Religion and Terrorism
Terrorism is the use of violence, especially against civilians, by a group without legitimate authority, to create fear and achieve a political, religious or ideological aim. This topic explores why terrorism breaks the moral rules found in just war theory, why mainstream religious teaching in every major tradition rejects using religion to justify it, and the different explanations offered for why it happens. It is treated strictly as an ethical topic, with no operational or tactical detail.
Before you start
Make sure you're comfortable with these topics first:
Method
- Learn the definition of terrorism and how it differs from a legitimate armed conflict.
- Learn why terrorism fails the just war criteria of discrimination between combatants and civilians, and legitimate authority.
- Learn the two meanings of jihad, and why the inner, spiritual struggle is the primary meaning for most Muslims most of the time.
- Learn mainstream religious teachings, each with an accurately cited source, that reject terrorism.
- Learn contrasting explanations for why terrorism happens: religious extremism misreading scripture versus political or social grievance.
- Practise writing an answer that explains two contrasting explanations, using an accurately cited source, always making clear that mainstream teaching condemns violence against civilians.
- Practise structuring a 12-mark evaluation on the causes of terrorism that reaches a justified conclusion.
Worked example
A rebel group attacks a country's army base, fighting only uniformed soldiers who are actively defending the base. Decide, giving a reason, whether this action meets the just war criterion of discrimination between combatants and civilians, regardless of whether the group has legitimate authority to fight.
- Recall that discrimination requires an attack to target only combatants, not civilians.
- Note that the scenario describes an attack only on uniformed soldiers actively defending a base.
- Compare this against the discrimination criterion: the target is combatants only.
- Conclude that, on the discrimination criterion alone, this action does meet that specific requirement.
- Final answer: yes, on discrimination specifically it is met, though whether the action is fully justified overall would still depend on other just war criteria, such as whether the group holds legitimate authority.
Practice questions
Try each question, then tap to reveal the answer.
Exam-style questions
Written in the style of a GCSE Religious Studies exam paper, with a full mark scheme.
A charity that supports people leaving extremist groups reports that, of 80 people it worked with last year, 52 said a sense of social exclusion had been a bigger factor in their journey towards extremism than religious belief. (a) Calculate what percentage of the 80 people this represents. (b) Using this figure, explain one way this data supports the view that non-religious, social causes can be more significant than religious belief in individual cases of radicalisation.
Compare the reasons mainstream religious scholars give for rejecting terrorism with the reasons Humanists give for rejecting terrorism, and reach a justified conclusion about which set of reasons you find more persuasive.
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