الفهرس

‮Terrorism and religion

Multi-religious cooperation

Stein Villumstad*

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1. Religions as part of our reality:

Many people question why religions and religious communities should be brought into the agenda of countering terrorism. Religion is seen by many policy makers and government officials as the problem.

2. The Religions for Peace basic thesis is therefore: Religions need to be engaged as stakeholders to be part of the solution

Religious communities need to be brought face to face with real problems and initiate common action themselves. Governments need not only to understand religions, but engage with them to counter terrorism. The Strongest ally to reject religiously based terrorism is religions itself. Religions need to be engaged in solving the problem!

3. Religious extremism and terrorism and the potentiality of religious assets

Extremist groups (note that I do not use the term “fundamentalist”, which could include legitimate religious communities) of religions are vulnerable to hijacking by sectarian politics, nationalist, ethnic and other partisan forces. There are elements in religious extremism that may justify the use of violence, including acts of terror. Extremism in religion tends to be a movement that uses religious assets for sectarian and partisan purposes.

Most religions deal with existential problems of suffering, alienation and injustice. The solutions are found in different ways in the transcendent nature of religion. Extremist analysis of the problem produces a notion of victimization. The victim image has an enemy as its mirror image. This analysis of the wrong is appropriated as a warrant for violence.

The vast majority of religious people and interpreters of religious texts and traditions will search solutions to the wrongs not through the extremist path, but through constructively exploring the power of the religious assets. Religions have spiritual (the elemental and “given” in religions), moral (standards for judging others by the same standard as they would judge themselves), and social (infrastructure, organizations and institutions) assets. Assets are potentialities that realize their value when they are used for a purpose. What makes the assets prone to be hijacked for violence and terrorism are areas that could and should be mobilized for combating them. For what purpose do religions use their assets: terrorism or peace building?

The religious assets within each religion have proven powerful. In search for the common good in a diverse and complicated global society, there is another level of mobilizing religious assets across religions. Religions that cooperate put the common problems at the centre. These may include poverty, social and political injustice, ethnic and nationalistic assertions. Different religions have different interpretations of the problems and their solutions. This does not prevent them from searching for the common principles and deeply held values that powerfully may be translated into common ground for joint action.

In an extremist analysis we see young people being mobilized through massive input of resources. They are spiritually and morally directed towards a victim frame of mind, in which enemies-real and imagined-are demonized. The social assets, including organizations and structures are skillfully developed to carry out the ultimate sacrifice- the suicide mission.

In a parallel narrative we see young people of different religions explore their spiritual, moral and social assets for common good. They become stake-holders in the future solutions. Compared to resources mobilized for militant security and ultimate destruction, resources for positive joint actions by religious communities are microscopic.

4. What should be the response?

Terrorism seeks to create discord. It must therefore be combated through cooperation.

This brings me back to my initial thesis: Religions and their institutions need to be engaged and brought in as stakeholders in countering terrorism. Both intra-and inter-religious cooperation are essential.

The mobilization of religions for joint action for peace has a potential that has not been sufficiently explored, Limited resources have so far been made available for actions that have obvious multiplying potentials.

5. Recommendations for governments and intergovernmental bodies

a. Religions are religious communities should be made stakeholders to solve problems. Governments should invite religious communities and leaders as stakeholders.

b. Multi-religious cooperation is the privileged and safe mode in which governments may engage religions and distinguish themselves from supporting sectarian agendas. Multi-religious cooperation is substantially enhanced through representative multi-religious structures on national and regional levels, and they should be systematically and substantially supported.

c. Governments intergovernmental bodies should accept that religious dialogue and joint action are built on principles deeply held and agreed upon by the religious communities themselves. Multi-religious cooperation and structures should not be used as instruments of government strategies and agendas. Gover-nments should help build and support them, but respect their independence.

With these three conclusions I challenge governments to invest in inter-religious cooperation to combat terrorism.

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(*) Deputy Secretary General of World Conference of Religious for Peace-New york.

منشورات المنظمة الإسلامية للتربية والعلوم والثقافة ـ إيسيسكو ـ 1429هـ/2008م