Violence and Terrorism in Religion

(A speech by Chan Master Sheng Yen at the global conference on "The
Use of Religion to Incite for Violence and Terrorism" at the United
Nations Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium on May 21.)

We believe that all religions of the world advocate that human beings
should live together in harmony. We should accept that all religions
in the world believe that the God they worship is the most righteous,
the most loving, and possesses the greatest capacity to give humanity
blessings of well being and happiness.

However, why has the world been rife with contradictions and
conflicts, violence and terror throughout its history and why has this
happened among social groups with the strongest religious fervor? Even
among believers of the same religion in the same ethnic group, because
of differences in times, environments, individual understanding, and
emotional experiences, differences arose and people insisted that the
God according to their own knowledge, views, experiences and beliefs
is the only, most accurate, most peace-loving and the most real, and
also the most perfect ultimate truth. Thus creating opposition,
ideological rivalry and violent confrontations. This is probably the
reason for the intolerance among various forms of fundamentalism that
in turn brings about bloody conflicts.

This is neither the problem of "God" nor of religion. Rather this is
because of human beings' ignorance, their lack of wisdom, and the
inability to open up their minds in an attempt to understand oneself
and others. If one believes that God is omniscient, omnipotent, full
of love and authority, one should also believe that God will provide
the most appropriate teachings and aids according to the needs of the
numerous different ethnic groups of different times and civilizations.
These various manifestations are the result of God's all encompassing
love for all humans. With this understanding, one will see that the
Gods worshipped by all religions and their sects are all the most
supreme, monistic God, manifested in different forms as the result of
God's universal love to humanity. If God can be manifested in many
different forms, then followers of all religions are none other than
the children of God. Therefore, aren't they all brothers and sisters?
Is there still need for oppositions and conflicts?

Otherwise, the suspicion, denial, opposition and struggle among
religions and sects will inevitably result in endless conflicts.
Because of these conflicts, everyone loses their sense of security. In
order to guarantee one's safety and protect one's space for survival,
and in order to preach God's love and extend God's righteousness and
power, there is no choice but to use violence as a means to suppress
those deemed as the evil enemies. These evil enemies are to be
terrorized, destroyed, and thoroughly annihilated from the face of the
earth so that no lurking dangers remain for one's ethnic group and
religious sect. In reality, one can never completely annihilate all
those who disagree with one's thoughts and religious beliefs. The
enemies are all generated from within to begin with; after one group
is exterminated, another group will appear. This way of perceiving all
parties that do not concur with oneself as evil demons brings about an
endless cycle of retaliation. How terrible this is!

Therefore we believe that religious violence and its terrorism have
their origin in human beings' insecurity. When confronted with
phenomena that one does not yet know, because of suspicions one gives
rise to fear. Because of fear one resorts to violent means, striking
out preemptively to embolden oneself and trigger terror in the
enemies.

How can we solve this millennia-old problem that has remained
unresolved? I suggest the following two main general approaches:

The most swiftly effective means is to pass a resolution under
international law in the United Nations stipulating that in order to
protect human beings' freedom of pluralistic religious belief and
security of human lives, any individuals, ethnic group or country who
uses religious groups to incite violence and terrorism should be tried
by international criminal court and subjected to sanctions by all of
humanity. However, this is not my area of expertise, hence this should
be discussed by the legal experts in this conference.

The most thoroughly effective means is:

Call upon all people of love and wisdom, to employ all means and
approaches to constantly extend, whenever it is appropriate, our
friendship towards every ethnic group, region and individual who is
prone to terrorism. Let them know that they are not alone or helpless
and let them feel the warmth of care, respect and acceptance. When
they feel the sense of security, then they will no longer feel the
need to engage in violent terrorist actions because of fear.

Call upon all people of love and wisdom, to employ all means and
approaches to actively interact with, understand, and empathize with
every ethnic group, region and individual who is prone to terrorism.
Whenever it is appropriate, help them correctly understand their own
religious beliefs and let them know that if they want to receive God's
love, they must emulate God's all-encompassing love for the world.
Hence, no one should regard terrorists as evil demons. Otherwise, if
everyone treats all those who do not concur with oneself as evil
demons, then terrorist attacks will never be terminated. Only when we
give the world our love can we resolve all forms of enmity. This is
the utmost reliable action for security.

