There has been a number of terrorist attack across the world.
These attacks are happening in the name of God, be it Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist. They are unrestrained, indiscriminate and extremely violent. For instance, in the United State of America in 1992 September 11, 2996 people were killed, over 6000 others were maimed or injured and $10 billion of infrastructure and property damaged.
However, there is a lot of debate about what is “religious terrorism”. There is no clear or common understanding of what it is and what is its aim. Tucker, for instance, argues that the term religious terrorism is of no use since it’s definition causes confusion. Liqueur argues that it is new rightwing terrorism and has more to do with nationalism than religion.
Sedgwick suggests that it could be defined by its immediate and ultimate aim. Firstly, the immediate goal is purely political and secondly, the ultimate religious. However, what is common is the use of force and threats to achieve its goals.
Therefore, “religious terrorism” can be defined as the threat or use of force with the purpose of influencing or coercing governments and or society toward religious goals.Furthermore, Gregg distinguishes three types of aims “religious terrorism” wishes to achieve. Firstly, there are those that wish to achieve religious government. For example, Timothy Mcleigh who belongs to a terrorist organization named (Covenant, the Sword and Arm of the Lord (CASA) bombed the City of Oklahoma to call for Christian theocratic government and Christian Identity movement who are likeminded with Sword and Anus of the Lord wishes to achieve the same goal (theocratic government). The Al Qaeda who not only wishes to established religious governments in their own national territories but extend such terrorism to go beyond border states in the name of Jihad. Secondly, there are millennialist, those who wish to hasten the coming of the Messiah. For example, The Peoples Temple members committed suicide in a standoff with the USA government, in which over 900 people died violently.
The aim is to destroy the world in order to create a new world and a better world.Thirdly, those who wish that all citizens within its territory conform to their faith interpretation. In this instance, violence and threats are aimed at those who have different religious beliefs and do not conform to their tot their worldviews. The tactic to use terrorism and violence to enforce religious views, to hasten the coming of the Messiah and achieve religious governments is totally unacceptable at this time. There is another means of persuasion that can be used, such as political education and religious tolerance.
