Peace by RLW

     Religious terror and violence has been prevalent among different cultures across the globe.  Radical religious terrorist groups have inflicted a tremendous amount of pain and fear into everyday life, altering the way people decide on how they will interact with each other in public.  These acts of violence and terror have not only been directed towards secular culture, but towards other religions as well.  The radical Islam groups are at war against the Jews along with the United States and its allies.  The Protestants and Catholics in Ireland are at war against each other.  The Sikh radical group of Hinduism is at war against India’s government.  Christians in the United States are at war with the secular government and with races other than Aryans.  The radical Jews are at war against the radical Muslims and also their secular government in their homeland.
     One common factor these radical religious groups share is their strong dislike and hatred towards secular government.  Each individual government has used their own method of trying to end the terrorist attacks on government buildings and public venues that are essential to each cultures way of life. Dealing with these radical groups and the attacks they have conducted has been an overwhelming task.  Some of these governments have used the five suggested solution scenarios that Juergensmeyer has stated.  One scenario uses retaliation as a means of trying to rid the country and world of the terrorist groups.  This type of solution has not worked.  More attacks have taken place as a result of this scenario.  Another scenario Juergensmeyer suggested was the brutal jail sentencing of terrorists that have been taken into custody and put on trial.  This punishment doesn’t seem to install fear in the hearts and minds of these terrorist groups.  It seems whatever solution, and scenarios a country has decided on using has not been effective.
       An effective solution for ending religious terrorism must consist of many elements and scenarios.  One specific scenario cannot be applied to all religious terrorism because of the complexity of their reason for justifying violence.  The scenarios of allowing violence to win with the idea of having political leaders and the leaders of these radical religious groups sit down and discuss a possible compromise to end this unnecessary violence.  In order to rid the world of these religious terrorist groups, the dimensions of cosmic war must be addressed.  Cosmic war consists of many elements.  There is a war between the good spirits and the evil spirits.  In order for a war to take place there has to be an enemy and that enemy must fight back when they have been attacked.  The religious terrorists feel their belief system and way of life has been attacked by secular cultures and other religions and they must defend themselves against who they consider to be the enemy.  Retaliating with violence does not help eliminate the violent attacks performed by these groups.  This type of action plays right into their hands; this further vindicates their cause of the ongoing battle between good and evil.
     Cosmic war has been interpreted as a never-ending battle that will continue until there is a victory. They consider themselves to be the good and the nature of evil is to attack the good, and that justifies their violence.  Killing their followers plays into they hands as well.  Along with the battle of good versus evil, cosmic war also involves sacrifices.  According to cosmic war sacrifices were given to God, as a symbol of thanks and God requires them.  Sacrifices included animals being killed on altars and men going into battle giving their life in the name of God.  Their culture and territory is considered as the altar and dying for what they believe in is their sacrifice made unto God as a symbol of their devotion on pleasing him and giving him thanks.  Members of these groups witnessing their fellow brothers being killed by secular culture and they are made into martyrs by the non-secular culture which interprets this to be prophecy of their faith.  Not retaliating would confuse the terrorists and they will consider the war being over and all of their sacrifices were not made in vain, giving them a moral victory.
     Satanization of an enemy is another element of cosmic war that has to be eliminated, “Satanization dehumanizes and humiliates other cultures”(Juergensmeyer unit #9).  This allows a religious terrorist group to form a greater hatred and dislike of the many different cultures and religions other than themselves, which allows attacks to be carried out without any remorse.  Earlier it was mentioned these radical terrorist groups along with world and local leaders should create some kind of forum to discuss a means of eliminating this violence.  Having these meetings could eliminate the Satanization of other cultures and religions.  These talks would allow each culture and religious group the opportunity to express what their needs and wants are and what actions must take place in order to have every group feel comfortable.  Each group could mention what they feel has been disrespectful and humiliating behavior that has been directed towards them.  This environment allows each radical religious terrorist group the opportunity to form some type of relationship with other religious groups and cultures they have committed acts of violence against.  Forming this type of verbal, non-violent communication can eliminate the Satanization of an enemy, which gives each group a sense of familiarity between each other.
     It is possible for religious groups and secular society to exist together.  All religions share in the belief of some degree of peace, which is the objective of the majority of the religious radical groups.  These two scenarios can be a start towards reaching this goal.