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VISHAKHA PANDEY

The Author of this article is an Advocate

“Whoever kill an innocent person it is as if he has killed all of humanity"               QURAN, 5:32

Terrorist activities have taken a new turn in the wake of 21st Century, and we are living in a turbulent time marked by violence, which manifests itself in manifold forms such as terrorism, bomb blasts, massacre, ethnic cleansing, cultural genocide, atrocities on women, children and tribal minorities and most often in full blown wars, according to UNICEF, 80% of victims of such oppression in the recent years have been civilians, mainly women and children, thereby creating a sense of insecurity in the global family. However, scholars have posited diverse reasons and motivations for terrorist activities. Scholars mostly of western orientation, blame religion for it. “No religion exists in vacuum. On the contrary every faith is rooted in the soil in which it is planted. It is fallacy to believe that people of faith derive their values primarily from their scriptures. The opposite is true. People of faith insert their values into their scriptures, reading them through the lens of their cultural, ethnics, nationalistic and even political perspectives. In the present scenario, Islam, Muslim, and Jihad are the first few words that pop up in our mind when we talk about terrorism. Acts of terrorism and Islamic fanatics are often uttered in the same breath. Our brains have been psyched in a way that automatically Islamic radicalism rings a bell in our temple whenever the word terrorism is used. International media have played an important and vital role in fashioning this mindset and we, the people – the best of the creation – have accepted it without even applying an iota of our minds. Terrorism and religion are two mutually exclusive terms, but, unfortunately, are often used as synonyms. No religion preaches to kill; it’s the followers who construe things as they deem fit and act consequently. I haven’t read a single religious scripture which authorizes the massacre of innocents; the laws of the scriptures that apply to the Christians and Jews are repeated and emphasized for the Muslims also.
If we look at history, followers of all the religions have committed acts of terror.There are countless non-Muslim terrorist organizations like LTTE, IRA, ETA, CSA, ATTF, NLFT, etc.; if we reckon the number of attacks conducted by these groups, it will put the Islamic number to shame. ULFA alone has carried out 749 terrorist attacks in India from 1990 through 2016, but we never heard of these attacks because these attacks get printed on the 4th page of the newspaper in a small column whereas any terror attack involving Muslims gets the headline. The religion should not be confused with what these terrorists have done. We should not let our emotions overcome our logic and understanding. There is no religious scripture that does not condemn terrorism. Every righteous person in God's religion would condemn such actions regardless of terrorist’s race, country or religious affiliation.

 In this paper author is trying to make a view that terrorism is not because of any religion whereas it is because of the people or person whose mindset is against the humanity and also tried to discuss over the diverse reason and motivations of terrorism.

What Is Religious Terrorism? 

Religious extremism has become the central issue for the global community. Religious terrorism has increased in its frequency, scale of violence and global reach.Terrorism in the name of religion has become the predominant model for political violence in the modern world.
Religious terrorism is a type of political violence motivated by an absolute belief that an otherworldly power has sanctioned- and commanded- terrorist violence for the greater glory of faith. In essence, one’s religious faith legitimizes violence as long as such violence is an expression of the will of one’s deity.[1]

 Religious Violence

The extremist who believed in their holy scriptures persuade others to annihilate the enemies who intercept in their religion, they engage in violence to promote their belief system. Religious terrorism can be revolutionary, genocidal, nihilistic and communal.
The following cases are historical example of religious violence:-
1.      Judeo- Christian Antiquity
It is slated down in the Judeo- Christian belief system;references in the Bible are not only to assassination and conquest but also to complete annihilation of enemy nation in the name of faith.[2]
2.      Christian Crusades
The Church sanctioned invasion and atrocities were deemed to be in accordance with God’s wishes and therefore perfectly acceptable. An extreme and unquestioning faith in the cause led to series of campaigns of terror against non- Christian resident of conquered cities and territories. The crusades were brutal and evil. Many people were forced to ‘Convert’ to Christianity, if they refused, they were put to death.[3]
3.      The Assassins
The order of Assassin, referred to as the Brotherhood of Assassins, was founded by Hasan ibn al- Sabbah in 11th century Persia. He was caliph of the Ismaili section of Islam. He espoused a radical version of Ismaili Islam and founded the order of assassins to defend this interpretation of faith.[4]
4.      A Secret Cult of Murder
In India during 13th century through the 19th centuries, The Thuggee cult existed among worshippers of Hindu goddess Kali, the destroyer. Members were called by various names victims- usually travelers with a noose in the name of Kali and then rob and ritually mutilate and bury them. Offering would then be made to Kali.[5]
5.      Assault on Mumbai
On November 26-29, 2008, Mumbai was attacked by 10 determined terrorist who entered the city from sea abroad dinghies. The attackers spread out to assault high profile targets throughout Mumbai’s urban center, firing at victims and throwing explosives. Tourist sites, hotels and a Jewish center were specifically selected for their symbolic value and to inflict maximum casualties.[6]
The ferocity of the assault is reflected in the following events-
·         More than 50 people were killed at the TAJ HOTEL and TOWER HOTEL during the initial assault on the night and early morning of Nov. 26- 27, terrorist seized and killed hostages.
·         More than 30 people were killed at the OBEROI HOTEL, which was attacked at the same time.
·         Members of the terrorist unit struck several other targets around the city, including CHATRAPATI SHIVAJI TERMINUS, the popular LEOPALD CAFÉ and THE CAMA and G T HOSPITAL.
The involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba resulted in an escalation in tension between India and Pakistan.
6.      Movement case: The International Mujahedeen (Holy Warriors for the Faith)
The Mujahedeen are Islamic fighters who have sworn a vow to take up arms to defend the faith. They tend to be believers in fundamentalist interpretation of Islam that have defined their Jihad, or personal struggle, to be one of fighting and dying on behalf of the faith.[7]
7.      Organization Case: Al Qaeda’s Religious Foundation
Al Qaeda is not a traditional hierarchical revolutionary organization nor does it call for its followers to do much more than engage in terrorist violence in the name of faith.[8]
8.      Peshawar Attack
When gunmen from the Pakistan Taliban stormed an army school in Peshawar and killed 145 people, including 132 children.[9]
They had two aims-
·         To inflict maximal suffering on the people.
·         To remind political leaders that the Taliban would not stop shooting and bombing until the Pakistani government was overthrown and a purist Islamic regime was put in its place.
9.      Syria War
Several women and children were experiencing difficulty breathing due to explosion of chlorine gas. Many lives were detained.[10]
The scale of the attacks from barrel bombs and other missiles was making it hard to find and count the dead. Many of the bombing raids have targeted medical building, and doctors in the remaining facilities are struggling to keep up with the stream of severely injured patients.[11]

