Download - Sacred Terror
Sacred Terror
Juan Cole
Topics a. ancient sacred terror b. the notion of “cosmic war” c. religion and the legitimization of
violence d. religion matters e. sacred terror: examples from
Islam and Christianity
Terrorism as Performance Terrorists aim to show that
Enemy is vulnerable Collaboration is dangerous A new situation can be produced by action
Religious violence tends to be symbolic Dramatic actions against key symbols (Hindus throwing pig’s blood in mosques in
India - shows impotence of Muslim God, possibility of desecrating Muslim sacred space.
Apocalyptic Thinking Emerged in ancient Iran
Linear time with beginning, implying end Replaced cyclical ideas of time Prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra) Messiah would come at end of days Evil would be vanquished Ideas influenced early Judaism,
Christianity
Zealots/ Sicarii Arose 54 AD among Palestinian Jewry Attacked Jewish civilians whom they
saw as collaborators with Roman Empire
Hoped to provoke revolt, coming of Messiah, last days
Revolt of 66-70 ended with expulsion of Jews by Romans
73 AD, Zealots at Masada surrounded by Romans committed suicide
Cosmic War Mark Juergensmeyer: A world view that encompasses all A scenario for the grand sweep of
history Exists in all religions
Absolute struggle Enemy implacable Pure good versus unadulterated
evil No compromise possible
Heroes Terrorists imagine themselves as
soldiers In the army of religion And enemies as hordes of satan
Complete Victory & Utopia God will intervene Struggle could go on for centuries Or until the end of time
Religion and the legitimization of violence
Contemporary enemy=scriptural enemy Opposing forces mapped onto
scriptural enemy E.g. Modern U.S. is identified with
pagan Mecca of 600s AD by Muslim radicals
Or Gush Emunim sees Palestinians as Canaanites or Nazis on West Bank
Legitimation Religious terrorists claim That the true religion is in danger of being
wiped out Lashing out is seen as defending the ultimate
truth Christian identity movement believes
that government is the enemy that America's secular, multicultural society is a
present-day Gomorra endangering White Christianity and that Elohim City is a bunker in a great battle
between the children of darkness (the Jews) and the children of light (the Aryan race).
Religion Matters Committed believers with a black
and white view of the world Can provide a convenient platform For terrorist violence Offer
Networks of family, friends, acquaintances Institutional settings (church, synagogue,
mosque) for recruitment Community support (in ignorance of true
goals)
Christian Terrorism Abortion Clinic killers
Often clergymen Paul J. Hill Kills Dr. John Britten in 1994
in Florida "If I wounded him, just shot him in the leg or
shoulder, I knew there was an excellent probability that he would return to killing innocent children. In my thinking it just became: I had to kill him."
Anti-abortion sites call physicians “spawns of the devil”
Christian Terrorism Cont’d Timothy McVeigh
Christian Identity FBI Meggido Report:
Christian Identity also believes in the inevitability of the end of the world and the Second Coming of Christ. It is believed that these events are part of a cleansing process that is needed before Christ’s kingdom can be established on earth. During this time, Jews and their allies will attempt to destroy the white race using any means available. The result will be a violent and bloody struggle -- a war, in effect -- between God’s forces, the white race, and the forces of evil, the Jews and nonwhites. Significantly, many adherents believe that this will be tied into the coming of the new millennium."
Ireland Northern Ireland
Ian Paisely and Protestant militants IRA and Catholic militants
Muslim Terrorism: Background
Ottomans lose WW I to British
End of Ottoman Empire, 1923 – rise of secular Republic of Turkey
End of Caliphate, 1924
Egypt 1928
Hasan al-Banna founds
Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
•Initially influenced by Sufi mysticism
•Turns to more literal approach to Koran
Cult-like Practices• Banna forbids
membership in other parties
• demands absolute personal allegiance
Brotherhood Grows• Founds schools
• Association for women
• Rejects British presence
• Brotherhood grows to 500,000 in a population of 17 mn. by 1948
• Largely lower middle class (plumbers & etc.) and urban
Brotherhood Terrorism 1940s: Develops terrorist wing –
secret apparatus
Training camps in desert
Attacks on British soldiers, Jews in Egypt
PM Assassinated PM Nuqrashi bans brotherhood
1948
Is assassinated in revenge
Attempt to Kill Abdel Nasser
1954 assassination attempt by Muslim Brotherhood
Fails
Mass arrests
They are banned
1965 Plot Sayyid Qutb jailed
Theory of state as non-Muslim (“Pharaoh”)
Further plot busted 1965
Qutb executed 1966
Sadat 1970-1981 Freed Muslim
Brotherhood
To offset influence of
Leftists in 1970s
Brotherhood Mainstreams Muslim
Brotherhood
Rejects Qutb as extremist
Joins Egyptian system
Radical Fringe Younger radicals
turn to violence
Especially after Camp David
Al-Jihad al-Islami Founded 1970s
Salim al-Rahhal
1977 80 members arrested with explosives
Abd al-Salam Farag
Al-Jihad al-Islami Infiltrates military Abbud al-Zumur
(officer) 12-man council
Al-Gamaa al-Islamiya Campus group of
1970s
Upper Egypt
Inspiration of Iranian Revolution
1979 Shiites overthrow Shah
1980 hostage crisis Sunni radicals take heart
Sadat Assassinated 1981 Blind Sheikh gives
fatwa Al-Jihad al-Islami
joins The Islamic Group
Gamaa Covenant Covenant of
Islamic Action Violent
reestablishment of Caliphate
Rejects secular law
Crackdown forces Islamists Abroad
Many go to Afghanistan
To fight Soviets
Encouraged by U.S.
Others go to Europe
Ayman al-Zawahiri
The Challenge of the 90s Islamist victory in
Afghanistan
Followed by setbacks everywhere else
Algeria – New Civil War Military gov’t holds
elections 1991
Rescinds results when Islamist party wins
Bin Laden aids subsequent Armed Islamic Group
Egypt Electorate 2/3s relatively
secular nationalists
1/3 religious Muslims
Perhaps .1% extremists
Violence in Mubarak Era 1992 grenade attack
on tourists Luxor
1995 assassination attempt on Mubarak
1997 66 killed at Luxor
Muslim Fundamentalism Fundamentalists often
apolitical
Or committed to democratic process
Form potential recruiting pool for al-Qaeda
Not themselves a threat until radicalized
Egypt Jails 30,000 1500 killed in street
battles
Tens of thousands of Islamists jailed
Tura prison leadership renounces violence 1998
Is condemned by Ayman al-Zawahiri
Muslim Terrorism: Conclusion Radical groups rooted in 1970s turn right
by Sadat Enraged by Camp David as betrayal of
Palestinians Use violence to Islamize Egyptian,
Algerian society Are defeated at home, scatter abroad Ultimately coalesce into al-Qaeda Decide to hit “far enemy” (e.g. US) that
bolsters “pharaonic” regimes in Middle East