The document discusses the history and rise of religious fanaticism in the late 20th century. It provides examples of numerous extremist religious groups from this time period across different regions, including Al-Qaeda, the Taliban in Afghanistan, and militant groups in India, Pakistan, Algeria and other areas. The impact of religious fanaticism discussed includes religious conflict, violence, destruction, and the rise of terrorism.

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3. Introduction
Fanaticism is the belief in politics, religion, or other areas
that greatly exceeds the norm in enthusiasm and includes a
willingness to sacrifice all else to realize its ends.
Sometimes fanaticism is like an addiction. When it is
addiction it may be harmful or destructive.
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4. Fanaticism
 Fanaticism is a belief or behavior involving uncritical
zeal, particularly for an extreme religious or political
cause or in some cases sports, or with an obsessive
enthusiasm for a pastime or hobby.
 The fanatic displays very strict standards and little
tolerance for contrary ideas or opinions.
 In his book Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk, Neil Postman states
that "the key to all fanatical beliefs is that they are self-
confirming....(some beliefs are) fanatical not because they
are 'false', but because they are expressed in such a way
that they can never be shown to be false.
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5. Religious Fanaticism
 Religious fanaticism is fanaticism related to a person's, or
a group's, devotion to a religion.
 In his book, Holy War, Just War, Lloyd Steffen says,
"Religious fanaticism . . . invokes the idea of ultimacy,
and its presence in religious life is undeniable."He goes on
to say, "Religious fanatics are persons who attach to some
object an ultimate valuation and then attend to that
overvalued object with what is recognizable as a kind of
religious" devotion."
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6. Features of Religious Fanaticism
1. Spiritual needs: Human beings have a spiritual longing
for understanding and meaning, and given the mystery
of existence. Religion has power to meet this need for
meaning and transcendent relationship.
2. Attractiveness: It presents itself in such a way that those
who find their way into it come to express themselves in
ways consistent with the particular vision of ultimacy at
the heart of this religious form.
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7. Features of Religious Fanaticism
3. Live option: It is present to the moral consciousness as a
live option that addresses spiritual need and satisfies
human longing for meaning, power, and belonging.
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8. Religious Fanaticism in 20th
Century (At a Glance)
 1905: In France the law on the Separation of the
Churches and the State is passed, officially
establishing it a state secularism and putting and end
to the funding of religious groups by the state.
Becoming a place of pilgrimage for neo-druids and
other pagans, the Ancient Order of Druids organized
the first recorded reconstructionist ceremony in
Stonehenge.(Encyclopedia, 2012)
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9. Religious Fanaticism in 20th
Century (At a Glance)
 1908: The establishment of the Khalifatul Masih after
Prophethood in the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, the
Second Manifestation of God's Power.
(Encyclopedia, 2012)
 1917: The October Revolution, in Russia, leads to the
annexation of all church properties and subsequent
religious suppression. (Encyclopedia, 2012)
 The 1917 Constitution of Mexico is written making
Mexico a secular state. (Encyclopedia, 2012)
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10. Religious Fanaticism in 20th
Century (At a Glance)
 1930s: Rastafari movement, the Nation of Islam is
founded. (Encyclopedia, 2012)
 1932: A neo-Hindu religious movement,the Brahma
Kumaris or "Daughters of Brahma" started the origin of
BKWSU can be traced to the group "Om
Mandali", founded by Lekhraj Kripalani(1884–1969).
(Encyclopedia, 2012)
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11. Religious Fanaticism in 20th
Century (At a Glance)
 1939 – 1945: Millions of Jews are relocated and killed by
the Nazi government during Holocaust.
(Encyclopedia, 2012)
 1947: British India is partitioned on religious lines; into
an Islamic country of Pakistan and the secular nation of
India with a Hindu majority. (Encyclopedia, 2012)
 1948: The Jews return to their ancient biblical homeland
and the state of Israel is created. (Encyclopedia, 2012)
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12. Religious Fanaticism in 20th
Century (At a Glance)
 1961: Unitarian Universalism formed from merger of
Unitarianism and Universalism. (Encyclopedia, 2012)
 1962 – 1965: The Second Vatican Council takes place.
