TERRORISM AND RELIGION

On the one side people are losing belief in religion and on the other side religious fanatism is gaining ground. Both of them are extreme behaviors.  The poor and the illiterate have always looked upon religion and places of worship to cry their hearts out. This helps them  take a softer view of their  problems. The illliterates  constitute a majority of those who regularly visit places of worship and listen to preachings regularly.  

Some of the poor  turn  fanatics after they are brainwashed into taking weapons or resorting to subversive ways. The quality of such a crowd is more of brawn and less of brain.

It is generally seen that with increasing literacy, people acquire purchasing power and in the process many have become atheists. They condemn all religious practices or take a liberal view of all religions. They claim to be secular.

However there are  some  literate people who  have shown a liking to religion.  The religious propagandists or fanatics   wait  to grab them. These literate people are show cased by the religious fanatics  to attract huge crowds to their congregation. It becomes easier to communicate,  preach and convince if you have in your pack a speaker who is  a scientist or a  doctor, or an engineer or a Management graduate.  If these people are brainwashed to resort to violent means , violence  acquires a new meaning . Many computer wizards, doctors, engineers, etc.,  have fallen into the hands of the terrorists after being brainwashed.  Terrorism and fanaticism takes a new meaning as these literates help  by providing  sophisticated and devastating techniques  to attain goals.

The emerging scenario of educated people resorting to violent methods in the name of religion is acquiring new proportions  and  educated people should take care to ensure that their moderate views are not polluted by  extreme views.

While parents have a duty to educate their children to lead  a successful life, they also owe a duty by tracking their  children’s movements and  ensure  their children  are exposed to  moderate and tolerant views on religion. These days many parents are  weeping in disbelief after finding that their hard earned or borrowed money has  gone down the drain. It hurts  a parent  to see their  child getting educated and falling into  the lap of a  fanatic or a terrorist.   “PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN CURE”.