Religion and Terrorism

Theocracy on the rise– Iran– Saudi Arabia– Pakistan– India – BJP– Japan – Soka Gokkai– US Religious Right

Public Opinion in Iraq

Steven Kull and Evan Lewis, Iraqi Public Rejects Iranian Model June 14, 2005 Available at: http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/articles/governance_bt/84.php?

lb=brme&pnt=84&nid=&id=

Characteristics of Religion-based Terrorism

• War analogy• Cosmic war• Demonization of the enemy• Conspiracies• Empowering of alienated individuals• Truth vs. lies• Linkage to mainstream issues

Sunni Vs.

Shi’ite

Geography of IslamNon-Middle eastern states• Indonesia 215 m• Pakistan 160 m• India 134 m• Bangladesh 123 m• Turkey 70 m• Nigeria 65 m• Afghanistan 31 m• Sudan 30 m• Total 828 m

Middle Eastern states• Egypt 80 m• Iran 70 m• Algeria 32 m• Morocco 32 m• Iraq 25 m• Saudi Arabia 22 m• Syria 16. m• Jordan 5.0 m• Total 282 m

Ideas and Politics

• A spectrum for political Islam

Liberal Orthodox

IndonesiaMalaysiaTurkey

TalibanIran Clergy AQ

Iranian peoplePakistan gov’t

Saudi gov’t

IslamistsFundamentalists

EgyptianGov’t Egyptian

people

Rise of Extremist Islam

Why the Middle East?• Ideology• Lack of Democracy• Rising expectations and frustrations• Inequality• Socialist economics (OIL)

Explaining the Growth of Extremist IdeasPolitical Factors *Technological factorsAuthoritarian government advances in communicationCorrupt government computers for info storageLack of civil rights; no democracy internet and e-mailLack of human rights; no individual freedoms ease of travelLiberal and moderate ideas crushed ease of global financial transactionsRadical ideas crushed (Egypt) advantages of networksRadical ideas encouraged (Saudi Arabia) globalizationPrison torture SOPControlled press spreads ruling ideologyAnti-West and anti-US Social FactorsColonialism in past *Rapid economic changeStrong religious traditions *Population growthPan-Islamic ideas Lack of social and economic mobilityPan-Arab ideas *More university education; lack of jobs*Failures of secular nationalism (Syria, Iraq) *Generation with a lack of identityNo outlet for moderate dissent or debate *Expectations of success; lack of successIsraeli-Palestinian conflict *Expectations of change; lack of change

Economic FactorsPovertySmall wealthy elite *Geopolitical Factors*Expectations of wealth through oil Rapid wealth creation in Middle East *Rising population Iranian revolution*Massive underemployment GlobalizationSocialist economies Soviet Invasion of AfghanistanClosed economies Collapse of Cold War*Knowledge of wealth in other societies Instability of shift to post-cold war world

*Temporal Factors: These variables explain why events happened when they did. Many people ask why radical Islam developed, but we need to ask why it developed and why it developed when it developed.

Growth of extremist ideas