Globalization of Violence and Religious Fanaticism
	29 November 2003

When Samuel Huntington’s article “The Clash of Civilizations” was first published in 1993, four years before the release of his famous book, the topic sparked intense debate and skepticism. No one could have imagined then what would happen on September 11, 2001, and in the years that followed, with the rise of terrorist attacks and the daily acts of blind violence. The recent horrific events in our neighborhood have sounded the alarm for all of Europe. The question on everyone’s mind is: who will be the next target? This is the question that torments citizens and governments, within a climate of growing insecurity. Unfortunately, two years after the declaration of the war on terror and the de facto elevation of Al-Qaeda as the West’s arch-enemy, terrorism has not only failed to be defeated but has strengthened, multiplied, and globalized. It is said that young people are lining up, waiting to be initiated as fighters and to sacrifice their youth “for the glory and honor of Islam.”

The relationship between religious fundamentalism and terrorism is a topic that concerns us greatly, as recent attacks show that the global community will increasingly face religious violence. Many researchers, such as Mark Juergensmeyer, argue that religious terrorism rarely serves as just a part of a political strategy. It is usually an act with strong symbolism aimed at boosting self-confidence and giving a sense of power to marginalized communities. This, of course, does not mean that powerful political groups are not drawn to, or disregard, the power of religion in advancing their political goals. The White House, under its neoconservative leadership, is the prime example. For President Bush, devotion to religion is a foremost duty and obligation, clearly in order for him alone to gain the favor of God. As Bill Keller wrote very characteristically, when the President of the United States ends his speeches with the usual phrase “God bless America,” the other nations hear “to hell with everyone else.”

Many argue that religious fanaticism and terrorism are two sides of the same coin. Before the West associated it with Islamism, fundamentalism referred to extreme views emerging from Christian traditions. The concept and movement of fundamentalism appeared in the United States in the 1920s, and its key characteristics were the rejection of modernity and blind obedience to religious principles and traditions, which were placed above the laws of the rule of law. Today, fundamentalism appears in various forms (religious, political, ideological) and permeates religions and doctrines, poisoning our daily lives. Fanatics, wherever they are in the world, feel that they are fighting against forces that threaten their most sacred values and experience the modernization and development of science and technology not as a liberating process, but as an attack on the fundamental laws of their existence. Certainly, fundamentalist practices are not limited to jihad and Afghan burqas. The issue has been addressed by the European Parliament, particularly the Committee on Women’s Rights, as women are the first to suffer from the violence of religious fanaticism.

As is well known, in many Muslim societies, the reference to human rights does not include the rights of women, which are systematically violated. One of the most common crimes is the so-called “honor killings.” It is estimated that around 5,000 women and girls are murdered every year by male members of their families. The implementation of inhumane, violent, and degrading punishments for women, such as flogging and stoning, is a common practice in many countries in the name of religious traditions, which are misinterpreted as being of “divine nature and origin.”

However, violence is not addressed with even more violence. Its causes, beyond cultural differences, must be sought in the deep economic inequalities and divisions of the modern world. Perhaps a “counteroffensive” of cooperation and dialogue between cultures could lead us out of the vicious cycle of violence that the dead-end policies of the United States have led us into. The creation of a common global space of freedom, peace, security, solidarity, and justice is the greatest challenge of the ^21st century. The initiative primarily belongs to Europe.

Anna Karamanou

PASOK MEP

www.karamanou.gr