Religious Terrorism

Thought Paper # 3: Religious Terrorism

Militant Muslims choose to fight in the name of Allah. Some militant Muslim groups such as the Wahhabi aim to rid the practicing faith of "popular" Islam through political values by enforcing the Koran (Wahabbi, 2005). Wahhabi was formed by Muhammad Wahhab who sent out to perform his "mission" by "being "forceful and strict in the practice of Islam (Wahabbi, 2005). Death was the immediate result for all "unbelievers" including Muslims and Christians (Wahabbi, 2005). Those who fought upholding their call to Jihad were given "Immediate entrance to Paradise" (Guide, 2001). Wahhab's main goal was to rid the misinterpretations and practice of mainstream Islam in which only condones fighting in the name of personal self-defense (Hunter, Daryl). Terrorist organizations such as the Wahhabi, Muslim Brotherhood, and Salafi take their religious practice to the extreme in the name of Allah. Allah is said to award Muslims who practice in this way the label of "Al-Jihad, the holy fighting in Allah's cause" (Bin Humaid, 2000). Bin Humaid states the three doctrines in which to obey Allah; with the heart, with the hand, and with the tongue (2000). These three doctrines are performed with the intentions that Islam will prevail using weapons and giving speeches in the name of Allah (Bin Humaid,2000). These groups or "religious extremist" call those who do not follow Allah under these three doctrines "infidels" and call for "every Muslim on earth to unsheathe their sword and fight in the name of Allah" (Hunter, Daryl). Away from mainstream Islam Salafi is a group that is very rigorous in their efforts to follow the strict Koran "free from an additions, deletions" (Salafi,2005). Most of these groups like Salafi practice their doctrine "rigid, but peaceful" Aggressiveness is through the practice Jihad Salafi which includes al-Qaeda trying to imitate the Prophet's behavior using violence in order to make the world convert to Islam (Salafi, 2005). Interpretation of the Koran is the major difference between mainstream Islam; Islam it is a duty to obey Allah, minus the doctrine of bearing arms. Vigorous in following the Koran, Terrorist are trying to converted Islam into believing the ways of the Wahhab, Salafi, and Muslim Brotherhood through the act of serving Allah through their " Heart Hands and Tongues" (Bin Humaid, 2000). What better belief grants a follower an instant spot in paradise?

Palestinian areas are being settled by the Jewish in opposition that Arabs are preventing the "Messiah" from returning (Nacos, 2008). Gush Emunim, Kach, and Kahane Chai, are Jewish extremist groups that share similar Ideology. A Rabbi and supporter of Gush Emunim have said " A Jew who killed a non-Jew is exempt from human judgment" (Origin, 2000). Land taken from the Arabs by the Jews is not considered "stealing" (Origin, 2000) due to the religious implications the Messiah calls for. Gush Emunim is different from Kach and Kahane Chai in that it is a much larger group backed politically to reclaim settlements in Palestine. Gush Emunim is backed by many departments of Israel's government including the army and support by one half of Israel's Jewish population (Origin, 2000). The Kach often referred to as the Kahane Chai is more active in carrying out violent act in order to keep Israel sacred as their Holy right by expelling Muslims and Arabs. Kahane Chai lost most of its support in 1995 and was banned from having any political influence( Gunitskiy, 2002). With that in mind the group later established itself as Kach (Kuhane Chai, 2007). Kahane Chai wanted to transform Kach into a political influence through terrorist acts and threats against the government (Kach, 2007). Both Groups are prevented from "politically" expelling non-Jews from the land of Israel and are banned from elections due to their violent acts of terror. Kach is presently active today and completely against any peace process to fight as Gush Emunim settles more land (Gunitskiy, 2002). These groups have the right to use violence mainly because the Messiah is believed to be coming when Israel is purely sacred and is occupied by holy Jews, holy Jews who believe in a God of Israel.

Doctors and clinical workers of abortion clinics face a different type of right-wing religious terrorism. This terrorism is focused on the "immoral" act of killing a fetus in which is human. In a philosophical sense human is used here to refer to not only life in a physical sense but a metaphysical sense. Many anti-abortionists such as Micheal Bray would say that abortion doctors and clinicians carry out murdering "God's Prophets" (2003). Because Humans can think in a secular fashion and believe in more than life itself, followers use the Bible as means to justify and stand up for the children of God. Brigitte Nacos discusses how the Army of God's manual believes that "out of love for the person's being exterminated, we are forced to take . . . arms against" (2008) to protect innocent souls with their own lives. These types of groups use