Religious Terrorism
What makes terrorism “religious”?
It’s considered religious when political violence is carried out in the name of faith and justified as a divine command or moral duty by believers.
How do fear and religion interact to justify violence, according to Sorek?
Fear is framed as a defense of faith and survival, allowing violence to be seen as morally justified and necessary to protect one’s religious or national identity.
Who reframed suicide as istishhad (martyrdom) instead of intihar (suicide)?
Ayman al-Zawahiri and Abdullah Azzam they redefined suicide bombings as acts of martyrdom in service of jihad.
Japanese cult behind the 1995 Tokyo subway attack.
Aum Shinrikyo
What’s the main difference between religious and secular terrorism?
Religious terrorism is driven by divine authority and faith-based goals, while secular terrorism is driven by political or nationalist goals like independence or reform.
What does the term “genocidal imagination” refer to?
It’s the collective mindset that normalizes extreme violence or elimination of others by imagining it as necessary, defensive, or divinely approved.
What major global event caused suicide attacks to skyrocket after 2003?
The U.S. invasion of Iraq (2003) it triggered a surge in suicide bombings, especially by Al-Qaeda in Iraq and early Islamic State networks.
Group that used martyrdom as a weapon after the 2003 Iraq invasion.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq
What does it mean when religion is a primary motive versus a secondary motive?
Primary motive: Religion itself is the main cause of violence.
Secondary motive: Religion is used to support another cause, like nationalism or politics.
When does self-defense rhetoric become genocidal?
When it shifts from protecting oneself to eliminating an entire group portraying destruction as the only way to ensure safety or purity.
What is the key difference between nationalist and Salafi jihadist suicide bombers?
Nationalist groups fight for local or political goals, while Salafi jihadists fight for global religious aims like defending Islam and establishing a caliphate.
A Shi’a Islamist group that views fighting Israel as holy resistance
Hezbollah
Name one group mentioned in the chapter that uses religion to justify violence.
Al-Qaeda, ISIS, or Aum Shinrikyo
What makes genocidal imagination “mainstream,” and who benefits from it?
It becomes mainstream when media, politics, and religion spread fear-based narratives. Leaders and dominant groups benefit by uniting followers against a common enemy.
What does Moghadam argue is the true driver behind suicide terrorism ideology, occupation, or psychology?
He argues that suicide terrorism is rooted in Salafi jihadist ideology, not just occupation or psychological despair.
Jihadist group seeking global caliphate; known for propaganda videos.
ISIS.
Why does religious terrorism persist despite global counterterrorism efforts?
Because it’s fueled by deep ideological conviction, moral certainty, and global media networks that spread extremist beliefs beyond borders.
How can societies break the cycle of fear-based violence in conflicts like Israel/Palestine?
By challenging fear narratives, promoting shared humanity, and depoliticizing religion to stop its use as a weapon of justification.
How did Salafi jihadism transform martyrdom into a global religious obligation?
It elevated martyrdom from personal sacrifice to divine duty, spreading the belief that dying for Islam guarantees paradise and honors the global ummah.
Group in Lebanon that blended nationalism and faith in early suicide bombings.
Hezbollah