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Religious Fundamentalism:Islamic Fundamentalism, Hindu Fundamentalism,

Christian Fundamentalism

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 Department of Japanese Studies
UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA
Religious Fundamentalism:Islamic Fundamentalism,
Hindu Fundamentalism, Christian Fundamentalism

Prepared by: Group-7

● Md. Hasibul Hasan Chowdhury.

● Shadman Shariar Nibir .
● Sifat Mia.
● Jannatul Afia Priya.
● Soaib Mahmud.

Submitted to:
Dr. Abdullah Al Mamun
Associate Professor & Chairman
Department of Japanese Studies
University of Dhaka
Abstract

Religious fundamentalism refers to a conservative approach to faith that emphasizes strict

adherence to religious doctrines and traditional beliefs. It is characterized by a literal
interpretation of religious texts, a rejection of modern scientific and cultural norms, and a
tendency towards exclusivity and intolerance towards other belief systems. Religious
fundamentalism has been associated with a wide range of political and social movements,
including Islamist extremism, Christian fundamentalism, and Hindu nationalism. While
fundamentalism can provide a sense of community and identity for its adherents, it can
also lead to conflict and violence when groups with differing beliefs come into contact.
The study of religious fundamentalism is an important area of research in sociology,
political science, and religious studies, and continues to be a topic of debate and
discussion in contemporary society.
 Acknowledgement

We want to convey our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to our professor, Dr Abdullah Al
Mamun for providing us with the opportunity to work on this insightful topic “Religious
Fundamentalism:Islamic Fundamentalism, Hindu Fundamentalism, Cristian Fundamentalism ”
and giving us the scope and resources to do extensive research. Without him providing us with
adequate knowledge and guidelines it would’ve been impossible for us to present our studies and
ideas in the given timeline.

We were thrilled to work on this topic which aided us in conducting extensive study and learning
about a plethora of new topics and gaining much experience in research based study. It expanded
our knowledge and provided us with an imperative understanding of how to do research projects.

We want to express our gratitude to our team members who worked thorough and hard to
complete this assignment on time and with integrity. We’d like to thank each one of our team
members for their helpful discussions and good ideas along the way. By working with this team
we learn not only academic knowledge but also teamwork, time management and empathy.

Thank you to everyone who invested their time and intellect to make this assignment complete.
Table Of Content

★An Introduction to Religious Fundamentalism. Jannatul Afia

★Literature Review. Hasibul Hasan

★Methodology. Hasibul Hasan

★The root Causes of religious Fundamentalism. Jannatul afia

★Body section 1: Islamic Fundamentalism. Sifatul Islam

★Body Section 2: Hindu Fundamentalism. Hasibul Hasan

★Body section 3: Christian Fundamentalism. Sadman Shahriar

★Solution to Religious Fundamentalism. Soaib Mahmud

★Conclusion. Jannatul Afia

★Reference
Introduction :
Religious fundamentalism is a very sensitive topic. It has been shaping world history and the
behaviour of people throughout the years. It represents a distinctive attitude of certainty as to the
ultimate truth of one’s religious beliefs (Altemeyer and Hunsberger, 1992, 2004).

To get a deeper understanding of this topic we can break down the words to get a more detailed
understanding. The word fundamentalism could be described as devotion to any subject or
discipline’s fundamental principles.

This term was first used to define a group of Christian Protestants in the United States, but it is
now used to denote a wide range of religious organizations and sects that share certain traits.
Religious fundamentalists believe in the superiority of their religious teachings, and in a strict
division between righteous people and evildoers (Altemeyer and Hunsberger, 1992, 2004). This
belief system governs not only religious beliefs, but also all concepts of ourselves, others, and
the world.

Religious fundamentalism is the belief that a holy religious scripture orthe teachings of a certain
religious leader, prophet, and/or God have absolute power over an individual or a group of
believers. Fundamentalists think their faith is impervious to criticism and hence should be
pushed onto others. Rational reasoning and scientific facts have no place in these belief systems
if they contradict religious fundamentalism. Fundamentalists think that religion should dominate
every part of their life, and they attempt, often violently, to subjugate the whole society to their
ideals.

The term "fundamentalism" now refers to a wide religio-political viewpoint found in most, if not
all, major faiths. Worse, it is associated with different forms of religious extremism.

Literature Review : The group read numerous articles to gain a greater understanding of
religious fundamentalism.Most of the articles shows what is fundamentalism,types of
fundamentalism,what are the causes of fundamentalism , the political and social impact of
religious fundamentalism, etc.

Gaps: The group has able to learn a lot of things from those articles. But they do believe they
can add more knowledge about religious fundamentalism.

Objectives: This research will let people know more about religious fundamentalism, the impact
of it,the pros and cons of different types of fundamentalism, is it related to terrorism and so
many things.

Research Question : What is religious fundamentalism and how it effect our social and political
life.

