RELIGIOUS FANATICISM

AMEYA DAS

Religious fanaticism is when a person or a group of people refuses to open their mind to
accept differences in faith and considers their interpretation of their faith as superior to the
point they take extreme measures to prove themselves right. It is also known as religious
extremism. It frequently has a superstitious or fantastical basis and they use their twisted
logic to justify any possible outcome.

Over-enthusiasm and zeal are two definitions of fanaticism, and religious fanatics are known
to be irrational people. With them, it's almost impossible to talk or understand logically. They
only care about spreading their version of the gospel. Know that if they do want to hear what
others have to say, it's not because they want to understand it but rather because they want to
use their words against them. Fanaticism cannot, however, be isolated from religion. It can be
true of any ideology and belief system in politics, culture, or society. When socio-cultural
systems from other nations attack or invade them, persistent and fervent resistance can be
built against them.

Due to religious fanaticism and radicalism, this world is currently experiencing major social
and civic unrest. Although this idea may not always be associated with religion or its fringe
groups for many people, it is clearly evident in many walks of life. This saga has had a
detrimental impact on many elements of life, including peaceful cohabitation and
infrastructure development. Religious extremists hold views that could have terrible effects
on society. A few of the horrible effects are communalism, violence, and the emergence of a
divided society. Society can be harmed by blindly following someone's extreme preaching or
an absurd set of regulations. Religious fanaticism, more often than not, ends up harming other
people in the society who probably had nothing to do with the fanatics’ faith.

According to Lyod Steffan, religious fanaticism exists because humans have a deep spiritual
need for knowledge and significance based on the given the enigma of existence. This
yearning can only be satisfied through some kind of connection to ultimacy, whether or not it
manifests as a ‘transcendent other’. Fanatics use religion as a tool to justify their ideologies
and agendas.

A study of religious fanaticism reveals that it is influenced by post-axial religions and aspects
of religious modernity. Post-axial religions differ from previous ones in that they objectify
worldviews, moralise the sacred, and emphasise redeeming goodness. Fanaticism is possible
if the ultimate nature present in all religions is understood to be absolutism. Christian
fanaticism has been a common example while listing religious extremism. But this often
manifests in very childish forms.

For instance, in the context of America, Christian extremists would consider the success of
their country’s well-being due to the blessings of God. But if the country is falling, they
would argue it’s because America is walking away from Christianity so god is punishing
them. Here, it’s the two sides of the same coin. Then given the worst scenario that they are
endangered or in harm somehow, then this would be the test from god if they survive.

Christian extremism has also given way to terrorism which was in the case of the Holocaust.
In the 1900s, Christian clergy frequently emphasised the same themes as the Nazis during the
Holocaust and the decades that preceded it, particularly with regard to the Jews being
"parasitic" capitalists who exploit Christians as well as communists trying to overthrow the
governments and traditional Christian values of Europe. Many religious and racial terms were
frequently used by these clerics when referring to Jews. The contrast between hedonistic
Judaism and spiritual Christianity, on the other hand, was a common theme used by the Nazis
to exploit traditional Christian themes.

Another common post-axial religious extremism example would be Islamic fundamentalism.

With the media portraying members who exhibit the most fanatical tendencies, Islam has
become the religion that receives the most media attention. The world has been aware of
radical jihad ever since Osama bin Laden issued his fatwa in 1998. The peaceful message that
jihad aims to spread is markedly distinct from this disregard for others and widespread use of
violence. Although zealous jihadists have carried out numerous acts of terrorism all over the
world, the World Trade Center bombing of September 11, 2001, is perhaps the most
well-known. Westernisation, secularisation, and modernisation are some of the factors that
contribute to Islamic fundamentalist movements. Those who failed and did not benefit from
these procedures regard them as completely foreign. These new aspects have deeply divided
the Muslim society as a whole.

The most obvious of these conflicts relate to the status of women. Recently, the Taliban in
Afghanistan said that all girls' schools would shut down and that women were not allowed to
leave their houses unless they were accompanied by close male relatives. Prior to the new
regulation, Saudi Arabian women were not allowed to drive and were limited to going out
with male relatives. There is no such divine command in the Qur'an. It was a practice that
originated throughout the early history of Islam's medievalism, which took place a long time
after the Prophet Muhammad's demise. Medieval feudal ideals had an impact on Islamic legal
principles. The empowering influence of Islam was utterly lost.

In the case of India where religious tensions are very common, religious extremism is present
in all walks of life. Hinduism was regarded to be more ‘tolerant’ than Islam and Christianity
since it was thought to be an amorphous religion, but it could not avoid fanaticism either. It
gave rise to zealots who believed that destroying the Babri Masjid was their unavoidable
duty. Their tolerance was at an all-time low, and their behaviour was absolutely unreasonable.
Naturally, such a high level of devotion was created to forward a political agenda through
highly pitched political propaganda.

For instance, violence based on communalistic ideologies is quite predominant in the Indian
subcontinent, especially since the British Raj, even resulting in the partition of British India
based on religious lines. In modern-day India, incidents of anti-Muslim violence are
politically motivated and a part of the electoral strategy of mainstream political parties that
are associated with Hindu nationalism like the Bharatiya Janata Party (the political wing of
RSS). In recent years, Muslims are suffering from the dire consequences of having a Hindu
nationalist party as its ruling party. Love jihad, the ban on hijabs in schools, and cow
vigilantes are some of the discrimination faced put on the Muslim community. There have
also been various murders of Muslim individuals in the name of ‘protecting the nation’ done
by the apologists of Hindutva.

In a similar vein, the Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka exuded a strong sense of fanaticism and
exerted pressure on the government to prevent the Tamil community from receiving
concessions. Buddhism, like Hinduism, does not appear to exhibit rigidity or dogmatism. In
point of fact, according to the Buddha's teachings, it is the most open, rational, and tolerant.
Regarding Buddhism, there are no theological dogmas of any kind. The Buddhist monks, on
the other hand, who are supposed to be self-restrained, acted like zealots and fanatics and
contributed to Sri Lanka's ethnic conflict. These examples clearly demonstrate that all
religious or national communities are afflicted with religious fanaticism, which manifests
itself at crucial junctures.

Terrorism and religious extremism appear to be linked at first glance. Extremist religious
beliefs encourage violence in the name of religion to the point that they are willing to commit
murder. Because they see their victims as enemies of their god, they have no empathy for
them. Furthermore, they promptly penance their own lives since they expect enormous and
quick afterlife awards as a trade-off for their sacrifices. But religious fanaticism is more than
the religion itself. It manifests in many forms and versions that persist as norms or
stereotypes in the society.

References:
● https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361030922_Religious_Fanaticism_Causes_
and_Solutions
● https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-030-70408-7_12
● https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=p3CIDQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR
5&ots=7dRUVpZn-j&sig=W24OoTUlZcbhSmSFWg0XIkjg0Tw&redir_esc=y#v=on
epage&q&f=false
● https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/9/1/26
● https://www.jstor.org/stable/4405255