Religious Extremism? I Wonder....

Malala Yousafzai

The Taliban hit-men who tried to kill a 14-year-old girl on her way to school recently are, like those who sent them out, not only cowardly, but incredibly stupid. Whether Malala lives or dies, she is now an inspiration for those of either sex and any age, nationality, or religion who are fighting back against the domination of women by men who hate them.

On the surface, this is a clear example of the dangers posed by religious extremists. And while our own home-grown religious extremists haven't yet (as far as I know) stooped to shooting young girls, they have not been as reticent when it comes to abortion providers, homosexuals, and other objects of their hate. So the attack on Malala should stand as a clear warning to us: This is what religious extremism can lead to.

And yet, I am coming to believe that sectarian violence, whether in Pakistan or in America, really has nothing to do with religion at all. Oh, religion makes a wonderful excuse – carrying out the will of God/Allah is, after all, the ultimate justification for anything we choose to do. And at least some of those who commit "divinely-ordained" violence may honestly believe that's what they're doing. But if religion were to disappear, would "religious" violence disappear too? I doubt it.

I'm much more inclined to think that violence results from racial and/or cultural causes: groups of humans everywhere seem to be hard-wired to fear – and therefore hate – other groups who are different. The difference may be in skin color, or in language, or in any other characteristic. Over 60 years ago, the psychologist Gordon W. Allport gave a masterfully brief example of how basic this process is:

The child asks, "What are we?" and learning that "we" are Presbyterians, requires no further authority for the superiority of Presbyterianism. He fights, if necessary, in its defense, and may go so far as to tear Catholic hair out of Catholic heads, unless given concurrent training in tolerance. [The Individual and His Religion, 1950.]

Religious extremism is certainly a danger. But the danger comes from the extremism, not the religion. In our attempts to combat it, let's be sure we're aiming at the right target. The would-be killers of Malala acted not because they love their god, but because they hate their women.