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