Nationalism and Religious Nationalism

709 Words3 Pages
Nationalism refers to the feeling of oneness and solidarity that individuals have when it comes to achieving goals that are central to the benefit of the nation. Nationalist terrorism is thus a form of terrorism that takes its roots from, and is motivated, by patriotic fervor. Those who are engage in nationalist terrorism most often seek self determination in some form or the other – ranging from more autonomy to the establishment of an independent, complete sovereign state. The concept could include politics, ideology – but there is a clear, distinct orientation towards the ‘nation. “The patriotic feeling of loyalty to one's national ties can take different forms depending upon the economic and cultural context” (ETHNO-NATIONALIST TERRORISM, 2012). An excellent example of nationalist terrorism is the American Revolution wherein the revolutionists fought against repressive British rule to gain an independent state. National terrorists engage in a unique sort of ‘war of attrition” with the state, aimed at breaking the will of the State. Religious nationalism extends the notion of nationalism to ‘religion’. It suffuses the nationalist rhetoric with religious imagery, and most likely may be framed and formulated in religious or religiously tinged language. The content of the claim contains a distinctively religious type of nationalist program, which represents a distinct alternative to secular nationalism. Religious nationalist terrorism has been at work in countries like India, Iran, Egypt, Pakistan, and scores of others, but the most striking example is the Al Qaeda. This organization, the brainchild of Osama Bin Laden, can be termed as religious nationalist terrorist. “We call them religious because they use a religious idiom and shape their 'mandate' in divine terms. Their goals however, are political : recognition, power, territory, concessions from
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