Teenage Terrorism: Seduction By Promises of the Afterlife
Teenage Terrorism: Seduction By Promises of the Afterlife
Soe Tjen Marching | February 01, 2011
Last week the nation was shocked once again by terrorism, this time when
seven men under the age of 20 were detained in Central Java for their
alleged role in recent bombings. Looking at their age, many of us asked:
Why? What led them to follow their leaders so obediently?
Sadly, teenagers who are ready to take their own lives are probably not
as uncommon as we might think. Like most people, they have dreams and
are striving to better their lives.
Maybe they don’t hate the world. Perhaps they hope for much from it, but
see their hopes slowly disappearing when faced with insurmountable
inequality.
Likely, many believe they have been betrayed by life and are angry. Many
feel a strong sense of injustice.
This sense of injustice can be easily manipulated by charismatic leaders
who are experts in identifying frustrated teenagers.
For in the name of religion, even mediocre speakers can charm people
with their “holy” characteristics and promises of the afterlife.
If this life is frustrating, they say, then don’t hope for too much from
it, hope for more from the next life. This way, the frustrations of
teenagers can be twisted by these leaders for their own purposes.
But note that after so many lives are sacrificed “for the cause,” these
leaders usually go on with their own lives.
Safely away from harm, they may be busy preparing new strategies and
ambitions that will ultimately sacrifice more lives. And this is
definitely not new.
The manipulation of young people by leaders with worldly ambitions is as
old as the age of the first empires.
Religion is not the only excuse — it might be ethnicity or nationalism,
whatever cause that can be used as a rallying point to persuade people
to give up their own lives.
Similar strategies were used by Japanese emperors. During World War II,
for example, young soldiers known as kamikaze were willing to sacrifice
their lives for their nation.
The promise? In death, their souls would all meet again at the sacred
Yasukuni temple and they would become gods themselves. Essentialism of
identity and promises of the afterlife can make for a potent elixir for
brainwashing young people.
Of course, we can never know whether the departed see these promises
fulfilled. But what is clear is that they die to further the ambitions
of their leaders.
After these young people in Japan died, their emperor did not do the
same. It is not because he did not want to be a god in the sacred
temple, but because he did not have the same conviction and faith as his
young charges.
This is the irony that only the most naive will miss seeing: leaders who
can persuade others to sacrifice things — including their lives — are
often the ones who are not willing to sacrifice themselves.
Leaders who are considered holy and claim to know the afterlife are
usually suspicious and refuse to be questioned. Fundamentalism is often
born out of the worldly ambitions of this kind of leader.
So it was with the Crusades, which began with the desire of the
Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus to control new territories.
The emperor worked with Pope Urban II, who made promises to his people
to make them go to war.
He said that if his people dared fight the Muslim armies in Jerusalem,
they would go to heaven. Of course, the pope himself wanted to go to
paradise, but not in the same way.
Because leaders are not willing to get their hands dirty, they use
others to do these jobs. For what? Definitely not for the benefit of the
people.
Heaven and promises of the afterlife have long been used as bait by
different leaders at different times from a variety of religions and
convictions.
The afterlife can come in different shapes, forms and packages depending
on the creativity of these so-called religious leaders — leaders who try
to manipulate young people into surrendering their lives in the name of
religion, nationalism, paradise or anything that seems essential and
sacred.
Beware of any leader or politician who asks you to ignore humanity for a
higher aim. This aim may not exist at all, and perhaps will not be among
the beliefs of its very creator.
Soe Tjen Marching is the author of the novel ‘Mati, Bertahun Yang Lalu.’
--
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/teenage-terrorism-seduction-by-promises-of-the-afterlife/420275
Via InstaFetch
Teenage Terrorism: Seduction By Promises of the Afterlife
Soe Tjen Marching | February 01, 2011
Last week the nation was shocked once again by terrorism, this time when
seven men under the age of 20 were detained in Central Java for their
alleged role in recent bombings. Looking at their age, many of us asked:
Why? What led them to follow their leaders so obediently?
Sadly, teenagers who are ready to take their own lives are probably not
as uncommon as we might think. Like most people, they have dreams and
are striving to better their lives.
Maybe they don’t hate the world. Perhaps they hope for much from it, but
see their hopes slowly disappearing when faced with insurmountable
inequality.
Likely, many believe they have been betrayed by life and are angry. Many
feel a strong sense of injustice.
This sense of injustice can be easily manipulated by charismatic leaders
who are experts in identifying frustrated teenagers.
For in the name of religion, even mediocre speakers can charm people
with their “holy” characteristics and promises of the afterlife.
If this life is frustrating, they say, then don’t hope for too much from
it, hope for more from the next life. This way, the frustrations of
teenagers can be twisted by these leaders for their own purposes.
But note that after so many lives are sacrificed “for the cause,” these
leaders usually go on with their own lives.
Safely away from harm, they may be busy preparing new strategies and
ambitions that will ultimately sacrifice more lives. And this is
definitely not new.
The manipulation of young people by leaders with worldly ambitions is as
old as the age of the first empires.
Religion is not the only excuse — it might be ethnicity or nationalism,
whatever cause that can be used as a rallying point to persuade people
to give up their own lives.
Similar strategies were used by Japanese emperors. During World War II,
for example, young soldiers known as kamikaze were willing to sacrifice
their lives for their nation.
The promise? In death, their souls would all meet again at the sacred
Yasukuni temple and they would become gods themselves. Essentialism of
identity and promises of the afterlife can make for a potent elixir for
brainwashing young people.
Of course, we can never know whether the departed see these promises
fulfilled. But what is clear is that they die to further the ambitions
of their leaders.
After these young people in Japan died, their emperor did not do the
same. It is not because he did not want to be a god in the sacred
temple, but because he did not have the same conviction and faith as his
young charges.
This is the irony that only the most naive will miss seeing: leaders who
can persuade others to sacrifice things — including their lives — are
often the ones who are not willing to sacrifice themselves.
Leaders who are considered holy and claim to know the afterlife are
usually suspicious and refuse to be questioned. Fundamentalism is often
born out of the worldly ambitions of this kind of leader.
So it was with the Crusades, which began with the desire of the
Byzantine Emperor Alexius I Comnenus to control new territories.
The emperor worked with Pope Urban II, who made promises to his people
to make them go to war.
He said that if his people dared fight the Muslim armies in Jerusalem,
they would go to heaven. Of course, the pope himself wanted to go to
paradise, but not in the same way.
Because leaders are not willing to get their hands dirty, they use
others to do these jobs. For what? Definitely not for the benefit of the
people.
Heaven and promises of the afterlife have long been used as bait by
different leaders at different times from a variety of religions and
convictions.
The afterlife can come in different shapes, forms and packages depending
on the creativity of these so-called religious leaders — leaders who try
to manipulate young people into surrendering their lives in the name of
religion, nationalism, paradise or anything that seems essential and
sacred.
Beware of any leader or politician who asks you to ignore humanity for a
higher aim. This aim may not exist at all, and perhaps will not be among
the beliefs of its very creator.
Soe Tjen Marching is the author of the novel ‘Mati, Bertahun Yang Lalu.’
--
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/teenage-terrorism-seduction-by-promises-of-the-afterlife/420275
Via InstaFetch
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