 1965: Srila Prabhupada establishes the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness and introduces
translations of the Bhagavad-Gita and Vedic Scriptures in
mass production all over the world. (Encyclopedia, 2012)
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13. Religious Fanaticism in 20th
Century (At a Glance)
 1966: Anton Szandor LaVey's Satanism begins, with
Anton Szandor LaVey's founding of the Church of Satan,
although Satanism in itself has always been defined by the
Christians themselves. (Encyclopedia, 2012)
 1984: Operation Blue Star occurs at holiest site of the
Sikhs, the Golden Temple in Amritsar. 1984 Anti-Sikh
riots follow. (Encyclopedia, 2012)
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14. Religious Fanaticism in 20th
Century (At a Glance)
 1979: The Iranian Revolution results in the establishment
of an Islamic Republic in Iran. (Encyclopedia, 2012)
 1989: The revolutions of 1989, the overthrow of many
Soviet-style states, allows a resurgence in open religious
practice in many Eastern European countries.
(Encyclopedia, 2012)
 1990s: European pagan reconstructive movements
(Celtic, Hellenic, Roman, Slavic, Baltic, Finnish, etc.)
organize. (Encyclopedia, 2012)
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15. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20th Century
 Aden-Abyan Islamic Army: The Aden-Abyan Islamic
Army is an Islamist militant organization based in
southern Yemen. The group was responsible for
kidnapping of 16 foreign tourists in the December 1998 in
Abyan. Yemeni government forces attacked place where
the hostages were being held resulting in four of the
hostages being killed while the remainder were freed. The
Aden-Abyan Islamic Army was also believed to have been
involved in the 2000 USS Cole bombing in
Aden.(Encarta, 2012)
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16. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20 th Century
 Al-Badr: Al-Badr is an Islamic militant group
operating in the Jammu Kashmir region, run by
Jasniel Rihal. The group was allegedly formed by
the Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in June
1998. (Encarta, 2012)
 Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya:
Years active:1994–2006
Headquarters:Kismayo
Operating Areas: Somalia
(Encarta, 2012)
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17. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20th Century
 All Tripura Tiger Force:
Active:1990 - present
Ideology: Tripuri nationalism
Leaders: Ranjit Debbarma
Area of operations: Tripura, India
(Encarta, 2012)
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18. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20th Century
 Al-Qaeda:
Leaders: Osama bin Laden (1988–2011) ,Ayman al-
Zawahiri (2011 – present)
Active regions: Worldwide
 Founded by Osama bin Laden at some point between
August 1988 and late 1989, its origins being traceable to
the Soviet War in Afghanistan. (Encarta, 2012)
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20. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20th Century
 Armed Islamic Group of Algeria: is an Islamist
organization that wants to overthrow the Algerian
government and replace it with an Islamic state. The
GIA adopted violent tactics in 1992 after the military
government voided the victory of the Islamic
Salvation Front, the largest Islamic opposition
party, in the first round of legislative elections held
in December 1991. (Encarta, 2012)
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21. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20 th Century
 Destruction of Babri Mosque:
Constructed – 1527
Destroyed – 1992
The Babri Mosque was a mosque in Ayodhya, a city
in the Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh, India, on
Ramkot Hill ("Rama's fort"). It was destroyed in
1992 when a political rally developed into a riot
involving 150,000 people, despite a commitment to
the Indian Supreme Court by the rally organizers
that the mosque would not be harmed. More than
2,000 people were killed in ensuing riots in many
major cities in India including Mumbai and Delhi.
(Encarta, 2012) 21

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23. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20th Century
 Deendar Anjuman:
Active:1924-present
Ideology: Sunni
Leaders: Moulana Syed Siddique Hussain
Area of operations: India
 Deendar Anjuman is an Islamic organization based in
Hyderabad, India. It is a banned terrorist organization in
India since 2001. This organization believes the preaching
of Islam among the non-Muslims through the grass-root
level. (Encarta, 2012)
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24. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20th Century
 Hizb ut-Tahrir:
Leader: Ata Abu Rashta
Founder: Taqiuddin al-Nabhani
Founded: 1953
Membership: Estimated 1 million
Ideology: Sunni Islamism
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26. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20th Century
 Hizbul Mujahideen:
Founder :Muhammad Ahsan Dar
Supreme Commander: Sayeed Salahudeen
Founded:1989
Ḥizb al-Mujāhidīn, meaning "party of holy
warriors"), founded by Ahsan Dar in 1989, is a
Kashmiri militant group active in the Indian-
administered state of Jammu and Kashmir since
1989. Their headquarters are located in
Muzaffarabad, the capital of Azad Kashmir.
