Sacred Terror

1. Sacred Terror Juan Cole

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. 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

6. Cosmic War • Mark Juergensmeyer: • A world view that encompasses all • A scenario for the grand sweep of history • Exists in all religions

7. Absolute struggle • Enemy implacable • Pure good versus unadulterated evil • No compromise possible

8. Heroes • Terrorists imagine themselves as soldiers • In the army of religion • And enemies as hordes of satan

9. Complete Victory & Utopia • God will intervene • Struggle could go on for centuries • Or until the end of time

10. 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

11. 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).

12. 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)

13. 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”

14. 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."

15. Ireland • Northern Ireland • Ian Paisely and Protestant militants • IRA and Catholic militants

16. Muslim Terrorism: Background • Ottomans lose WW I to British • End of Ottoman Empire, 1923 – rise of secular Republic of Turkey • End of Caliphate, 1924

17. Egypt • 1928 • Hasan al-Banna founds • Muslim Brotherhood

18. Muslim Brotherhood • Initially influenced by Sufi mysticism • Turns to more literal approach to Koran

19. Cult-like Practices • Banna forbids membership in other parties • demands absolute personal allegiance

20. 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

21. Brotherhood Terrorism • 1940s: Develops terrorist wing – secret apparatus • Training camps in desert • Attacks on British soldiers, Jews in Egypt

22. PM Assassinated • PM Nuqrashi bans brotherhood 1948 • Is assassinated in revenge

23. Attempt to Kill Abdel Nasser • 1954 assassination attempt by Muslim Brotherhood • Fails • Mass arrests • They are banned

24. 1965 Plot • Sayyid Qutb jailed • Theory of state as non-Muslim (“Pharaoh”) • Further plot busted 1965 • Qutb executed 1966

25. Sadat 1970-1981 • Freed Muslim Brotherhood • To offset influence of Leftists in 1970s

26. Brotherhood Mainstreams • Muslim Brotherhood • Rejects Qutb as extremist • Joins Egyptian system

27. Radical Fringe • Younger radicals turn to violence • Especially after Camp David

28. Al-Jihad al-Islami • Founded 1970s • Salim al-Rahhal • 1977 80 members arrested with explosives • Abd al-Salam Farag

29. Al-Jihad al-Islami • Infiltrates military • Abbud al-Zumur (officer) • 12-man council

30. Al-Gamaa al-Islamiya • Campus group of 1970s • Upper Egypt

31. Inspiration of Iranian Revolution • 1979 Shiites overthrow Shah • 1980 hostage crisis • Sunni radicals take heart

32. Sadat Assassinated 1981 • Blind Sheikh gives fatwa • Al-Jihad al-Islami joins • The Islamic Group

33. Gamaa Covenant • Covenant of Islamic Action • Violent reestablishment of Caliphate • Rejects secular law

34. Crackdown forces Islamists Abroad • Many go to Afghanistan • To fight Soviets • Encouraged by U.S. • Others go to Europe • Ayman al-Zawahiri

35. The Challenge of the 90s • Islamist victory in Afghanistan • Followed by setbacks everywhere else

36. Algeria – New Civil War • Military gov’t holds elections 1991 • Rescinds results when Islamist party wins • Bin Laden aids subsequent Armed Islamic Group

37. Egypt Electorate • 2/3s relatively secular nationalists • 1/3 religious Muslims • Perhaps .1% extremists

38. Violence in Mubarak Era • 1992 grenade attack on tourists Luxor • 1995 assassination attempt on Mubarak • 1997 66 killed at Luxor

39. Muslim Fundamentalism • Fundamentalists often apolitical • Or committed to democratic process • Form potential recruiting pool for al-Qaeda • Not themselves a threat until radicalized

40. 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

41. 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