Security Risks Generated by Behavior of Religious Fanatics

Abstract

Abstract Human behavior has generated a series of threats to human security throughout history, generating major violence at the time when it was doubled by an exaggerated religiosity. Religious fanaticism has manifested itself in all societies, regardless of their forms of organization. The consequences of the phenomenon deeply marked inter-human relationships, both within the community, but especially in communities that have other religions. The article shows the characteristics of religious fanaticism and the factors that cause people to adopt such a behavior of exacerbating religious zeal doubled into intolerance towards those of opponents, both of other faiths and those within their own confession. The issue is not generated by the religious phenomenon or religiosity that such sectarians or religious organizations and religious fanaticism have with some of the members of such religious entities. They are transformed into perfect soldiers because they respond to clergy ‘requests, even with the sacrifice of their own lives, without counting for these individuals, the feelings for their own family members or the duty to support them. In such situations the phenomenon mentioned can not be prevented until it is truly understood from the religious point of view. Therefore, particular attention must be paid to the motivations that lead some individuals to such behavior, as well as to the characteristics of such religious fanatics, and to the way they create risks to human security. In this article we will only address the religious fanaticism manifested by Christianity and Islam, because these are the ones that can have an impact at European and national level. To this end, we will look at some elements of religious fanaticism that indicate this kind of behavioral pattern. After that we will clarify and show the reader the connection between religious fanaticism, the behavior of the followers influenced by this phenomenon, and the inter-human relationships determined by this type of actors.