Collective rituals spur support for suicide attacks: researchers
Religion plays a role in suicide bombings—but it’s collective worship, rather than level of devotion, that fosters support for such deeds, a new study concludes.
The analysis found that among Muslims and Jews surveyed in the Middle East, how often people attended a house of worship better predicted their backing for suicide attacks than did prayer frequency.
Suicide attacks—today most often associated with acts against Americans or Israelis by Muslims—seem to be one aspect of a wider phenomenon in which collective religious ritual fosters a mindset known as parochial altruism, according to psychologists. Parochial altruism is a combination of negative attitudes toward another social group and sacrifice for one’s own.
Suicide attacks would be an extreme form of parochial altruism, said the psychologists who conducted the study, from the New School for Social Research in New York and the University of British Columbia. And when forms of parochial altruism other than suicide attacks were considered, the researchers found many cultures and religions followed the pattern identified in the Middle East.
The scientists proposed that collective religious rituals and services create a sense of community among participants and thus enhance admiration for parochially altruistic acts. But “only in particular geopolitical contexts” do suicide attacks arise from this, the scientists wrote in the study, which appears in the journal Psychological Science.
The investigators surveyed Palestinian Muslims about their religious attitudes, including how often they prayed and went to mosque. They found that devotion to Islam, as measured by prayer frequency, was unrelated to support for suicide attacks. But frequency of mosque attendance did predict support for the assaults.
In a separate survey of Palestinian Muslim university students, the researchers found again that those who attended mosque more than once a day were more likely to believe Islam requires suicide attacks than less frequent attendees.
The researchers said they obtained parallel results from phone surveys of Israeli Jews living in the West Bank and Gaza. In this case, participants were asked about synagogue attendance, prayer habits and whether they would support a perpetrator of a suicide attack against their Palestinian foes.
The psychologists also surveyed members of religious majorities in six nations—Mexican Catholics, Indonesian Muslims, Israeli Jews, Russian Orthodox, British Protestants and Indian Hindus—to see if the relationship between attending religious services and support for acts of parochial altruism held up. These results also indicated support for parochial altruism was related to attendance at religious services, but unrelated to regular prayer, the scientists found.
[Courtesy: Association for Psychological Science & world-science.net]
3 Comments
This may be caused not by the act of collective worship perse but rather due to the exposure to instigation by religous extremist.
For instance in Islam, suicide as well as the killing of innocent women and children and non combatants is forbidden. However some members of the clergy in certain countries may have given a religous directive to permit this type of despicable act. By joining collective worship one may be exposed to such types of extremist ideology by associating and listening to people subscribing to them, whereas purely religous teachings do not permit such actions.
The clergy and scholars of religon must avoid misinterpreting religon and leading people astray. Today significant numbers of the clergy are wolves in sheeps clothing, manipulating religous teachings to achieve political agendas. Many crimes are committed in the name of religon and race.It is the duty of moderate leaders, scholars and clergy to counter and dispel these wrong belifs.
"For instance in Islam, suicide as well as the killing of innocent women and children and non combatants is forbidden.". What about unbelievers? Could you please elaborate Mr.Thaas.
With reference to the query made by Mr Ivan, I would like to further elucidate on the modalities of waging war permitted in Islam. Clearly war is permitted only against oppression and in self defense. Even then the limits are clearly defined. The following verses from the Holy Quran refer to the conditions required to wage war.
“Permitted are those who are fought against, because they have been oppressed, and verily God is more Powerful for their aid. Those who have been driven from their homes unjustly only because they said: 'Our Lord is Allah, for had it not been for Allah's repelling someone by means of others, cloisters and churches and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft−mentioned, would assuredly have been pulled down. Verily Allah helps one who helps Him. Lo! Allah is Strong. Almighty" (xxii. 39. 41).
“And what reasons have you not to fight in the way of Allah, for the oppressed among men and women and children who say: Our Lord! take us forth from the town whereof the people are oppressors and grant us from Thee a friend and grant us from Thee a helper" (iv. 75).
“And fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you and transgress not the limits. Verily Allah loves not the transgressors" (ii. 190).
In Sahih Buhari which is one of the recognized books of Islamic Jurisprudence the following sayings of the Holy Prophet are recorded
Narrated `Abdullah: During some of the Ghazawat of the Prophet a woman was found killed. Allah's Apostle disapproved the killing of women and children.
4.258:
Narrated Ibn `Umar: During some of the Ghazawat of Allah's Apostle a woman was found killed, so Allah's Apostle forbade the killing of women and children.
4.259:
The righteous Caliphs too followed closely the teachings of Allah and those of His Apostle in letter and spirit. The celebrated address which the first Caliph Abu Bakr (Allah be pleased with him) gave to his army while sending her on the expedition to the Syrian borders is permeated with the noble spirit with which the war in Islam is permitted. He said: “Stop, O people that I may give you ten rules for your guidance in the battlefield. Do not commit treachery or deviate from the right path. You must not mutilate dead bodies. Neither kill a child, nor a woman, nor an aged man. Bring no harm to the trees, nor burn them with fire, especially those which are fruitful. Slay not any of the enemy's flock, save for your food. You are likely to pass by people who have devoted their lives to monastic services; leave them alone"
These are just some of the guidance given to Muslims on the conduct of war. If you require further information you may contact muslim clergy in your neighborhood mosque or browse some of the numerous sites available on the internet. One such site I can recommend is http://www.altafsir.com/