texts, to dictate. Religious fundamentalism for nearly a century the term fundamentalism has referred to a set of specific.
Download fundamentalism ebook for free in pdf and epub format. Citizens worldwide are becoming all too familiar with the accelerated frequency of terrorist attacks in the 21 st century, particularly with those involving a religious underpinning. That is, they are not simply traditional, classic, conservative, or. While there have been many studies undertaken on socalled islamic fundamentalism, the fact remains that it and, indeed, religious fundamentalism, in general are much misunderstood. Pdf the term, fundamentalism, today names a broad religiopolitical perspective found in most, if not all, major religions. The long road to extinguish religious fundamentalism and, concretely, the islamic, begins with dialogue within the religion itself, which is undoubtedly the most difficult. Economics of religion, religious violence, extremism, sectarianism, terrorism, suicidebombing, rational choice. Linkages to terrorism pakistans perspective huma baqai associate professor, chairperson department of social sciences, iba karachi, pakistan email. In its purest form fundamentalism is understood to entail an absolute, unquestioning loyalty to certain basics or fundamentals of a given faith tradition. Islamic fundamentalists favor a literal and originalist interpretation of the primary sources of islam the quran and sunnah, seek to eliminate what. Christian fundamentalism and extremism the history and identity of fundamentalism is complex. After listening to each groups definition, revise your groups definition as you see fit. Pdf religious fundamentalism and political extremism. Religious fundamentalism has risen to worldwide prominence since the 1970s.
The old ideologies of class conflict, anticolonial liberation, and. Pdf although fundamentalism is neither new nor limited to one culture, globalized communications and recent political events have. Fundamentalism and terrorism connecting repositories. Why, though, have religiouslyaffiliated acts of terrorism become. Religious terrorism is a type of religious violence where terrorism is used as a tactic to achieve religious goals or which are influenced by religious identity in the modern age, after the decline of ideas such as the divine right of kings and with the rise of nationalism, terrorism has more often been based on anarchism, and revolutionary politics. Religious fundamentalism synonyms, religious fundamentalism pronunciation, religious fundamentalism translation, english dictionary definition of religious fundamentalism. Eprs european parliamentary research service author.
It showed that some prominent members of gush emunim, who started their careers as peaceful. Religious fundamentalism and islamic activism in general arent. At the same time, a relative decline has occurred in secular terrorism. Religious fundamentalism names an ideological perspective found in most, if not all, major religions and is currently associated with variant forms of extremism and religiouslymotivated acts of violence, including terrorism. When people talk about islamic fundamentalism, it is often equated with return to medieval backwardness and retrogression. Terrorism, radicalisation, extremism, authoritarianism and. In the modern age, after the decline of ideas such as the divine right of kings and with the rise of nationalism, terrorism has more often been based on anarchism, and revolutionary. Christian fundamentalism american protestant movement. On religious fundamentalism and terrorism featured today. A profile of religious fundamentalism and terrorist activism. The history and identity of fundamentalism is complex.
When speaking of causes and movements considered fundamentalist, the conventional wisdom assumes that these are inherently opposed to modern, scientific, and secular values. Christian fundamentalism, movement in american protestantism that arose in the late 19th century in reaction to theological modernism, which aimed to revise traditional christian beliefs to accommodate new developments in the natural and social sciences, especially the theory of biological evolution. By historically defining terrorism and fundamentalism and then placing them within the context of current religiopolitical and sociopolitical discourse, one can observe the shift from nationalism into terrorism and therefore understanding the innate interconnectedness of fundamentalism and terrorism as a whole. Todays dilemma is to comprehend how fundamentalism got linked to extremism and terrorism. A united nations building bombed in baghdad in 2003 by a salafi jihadist group taking religious fundamentalism to deadly extremes.
Religious fundamentalism an overview sciencedirect topics. However, religious extremism has become a central issue for the global community. Fundamentalism the first mode of religiousmindedness is religious fundamentalism. Terrorism and political violence religion and terrorism. The focus on and exacerbation of features of religious fundamentalism opposition to some elements of capitalism, militancy, irrationalism, and fanaticism enabled the application of the term to political and cultural movements that are not necessarily religious. Religious extremists are willing to murder because they embrace theologies that sanction violence in the service of god. Islam, certainly, but they may be found also in christianity, in hinduism, in judaism and other religious. Islamic fundamentalism has been defined as a movement of muslims who regard earlier times favorably and seek to return to the fundamentals of the islamic religion and live similarly to how the islamic prophet muhammad and his companions lived. It is often partly motivated by a form of xenophobia against either strangers of another country or of another religion and a loss of. Religious terrorism is a type of religious violence where terrorism is used as a tactic to achieve religious goals or which are influenced by religious identity. The key feature in these movements is their reactive character. In the 1930s and 1940s there existed in israel then palestine two small jewish wlderground groups which conducted a. The role of religious fundamentalism in terrorist violence taylor. A look at how religious fundamentalism has accelerated terrorism in the postcold war era.
Why is contemporary religious terrorism predominantly. Fundamentalism is a grasping insistence that complexities of life can be reduced to simplicity and understood by a rigid code. This is not to suggest that it is the only model because nationalism and ideology remain as potent catalysts for extremist behavior. This has resulted in pakistan being more concerned with internal security challenges rather than external, as extremism and terrorism take the monstrous shape of religious and.
The registered office of informa plc informa is mortimer house, 3741 mortimer street, london, w1t 3jh. While i differentiate fundamentalism as an individual difference variable from the violent fundamentalist movements, fundamentalist beliefs may be one factor that. It focuses on the differences in humankind, rather than what unites them. This work is licensed under a creative commons attribution 3. A discussion of a model of fundamentalism as applied to islam will provide a comparative basis for assessing christian fundamentalism and extremism, so setting the scene for an applied exploration of religious extremism and terrorism with particular reference to christian contexts and examples. Prospects for a predictive paradigm 1 douglas pratt associate professor, philosophy and religious studies, university of waikato, new zealand visiting research fellow, ripon college cuddesdon, oxford england the term fundamentalism.
In it, theres no room for shades of gray or anything nuanced. Religious fundamentalism has been prevalent in society since its beginnings in the late 19th and early 20thcentury. On religious fundamentalism and terrorism zenit english. Following evidence of a revitalization in religious faith throughout the world, and a series of terrorist incidents purportedly motivated by religious fundamentalism, various commentators have argued globalization has ushered in new forms of radical religious belief and expression and a unique form of contemporary. Modernday fundamentalists want to go back to the roots of certain ideological or religious positions. This has resulted in pakistan being more concerned with internal security challenges rather than external, as extremism and. Fundamentalism and terrorism directory of open access. This is the opposite of what people commonly call islamic fundamentalism. Religious fundamentalisms effect on terrorism in the. Read fundamentalism online, read in mobile or kindle. The terrorism introduced by the members of the underground was not unprecedented. It was once seen as something other countries had to deal with and. Despite this, researchers repeatedly conclude that religion is rarely the root cause of suicide terrorism moghadam, 2006.
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