TERM PAPER PROPOSAL ASSIGNMENT

Term Paper Proposal (Research)

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Religious Violence and Radical Islam

Today, we live in a world where violence plagues our society. I believe it is crucial to discuss the concept of violence. Why does it occur? Why does it seem to be consuming not only those living in America, but the entire World population? Our daily news headlines are stormed with stories about new acts of violence every day. Many times these headlines are developed due to an act of violence that was committed by a religious group. This paper will focus on the impulse of violence within religion. The thesis for this paper is that in any religion in which radical groups exist there is potential for violence to occur. According to the Pew Research Center, Islam is the World’s second largest religion and the fastest growing (The Future of World Religion, 2015). In light of this fact, this research paper will focus on the radical groups that exist within the Islamic religion. The major emphasis of this paper will be to determine if the violence that occurs is a reflection of ideological foundations in the religion or is it more greatly influenced by culture and other precipitating factors.

First, I will examine some of the violent acts carried out by religious groups throughout history. I will look at the factors that influenced such acts to be carried out by these groups of people using information from “Religion, Terror and Violence: Religious Studies Perspectives”, by Rennie and Tite (2008). History reveals many acts of violence occurring among religious group. In particular were the battles that occurred during Holy wars. For example, the Crusades were a series of battles that occurred between 1096-1291 for control of the Holy land. I will use examples and information from Selengut’s “Sacred Fury: understanding religious violence”, to determine whether violent acts, such as the Holy wars, were only influence by opposing religious beliefs or were they a product of other factors such as political and cultural influence? I will also implement material from Kressel’s “Bad faith: the danger of religious extremist”, which explains extremist among many religions, in further support of my thesis statement.

Second, I will narrow my focus on violence to that which is occurring in the Islamic religion. I would like to express again that I am not focusing on Islam because I believe it is a violent religion. I am focusing on this religion in particular because of its fast growing population and attention it has recently been receiving in our society. As stated in my thesis, I am attempting to prove that violence can exist in any religion in which there are radical groups of people. I will use information from Esposito’s book, “What everyone needs to know about Islam”, to explain a few of the foundational ideologies that exist in Islam. Next, I will focus on the radical groups that exist among the Islamic religion. What do they believe in regards to violence and their religion? I will determine this using Bukay’s article “The Religious Foundations of Suicide Bombings”, which elaborates on Islamist Ideology. Finally, I will provide examples of violence that have been carried out by the Islamic radical groups. Are these acts ultimately influenced by their religious beliefs or are they a product of political and cultural influence? I will answer this with evidence from Esposito’s “Unholy war: terror in the name of Islam”.

In conclusion, each of the source listed will help to provide a better understanding about the idea of violence within religions. These findings will support my thesis in which I aim to explain the existence of violence among all religions and radical groups, in particular the Islamic extremist.

References:

Esposito, John L. Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam. New York: Oxford UP, 2002. Print.

Esposito, John L. What Everyone Needs to Know About Islam. New York: Oxford University Press, 2011. Print.

Kressel, Neil Jeffrey. Bad Faith: The Danger Of Religious Extremism. Amherst, N.Y.: Prometheus Books, 2007. Print.

Rennie, Bryan S., and Philip L. Tite. Religion, Terror and Violence: Religious Studies Perspectives. New York: Routledge, 2008. Print.

Selengut, Charles. Sacred Fury: Understanding Religious Violence. Walnut Creek, CA: Altamira Press, 2003. Print.

Wormald, Benjamin. "The Future of World Religions: Population Growth Projections, 2010-2050." Pew Research Centers Religion Public Life Project RSS. Pew Research Center, 02 Apr. 2015. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.