Call upon all people of love and wisdom, to employ all means and
approaches unceasingly to introduce, when appropriate, to every ethnic
group, region and individual who is prone to terrorism knowledge of
pluralistic ethnicities, cultures and religions. This is to help them
understand that to allow for the mutual existence and prosperity of
pluralistic cultures is the inevitable trend of civilization and the
common necessity of modern human society. Only when we tolerate the
differences among various ethnic groups within a pluralistic global
society can we exchange virtues and strengths and learn from each
other. Otherwise, if people seek only to reject those who are
different from themselves and attempt to use violent means of
terrorism to intimidate and conquer those who are different, the
result is that they will end up targets of terror and conquest
themselves.

Call upon all people of love and wisdom, to employ all means and
approaches unceasingly to encourage, whenever it is appropriate,
teachers of all religions and their various sects and all intellectual
and influential religious people to reexamine their sacred scriptures.
If they discover points that contradict the inclusiveness of a
pluralistic global culture, they should be given a new interpretation.
Human society has long transitioned from the dominance of a monolithic
culture into that of cultural plurality and mutual interaction. Those
who pay no heed will either be isolated from or come into conflict
with the common global community as a result of their conservatism and
insistence.

Call upon all people of love and wisdom, to employ all means and
approaches unceasingly to make use of every appropriate opportunity to
advise all religious and spiritual leaders that while they should pay
attention to politics they should not harbor ambitions in politics.
Furthermore, they should warn their followers not to be provoked,
manipulated and controlled by politicians and become their tools. They
should advise their country's political leaders that they can be
devoted in their religious beliefs and religious experiences yielded
from spiritual cultivation, however, they should not exploit religious
followers, arouse religious fanaticism, incite religious reprisals or
declare "holy war" against peoples who do not concur with them, or use
terrorist attacks for political gains. In other words, we should help
the ambitious religious and political leaders understand that in
today's global world, religion and politics must function separately
from each other. Otherwise, while God and religion do not present a
problem, it is unavoidable that people with unwholesome ambitions will
exploit the name of God and its followers to incite ethnic conflicts
and violence. While the powerful side will resort to war, the weaker
side will then resort to terrorist attacks. This will, as a result,
bring upon humanity unceasing calamities.

The abovementioned statements are my recommendations for today's topic
of discussion and not a representation of Buddhist beliefs. Buddhism
does not deny the Gods worshipped by all religions. More importantly,
Buddhism is about how to use compassion in the interaction with others
and how to use wisdom in handling affairs. With compassion one will
not see loathsome enemies. With wisdom, one will not give rise to the
vexations of suspicion, fear, etc. Buddhists should not harbor
attitudes that go against these principles whether or not a scriptural
justification for that exists.

Chan Master Sheng Yen, Litt.D.
United Nations Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium, New York
May 21, 2003


Religion and Religious Extremism
Unfortunately religion, like patriotism can also be misused for
political purposes.

All religions can be misused by extremists who are seeking to find
arguments for persecution or a holy war. History has shown it again
and again. We have seen it in Christianity, in the form of the
Medieval Crusades, and the persecution of non-Christian and heretics
right up to our own times. I am thinking for instance of the so-called
Army of God in the U.S. which condones the killing of medical
personnel who are involved in abortions.

We have seen it in Judaism; the very expression zealot comes from a
group of Jews who used assassination in their fight against the Romans
and the Romanization of the Jews. And we see it today in the form of
groups such as Khatz, and Chanitri.

And we have seen it in Islam. The word assassin comes from an
extremist Muslim sect of the 11th Century, which used murder as a tool
in their fight against the crusaders and mainstream Muslim leaders.
Today Al Qaeda is the most prominent example of terrorists who misuse
Islam. But we have also seen by terrorists of other religions in
places like India and Japan.

Cont'd
SEE:
http://english.safe-democracy.org/keynotes/religion-and-religious-extremism.html