(Encarta, 2012)
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28. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20th Century
 Jamaat-e-Islami: The Jamaat-e-Islami is a social
conservative and Islamist political party, advocating for an
Islamic and democratic form of government in Pakistan.
The JI was founded on August 26, 1941 in Lahore by
Muslim theologian and socio-political philosopher Abul
Ala Maududi. The party is led by an Emir (lit.
Leader), and currently Syed Munawar Hasan is tenuring
as Emir of JI. The JI is headquartered in Mansoorah
district, Lahore. (Encarta, 2012)
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30. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20 th Century
 Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh: Jama'atul Mujahideen
Bangladesh; abbreviated: JMB; was a Islamist
organisation operating in Bangladesh. It was founded in
1998 in Palampur in Dhaka division by Abdur Rahman
and gained public prominence in 2001 when bombs and
documents detailing the activities of the organization were
discovered in Parbatipur in Dinajpur district. The
organization was officially banned by the government of
Bangladesh in February 2005 after attacks on NGOs, but
struck back in mid-August when it detonated 500 bombs
at 300 locations throughout Bangladesh.(Banglapedia,
2012)
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31. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20th Century
 Lashkar-e-Taiba: It was founded in 1990 by Hafiz
Muhammad Saeed, Abdullah Yusuf Azzam and Zafar
Iqbal in Afghanistan. With its headquarters based in
Muridke, near Lahore in Punjab province of Pakistan, the
group operates several training camps in Pakistan-
administered Kashmir. (Encarta, 2012)
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32. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20th Century
 Osbat al-Ansar: Osbat al-Ansar or Asbat an-Ansar
(League of the Partisans) is a Lebanon-based Sunni
fundamentalist group established in the early 1990s which
professes the Salafi form of Islam and the overthrow of
the Lebanese-dominated secular government. The
organization is largely based in Ain al-Hilweh.
(Encarta, 2012)
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33. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20th Century
 Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan: Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP)
is a Sunni Deobandi Pakistani organization, and a
formerly registered Pakistani political party. Established in
the early 1980s in Jhang by Maulana Haq Nawaz
Jhangvi, its stated goal is to primarily to deter major Shiite
influence in Pakistan in the wake of the Iranian
Revolution. (Encarta, 2012)
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34. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20 th Century
 The Taliban: Alternative spelling Taleban, is an
Islamic fundamentalist political movement in
Afghanistan. It spread into Afghanistan and formed
a government, ruling as the Islamic Emirate of
Afghanistan from September 1996 until December
2001, with Kandahar as the capital. However, it
gained diplomatic recognition from only three states:
Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab
Emirates. Mohammed Omar has been serving as the
spiritual leader of the Taliban since 1994.
(Encarta, 2012)
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36. Rise of Religious Fanaticism in Late
20th Century
 Shiv Sena: Shiv Sena is a nationalist political organization
in India founded on 19 June 1966 by political cartoonist
Bal Thackeray. The party originally emerged out of a
movement in Mumbai demanding preferential treatment
for Maharashtra's over migrants to the city. The party
operates as a network of street gangs and has a powerful
hold over the Bollywood film industry. It is currently
headed by Thackeray's son, Uddhav Thackeray. Members
of Shiv Sena are referred to as Shiv
Sainiks.(Encyclopedia, 2012)
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38. Impact of Religious Fanaticism
 Religious conflict
 Religious violence
 False religious explanation
 Destruction
 Class struggle
 Backwardness
 Cultural conflict
 Crime activities
 Terrorism
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39. Unitarianism
 Unitarianism is a religious theological movement, named
for its understanding of God as one person, in direct
contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three
persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being.
Thus, Unitarians contend that main-line Christianity does
not adhere to strict monotheism as they do, maintaining
that Jesus was a prophet, and in some sense the "son" of
God, but not God himself.
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41. Conclusion
Mostly religious fanaticism is used in a negative sense.
Sometimes it occurs violence and destruction. Most often
their ideology does not match with the real religious
explanation. So everyone should have a clear concept
about real religious explanation and avoid religious
fanaticism carefully.
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42. References
 Britannica Encyclopedia, 2012
 Microsoft Encarta, 2012
 Banglapedia, 2012
 Postman, N. 1976. Crazy Talk, Stupid Talk. New York
 Rudin, J. 1969. Fanaticism. A psychological Analysis.
University of Notre Dame Press, London.
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