Unveiling the Political Veil of Terrorism: Deconstructing the Misconception of Religious Association

This paper probes the complex relationship between religion and terrorism and contests the common thought that terrorism is an outcome of religious affiliation. Based on a careful analysis of both historical origins of terrorism and events of today, the report concludes that terrorism is fundamentally political, a species of warfare — it is essential to state the obvious (and this has historically been less clear than one may think) — just as it is vital not to obfuscate the sinister under the mien of religion. This paper unpacks the tactics routinely em-ployed by terrorist organizations and the susceptibility of individual perpetrators; exposing religion as a mitigating circumstance of violent episodes that otherwise may not have taken place or would have been rationalized in a different narrative of social injustice. By relying on empirical evidence and the opinions of scholars, the study shows that it is of utmost importance to separate religion from terrorism since acts are often carried out by people who hide behind religious beliefs to engage in terrorism and gain popularity.