My Thoughts on Religious Terrorist Bombings

I have been wanting to write an article on this subject but it is only now that it can be accomplished – the draft has unfortunately languished in its depository for one reason or another. This issue is real in the face of humanity, hence deserving to be discussed and pondered about.

At first blush, religious terrorist bombings seem mind-bendingly counter-intuitive. How could a human take out another human being (and even themselves) and feel that it is the right thing to do? October 11, 2002 is an impossible day to forget for some people. It was the day when the first Bali bombings unfolded, tragically claiming not only 1, but 202 lives on the beautiful Indonesian island. The planner, Imam Samudra, confessed to being religiously motivated in that appalling attack, and the execution of him and two other perpetrators caused their supporters to rise up, many of them lauding the convicts as martyrs and heroes. Yes, you read it correctly: this horrendous act was shockingly justified from the point of view of a certain group of fellow humans.

So what is it that can explain the justification of and even reverence for an action committed by a human (or a group of humans) that is aimed at vanquishing others of their kind? Here is my analysis which attempts to answer this seemingly puzzling question.

My opinion is that this comes down to our selfish genes. Naturally, we try our best to survive on this planet for as long as we can; that's why we consume food and drinks, take a rest when necessary, cross streets with caution, and so on and so forth. We would like to preserve our genetic materials and pass them on to our offspring (the fact that the population of our species is continuously growing speaks volumes for this). Death, by nature, is of course an unpleasant experience, marking the end of a human's existence. We are making as much effort as we can to keep this macabre line at bay, hoping not to step over the life-death threshold anytime soon.

The bad news is death is certain to happen. But what if I told you that you can still live happily after you die? What if I told you that your genes can still rejoice after your bodily form has even completely decomposed? Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing?

This is what I think deeply clings inside the mind of religiously impelled terrorists. In one way or another, they believe that a perfect gene-preserving/"propagating" place or such is reserved for those who exterminate others matching particular criteria. Their selfishness kicks in and these horrible events happen. In other words, in my scenario, the same kind of survival motivation is what underlies the condemnable deeds of these people.

So, what measures do we need to take to prevent such deplorable acts from happening again? I think the first step is to recognize that this social phenomenon is real and not to dismiss it. Next, we need to pin down the real cause of such dreadful acts and preempt any potential actions by any effective means. It is important that there be no wall of resistance that precludes thoughtful discussion on this issue simply because it is religion-related. Lastly, scientific and critical thinking has to be fostered, promoted, and instilled in anyone since it provides us with trustworthy paths to walk into a bright future.

References:

• 2002 Bali Bombings (Encyclopedia Britannica)
• Top Causes of Terrorism (ThoughtCo)