Responses Of Mysticism To Religious Terrorism

This book explores how mystical traditions of either Abrahamic or non-Abrahamic religions hold the potential to challenge the discourse of political Islam and its terrorist intentions. It discusses the urgent need to reconsider mystical messages of love and recognition of difference against the poisonous evil of terrorism issuing from religious contexts. Throughout the publication, the editors draw together the main ideas and perspectives surrounding mystical Islam in real life and the practice of mystics alongside illustrating common beliefs and practices of Islamic mysticism. This book analyses the message and impacts of mysticism on the battle against the evil of religious terrorism, whilst examining successful stories and cases against violence and religious terrorism.

September 11 and the subsequent War on Terror continues to cast a long shadow over the world. Religion, Terror and Violence brings together a group of distinguished scholars from a range of backgrounds and disciplines to explore the claim that acts of violence – most spectacularly the attack of September 11, 2001 and the international reaction to it – were intimately linked to cultural and social authorizing processes that could be called 'religious.' This book provides a nuanced but incisive insight into the reaction of the discipline of religious studies to the post 9/11 world.

Starting in the mid-7th century CE, there have been various radical terrorist groups appearing in the Muslim majority communities that have interpreted the Qur'an and the Prophetic Traditions in very extreme ways in an attempt to justify their violence and mask their evil acts. As the title of the work, Terrorism and Violence in Islamic History from Beginning to Present and Theological Responses to the Arguments of Terrorist Groups suggests, it presents a brief history of violence and terrorism through the course of Islamic history and then provides a comprehensive theological response to the arguments of the extremist groups. In Chapter One, the author highlights the sanctity of human life and provides abundant evidence from the primary Islamic sources? the Qur'an and the Traditions of Prophet Muhammad, proving that it is strongly prohibited to kill human beings regardless of their ethnic, cultural or religious background. Condemning all evil acts of terrorists who violate God-given inalienable right to life, he asserts that it is not right to attribute terrorists to a certain religion or faith tradition, thus labeling their evil acts as "Islamic" or "Christian" terror. In Chapter Two, the author sheds light on the extreme sects appearing in Islamic history that have misinterpreted the primary Islamic sources to legitimize their violent extremism and terrorism. In Chapter Three, he provides the theological responses to refute the claims of these extremist terrorist groups, thus proving their sick, violent mentality on the basis of primary Islamic sources. In Chapter Four, he explains in great detail some of the key Islamic notions, such as struggling in the way of God and martyrdom, which have been exploited by the extremist terrorist groups. In the last chapter, the author discusses the necessity of mutual understanding and respect for the sacred as an alternative method to prevent radicalism and extremism. He argues that showing disrespect for the sacredness of Muslims causes radicalism in the Muslim world, and in turn this radicalism feeds Islamophobia in the West. He further puts forward that the international community should benefit from the ideas of the moderate Muslim scholars in order to combat terrorism effectively, using their compelling arguments to refute the violent arguments of the extremist groups.

The first account of the new Taliban—showing who they are, what they want, and how they differ from their predecessors Since the fall of Kabul in 2021, the Taliban have effective control of Afghanistan—a scenario few Western commentators anticipated. But after a twenty-year-long bitter war against the Republic of Afghanistan, reestablishing control is a complex procedure. What is the Taliban’s strategy now that they’ve returned to power? In this groundbreaking new account, Hassan Abbas examines the resurgent Taliban as ruptures between moderates and the hardliners in power continue to widen. The group is now facing debilitating threats—from humanitarian crises to the Islamic State in Khorasan—but also engaging on the world stage, particularly with China and central Asian states. Making considered use of sources and contacts in the region, and offering profiles of major Taliban leaders, Return of the Taliban is the essential account of the movement as it develops and consolidates its grasp on Afghanistan.

This book explores the notion of the human psyche (‘soul’) and its continuing usefulness in the background of the ongoing and always accelerating techno-scientific revolution. The main argument here follows the assumption that this revolution, while not necessarily being a threat to humankind, is often blind or ignorant as to its subject, the ‘human being’. In the first chapters, the reader is invited to reflect on the notion of ‘thinking’ as a phenomenon of consciousness that transcends merely ‘having thoughts’. Relating thinking to consciousness requires reconsidering the phenomena of ‘inspiration’ and ‘ecstasy’. Provided that such a thing as ‘inspiration’ exists, it makes sense to revise the solipsist or substantialist account often given of the human mind. The book defines inspiration as a ‘clairvoyance of one’s psyche’, and ecstasy as the experience of this clairvoyance. Next, a case is made for synchronicity experiences as a key to a better understanding of the human psyche. While being enigmatic all throughout, synchronicity experiences, both on the individual and on the collective level, help overcome both subject/object and body/mind dualisms. It is not likely, though, that the solution they could offer will be readily accepted by (what is called) ‘science’ today, since it challenges one of the latter’s basic premises, ‘causality’. As a more concrete example of a condensed synchronicity experience, the author dwells on ‘physiognomy’. In the final chapter, death and suffering are discussed as extreme, and therefore relevant, experiences of consciousness. The book interprets death in terms of ‘enhanced subliminality’, and ‘suffering’ as unconscious resistance against maturing. Generally, this book explores a psycho-philosophical tradition, rooted in Romantic thinking (from Schelling and Schopenhauer until Klages and Jung), which has hitherto been unjustly neglected, if not repressed, by mainstream materialism and positivism. It makes a strong case for an intellectual account of the soul.

Religion and Terrorism: The Use of Violence in Abrahamic Monotheism provides theoretical analysis of the nature of religious terrorism and religious martyrdom and also delves deeply into terrorist groups and beliefs in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Religious terrorism is found in all three of the great monotheistic faiths, and while the public is most aware of Islamic terrorism, Jewish and Christian faiths have extremist groups that warp their teaching —in ways unrecognizable to most adherents— to support terrorism. This work will be of interest to scholars in religious studies, political science, and sociology.

"The End of Faith articulates the dangers and absurdities of organized religion so fiercely and so fearlessly that I felt relieved as I read it, vindicated....Harris writes what a sizable number of us think, but few are willing to say."—Natalie Angier, New York Times In The End of Faith, Sam Harris delivers a startling analysis of the clash between reason and religion in the modern world. He offers a vivid, historical tour of our willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs—even when these beliefs inspire the worst human atrocities. While warning against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris draws on insights from neuroscience, philosophy, and Eastern mysticism to deliver a call for a truly modern foundation for ethics and spirituality that is both secular and humanistic. Winner of the 2005 PEN/Martha Albrand Award for Nonfiction.

Militant Islam provides a sociological framework for understanding the rise and character of recent Islamic militancy. It takes a systematic approach to the phenomenon and includes analysis of cases from around the world, comparisons with militancy in other religions, and their causes and consequences. The sociological concepts and theories examined in the book include those associated with social closure, social movements, nationalism, risk, fear and ‘de-civilising’. These are applied within three main themes; characteristics of militant Islam, multi-layered causes and the consequences of militancy, in particular Western reactions within the ‘war on terror’. Interrelationships between religious and secular behaviour, ‘terrorism’ and ‘counter-terrorism’, popular support and opposition are explored. Through the examination of examples from across Muslim societies and communities, the analysis challenges the popular tendency to concentrate upon ‘al-Qa’ida’ and the Middle East. This book will be of interest to students of Sociology, Political Science and International Relations, in particular those taking courses on Islam, religion, terrorism, political violence and related regional studies.