Religion as Motivation

One of the most comprehensive definitions of religion is comprised of four domains: a discourse whose concerns transcends the human, temporal and contingent; set of practices to produce a proper world and human subjects; a community which constructs identity; and an institution that asserts eternal validity. All four domains allow every human being to apply his own subjective definition of religion and to practice it accordingly.[12]

Furthermore, religion is one of the most unpredictable aspects of any community’s cultural identity.
Why Islamic Terrorist Organization use Religion for Terrorism
Terrorism by definition is not an Islamic phenomenon. Why they have most terrorist attacks in recent years been perpetrated in the name of Islam? The main reason behind this is that Islam provides the necessary religious ground in which terrorism maybe nurtured as well as the cultural background that enables societies to accept and support terrorism.
It is impossible to determine which is the predominant instigator, religion or culture, in relation to terrorism. However, the fact that religion is an integral part of the Islamic, culture provides the fertile ground for the growing phenomenon of religious- motivated terrorism.[13]

Conclusion

In the ancient times, when there was no law, no king existed to regulate any wrong committed by any person. In that case, people exercise might is right concept but as the days were passing by there was dominion of elite class over the bourgeoisie section of the society. For the regulation of society in order to prevent the weaker section of the society, Religion was introduced as supreme and authority and sovereignty placed into the religion and in later years, due to communism, discrimination of people on the basis of religion and so on, clash emanated the pandemonium in the society, to prevent the dispute Law was introduced, rule of law[14]introduced by the Prof. Deciey which construe that No one is above the law, everyone is equal before the law. But due to instigators who are convict of Sedition[15] who create heinous massacre in any nation and create stir in the nation through their act of terrorism. If we look over in any religious scripture especially if we consider, Islam or bible, no where it is written to hurt people in the name of religion, these books only talk about love, care, help and benevolence.In the era of digital world where the terrorism is at top notch, these terrorist organizations use the internet facility to manipulate the teenagers or youths to come along with them and recruit them, these organization inject in the recruiters so much hatred for certain nation that they brain is drained and filled up with hatred. Sleeper cells, Suicide Bombers and so on are the products of these terrorist organizations. There only vision is to spread violence and disharmony in the world as the truthful believer of any religion will never commit such heinous crimes. Terrorism has no religion, it is just as stigma which is engulfing the whole nation in many forms, and they can be rapist, murders, acid attackers, embezzlers and so on. Whosoever, in any form tries to scatter the hatred in the world then he or she can never be considered to true believer of his or her religion they belong to.The religion should not be confused with what these terrorists have done. We should not let our emotions overcome our logic and understanding. There is no religious scripture that does not condemn terrorism. Every righteous person in God's religion would condemn such actions regardless of terrorist’s race, country or religious affiliation.


[1]Religious Terrorism, (March 18, 2018, 21:30 P.M.), https://www.Sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/33557_6.pdf .              
[4]Assassins(March 18, 2018, 22:30 P.M.), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assassins .
[5](March 18, 2018, 22:45 P.M.), https://books.google.co.in/books?isbn=1610694783 .
[6]Mumbai terror attacks the making of a monster, (March 18, 2018, 23:00 P.M.), https://www.Telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/9985109Mumbai-terror-attacks-the-making-of-a-monsters.html .

[7]Mujahideen Islam, (March 18, 2018, 23:10 P.M.), https://www.britannica.com/topic/mujahideen-Islam .
[9]Pakistan Taliban attack Peshawar School should be final straw, (March 18, 2018, 23:30 P.M.), https://newrepublic.com/article/120580/Pakistan-Taliban-attack-Peshawar-School-Should-be-final-straw .
[10]Syria war gas attack kills child Eastern Ghouta, (March 18, 2018, 23:40 P.M.), https://www.aljazeera.com/.../2018/.../Syria-war-gas-attack-kills-child-eastern-ghouta-1 .
[11]Syria death toll nears 500 as Eastern Ghouta bombing continues, (March 18, 2018, 23:45 P.M.), https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/24/syria-death-toll-nears-500-as-eastern-ghouta-bombing-continues .
[12](March 18, 2018, 00:00 A.M.), https://www.ict.org.1/Article.aspx?10=956 .
[13]Id. at 12.
[14]Dr.N.V.Paranjape, Studies in Jurisprudence & Legal Theory, 161 (5th edn. , 2008).
[15]Ratanlal & Dhirajlal, The Indian Penal Code, 270 (35th edn. 2017).

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