Religious Ideology and Lethality - Does Religious Sect Have an Effect on the Lethality of a Terrorist Organization?

Abstract

There is a gap in research focusing on religious ideology and lethality of a terrorist organization. Determining the ideology of a group is problematic, as many terrorist groups have overlapping ideologies. This paper is a case study analysis of two lethal organizations that base their actions and decisions clearly on religious grounds. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization following Shi’a Islam and al Qaeda declares Sunni ideology. Both organizations have an Islamic ideology with important and significant divergences that need to be understood for effective counter terrorism strategies. Ideology plays a critical role in constructing a world view of the members of the terrorist organizations but as seen in both the case studies i.e. Hezbollah and al Qaeda, ideology is not a stagnant or dormant point of reference, but rather it is constantly developing and evolving.