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THE POWER OF
FEAR
As Winston Churchill warned, “we
have nothing to fear, but fear itself.” It’s doubtful
he realized the sweeping political accuracy of those inspiring words.
The common thread that weaves violent political movements together
is fear. It is not the only motivating factor behind political violence,
nor necessarily the most obvious, but it is virtually always there.
Whenever we ask why people hate, or why they are willing to kill
or die for a cause, the answer is invariably fear.
Religious fundamentalists are united by fear.
Whether they are Christian, Muslim, or Jew, fear is the common denominator.
They fear change, modernization and loss of influence. They fear
that the young will abandon the churches, mosques and synagogues
for physical and material gratification. They fear the influence
of mass media and its ability to subvert the young with song, dance,
fashion, alcohol, drugs, sex and freedom. They especially fear education
if it undermines the teachings of their religion. They fear a future
they can’t control, or even comprehend.
These themes are as common among traditionalist
Muslims as they are with traditionalist Jews and Christians. We’ve
all heard the same concerns about moral decay, decadence, and the
influence of the impious. These are the evils of which religious
teaching warn us. These fears resonate loudest among those people
who have least. For people mired in poverty, lacking hope and frustrated
by political and economic systems they can neither understand or
control, religion holds meaning and offers hope, at least for future
salvation, if not in this world.
Perhaps it’s not surprising to realize that
it is fear that also connects the myriad of nationalist, separatist
and independence movements who also engage in political violence.
Although experts, academics and analysts hypothesize about a multitude
of causal effects that lead to violence and terrorism, fear is the
underlying motivator.
People are social beings who come together in
groups with shared values, religion, culture, language, tradition,
heritage, or location in hope of survival and prosperity. Whenever
the core characteristic that bonds a group together comes under
threat, the group will inevitably fear for its very survival. They’ll
attempt to change the situation that poses the threat, or, failing
that, they will attempt to repel the threat and strengthen their
group cohesiveness. Occasionally, leaders who seek to exploit popular
fears for personal advantage by exaggerating threats.
Examples are plentiful. In the Northern
Ireland conflict both sides fear changes that will erode their nationality,
language or culture and with it their economic opportunity. Each
group fears the other will dominate them unjustly. Similar motivations
exist (with minor variation) in Sri Lanka, the Basque Country in
Spain, Rwanda, Sudan, Jammu and Kashmir, Palestine and Israel, or
among the Kurds of Turkey, Iraq and Iran. Many groups have survived
attempted genocide against them, certainly the Jews, the Irish,
but also Tutsis, Hutus, Kurds, Armenians, Azeris, and Arabs. This
is not to suggest that numerous other factors don’t also influence
the move to violence, but none act upon people with the urgency
and stimulation of fear.
THE NEED FOR DIVINE TRUTH
A movement cannot, however, willfully and
openly admit its fears; to do so would be an admission of weakness
and despair. Instead a movement must develop a positive political
or theological proposition and agenda. The emergence of religious
fundamentalism may be driven by fear, but each religion must adopt
its unique version of a revealed Truth to justify participation.
These Truths cannot be temporal in nature; they must be based on
the inerrant sanctity of God’s word.
Religion has been created by men, never women,
and invariably as a result of divine intervention and mystical guidance.
Inherent in most religious doctrine is inplicit fear of eternal
damnation; in Christianty even a child is born into this world in
a state of original sin - a mechanism to instill immediate fear
of damnation, unless corrective action is taken.
But most important is the belief that the divine
word of any particular religion is the one and only truth, subject
to no compromise. Hence fundamentalist Jews know, without doubt,
that they are God's Chosen People. Christians know, without doubt,
that when Armageddon arrives, true Christian believers will be saved
and non-Christians condemned. Fundamentalist Muslims know, without
doubt, that Allah will reward only their faith and not that of the
infidels. The danger in each of these cases is that eternal salvation
requires more than leading a good and humane life, it demands certain
achievements during one's life - conquering land, converting non-believers,
or destroying infidels.
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