Religion,Conflict& Violence

The continuing,accelerating technological & socioeconomic changes of the contemporary world transformation are exceedingly stimulating and hopeful in their promise fr prosperity 7 eace,yet simulltaneusly difficult and in some ways even dangerousand alarming to many people across a variety of societies.The quest for smaller & simpler communities has been revived in earnest.One aspect of this has been an intensification of religious fundamentalis,sometimes carried to the point of fanatical behaviour.Nowhere is this more evident than in the worldwide resurgence of a sector in each of the worlds major religions that reacts t o resist to such bewildering change with all its complexity,ambiguity & deep uncertainty.Such religious movemnet offer simple,dogmatic answers to life basic questions,including life aftewr death.Often though not necesarily,theygo beyond a stabilizing,comforting position to one of harsh intolerance of other religions or other groups altogether.Such intloerance can be transated by charismatic leaders into fanatical behaviour,hostile zealotry,even soe kind of holy war commitment.This is most vivid now in the Islamic fanatical haters of modernity,the Unitd States,the West,Jews,and infidels.These Islamic fanatics are the main purveyors of catastrophic terrorism.But hateful zealots from other religions are also active i todays international arena.To proponents of intense religious commitmens in the Eastern World,religious revival is the answer to the ills of modern societies that they blame on a perceived failure of secular states.Such religious nationalists are often individuals with both religious & political interests.They do not necesarily reject secular politics,but they reject the notion that what constitutes a nation and legitimates the State is a rational compact that unites everyone in a geographical region through common laws and political processes!

ethnic,religious nationalism

the transformed modern world in which we live-with all its rapidity of technological change,pressures of media & internet inthe IT age,and unforeseen dislocations-pulls people toward strongly supportive groups;and these in turn(particularly with charismatic,inflammmatory leadership)may easily become harsh,separatist & depreciatory toward others.A deadly combination of predisposing cultural characteristics and severe social stress,plus distinctively hateful,fanatical leadership,can lead to mass killing,even genocide.uch conditions occur again& again.The seductive justifications for hideous atrocities can be provided,as they were by Hitler,Stalin,PolPot,and Milosevic.Indeed they can be spread more efficiently and vividly now by advanced telecommunications than ever before.Deteriorating econnmic condtions,erosion of social norms,or mass migration may readily exacerbate such inter group tensions.Hateful attitudes may be directed toward depreciated outsiders ortoward minorities in ones own country-or both! To diminish the likelihood of disasters,it is important to identify elements of government,social structure,institutions,leadership & prevalent attitudesthat can be used to reduce hatred& violence-to enhance orientations of caring,concern & social responsibility also mutual aid within and between groups.it is important that such efforts include education & other socializing factors durin ght eyears of growth & development,so that young people are prepared to learn to live together in peaceful societies.A large part of this is educating people for constructive resolution of life*s ongoing conflicts through families,schools,universities,community organizations,religious institutions,and the media.Such education must include an understanding of human groups in war & peace.This is afundamental challenge for the century that has just begun;examples of ingenious efforts being made in variu\ous countries to understand & detoxify the hateful approaches that have so often contaminated education,especially inMalaysia with the present BN ruling the nation!