Aum Shinrikyo

One can better understand terrorism through examining their millennialism beliefs that provide the basis for their perception of society, giving them justification for their calculated acts of violence, while awarding them with a sense of social identity in a world they do not comply with.

Aum Shinrikyo gained infamy when they launched a deadly sarin nerve gas attack in Tokyo on March 20th 1995, which left 13 dead and thousands suffering. Created by Shoko Asahara, Aum Shinrikyo is a mixture of Hinayana Buddhism, Mahayan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, yoga and philosophy. The focal point of the group is its devotion to Shoko Asahara, who claims he is the first enlightened once since Buddha. Generally, Buddhism has a peaceful connotation, leading

Conventional wisdom has it that is morally wrong to murder, but Christian Identity extremist views allow for such act, as an attack against the American government. Juergensmeyer acknowledges that “in the Christian Identity view of the world, the struggle is a secret war between colossal evil forces allied with the United Nations, the United States, and other government powers, and a small band of the enlightened few who recognize these invisible enemies for what they are-satanic powers, in their view- and are sufficiently courageous to battle them” (Juergensmeyer 36). Comparably to Aum Shinrikyo, these members experience a sense of enlightenment, activating them to fight for what they believe in. It is evident in the Turner Diaries their hatred for the American government, in which they refer to as the System. This group takes a noteworthy stance on gun control, and did not agree with the System provoking their right to bare arms. The Turner Diaries is said to be the blueprint for the Oklahoma City bombing by Tim McVeigh, and provides rationalization for his violent acts. He too, chose a government site to attack. In order to fully understand his purpose, one must first be familiar with Christian Identity ideas. Juergensmeyer states “the theology of Christian Identity is based on racial supremacy and biblical law” (31). In some perspectives, these followers use the name “Christian”

The media tends to focus on their violent attacks, rather than the reasons for them. It is often difficult to look beyond attacks, such as 9/11. It is important to note that ISIS is not a branch of al-Qaeda. However, “these creations of terror are done not to achieve a strategic goal but to make a symbolic statement… Intended to illustrate or refer to something beyond their immediate target: a grander conquest, for instance, or a struggle more awesome than meets the eye.” (Juergensmeyer 125). This passage provides a reasonable answer for why terrorists do what they do. Similar to the sarin nerve gas attack, and the Oklahoma City bombing, the World Trade Center attacks were not launched to cripple the economy, but rather emphasize the government as the enemy. These attacks were all meant to challenge the power and legitimacy of society itself. Bin Laden believed that “it was not he who started the war, however, but Americans, through their actions in the Middle East” (Jeurgensmeyer 148). His actions, which instilled fear among the entire United States, were just responses to a great ongoing struggle. Reasons why America is viewed as the enemy are because of their support for modern culture, its role as a trading partner, and the economy. Their religious beliefs give them incentive to fight against the