Terrorism scholar Jessica Stern explained that religious terrorism arises from pain, loss, and frustration with a God who is perceived as slow to respond to human suffering and does not provide direct answers to the faithful. Adherents of religious terrorism often long for a simpler time – a time when moral distinctions between right and wrong were clear, when society revered heroes and martyrs, and when personal relationships were more intimate. They yearn for a world untainted by the perceived vulgarity of cosmopolitanism, a world that does not humiliate them or threaten their children. In their idealized past, there was no envy of others – perhaps because they were unaware of their existence.
Religious terrorism is rooted in the search for clarity and purpose in an overwhelming world filled with too many choices. It is an attempt to purify the world, reducing moral complexity to a simple and violent equation: kill or be killed. The path forward appears self-evident – kill, and you will be rewarded in heaven; kill, and the Messiah will come. It is a worldview that frames existence in stark contrasts of good and evil, projecting all fears and inadequacies onto the other. Every religious terrorist group believes it is working toward a more perfect world. Convinced of the righteousness of their cause, they justify even the most horrific crimes, assuring themselves that God is on their side.
Yet, despite their efforts, God remains silent. The world remains polluted by injustice and corruption. The perceived enemy continues to oppress its victims. This unresolved tension (cognitive dissonance) breeds rage, which in turn fuels further violence, unless it leads to self-abnegation. In this pursuit of divine justice, the imperative becomes to win at all costs. Thus, the cycle of bloodshed begins.
Unlike national terrorism – which, although often secular, serves similar functions and may even operate in conjunction with religious terrorism – religious terrorism is carried out by individuals and groups who define themselves, and are defined by their environment, as religious. They justify their actions using religious language, invoke sacred symbols, and align their motivations with religious values and norms.
The rise of religious terrorism – especially within movements such as Al-Qaeda, which emerged in the early 1990s – introduced a new dimension to modern Islamic extremism. This ideology embraces continuous jihad and unrelenting self-sacrifice, utilizing terrorism as a strategic means to achieve its vision. In this context, idealistic young people (such as the Hilltop Youth in the Israeli context) become willing to sacrifice themselves to hasten redemption. Their readiness to die for the sanctification of God presents a unique challenge in counterterrorism efforts, making engagement with such individuals and groups particularly difficult.
Religion provides moral justification for terrorism, embedding acts of violence within a larger cosmic struggle. It allows terrorists to perceive themselves as warriors engaged in a divine battle, shaping their actions through the lens of sacred narratives. In doing so, religion lends symbolic significance to bloodshed, transforming even the most catastrophic acts of terrorism into perceived sacred duties.