Methodology: The study has been conducted following a qualitative research approach, a
popular research method in social sciences, which is exploratory and descriptive in nature.To
know the religious fundamentalism subtly . This study is mainly based on online analyses.

The root causes for Religious fundamentalism:

It is said that the main causes for religious fundamentalism are modernisation and secularisation,
but we also need to consider the nature of the religions themselves and a range of ‘external
factors’ to fully explain what drives the fundamentalists.

Modernisation has affected the social and religious lives of people in many ways.

Because of modernization and development of many scientific theories and discoveries shapes
our social life from our religious life are seen as a threat to religion and religious beliefs. As
religious fundamentalists believe that the inscribed text in the holy book are the only possible
way to lead life they are not very keen on accepting changes in the social lives. Incorporation of
different scientific evolution in our day to day life modernisation has given a new perspective to
people which is rationalism where people are turning to science for scientific explanations about
different phenomenon other than believing religious explanations. In this view science is taking
over from religion as the predominant belief system in society.

One of the other main reasons for religious fundamentalism is secularisation. Brian Wilson
(1966) described secularisation as “the process whereby religious thinking, practices and
institutions lose their social significance.” As the world is moving toward a more technologically
and scientifically advanced society the relevancy of religious text and prophecies aren’t taken
with much significance like people would take them in the 19th century.

There has been said that other than modernization and secularisation there are other external
factors which contribute to the causes of religious fundamentalism. Among them, ethnocentrism
could be one of the prominent reasons for fundamentalism.

Ethnocentrism means to believe that one’s way of life is more ideal than others. Fundamentalists
tend to think that their religion is above any criticism and is the ideal way that the life should be
led. Because of putting their religion on such a high moral viewpoint that they do not accept any
other religion or religious context to be right so they think that societies should be reformed and
modernity should be abandoned.

Literal translations of religious scripture are also the cause for the rise of religious
fundamentalism. Some groups of people and/or individuals fail to understand the underlying
meaning of religious scripts so they make up their own version of the meaning they think it
might mean. Which results in a very extreme form of religious rules.
Body Section 1:
Islamic Fundamentalism

An Introduction to Islamic Fundamentalism:

Islamic Fundamentalism prefers the thing that is
supported and ruled by using Islamic Rules. There are more then four thousands religions in this
world and all of them have different identities, different rules, different culture, different
religious views also. People all over the world always follow the rules of their religion.
Islam is an uniquyand of the most famous and peaceful religions of the world. Infect Islam is
mentioned as the best religion of the world. And the rules that are used to rule the Muslims is
called the Islamic Fundamentalism which is a part of Islamic Fundamentalism also.
Islamic Fundamentalism means those rules which are highly applied in the society or country
and followed by the people of this religion that means Muslims.
The era of Islamic Fundamentalism started from the start of the world. But It mainly started after
Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM) declared Islam and started inviting the people to the Islam. He
made it one of the most famous religions of the world and that was spread widely after 610 when
Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM) was a man of 40. After his death at the age of 63 Islam started
spreading in world wide durning the era of four Khalifa. Islamic Fundamentalism is based on
those rules that was established on this time.
But some of the religious personalities using this fundamentalism to complete their own wish,
their establishment, to earn money, to earn fame, to earn public sympathy, and to be a celebrity
person. This is the misuse of Islamic Fundamentalism all over the world. They are creating
unhealthy religious views for the people and also for the Muslims.

Historical Basis of Islamic Fundamentalism:

 The era of Islamic Fundamentalism started after
Established Islam in this world. Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM) declared Islam as the religion
of peace, as the religion of people, as the religion of the world. In 610, when Prophet Hazrat
Mohammad (SM) was a man of 40 got the prophet ship to spread Islam as the religion of people,
as the religion of tge world. The Stated to publish Islam to the people of Arab (Makka then
Madina). He also visited Iraq, Turkey etc to invite people in Islam. He made a strong base to
make Islam as the religion of the world after his death. After 633 to 643, four of his
representatives took responsibility to spread Islam world-wide and they were successful in their
job. After the era of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM) and his four representatives, the leadership
went to the Umaia Family who started to rule Islam and Arab.
Then Osmania family and more others important family took the responsibility of Islam to
spread world wide. They made a lot of rules to rule the public and the Muslims also. They made
their emperor to the half of the world including whole middle East, North Africa, South Asia,
Middle Asia and in tge Europe also. They successfully ruled for a huge time in this world. At this
moment, a lot of extra rules also created by the Islamic scholars to rule the Muslim and too keep
the Muslims under them. They also published some illogical rules to rule the Muslims like
women can not go out of the home and they can not attach with any kind of business and job.
After the 16th century, it started to break and decrease Its power and after first world war, when
USA broke Turkey and dismissed the rule of Khalifa the era of Islam stopped.
At this time, a lot of rules were created that are used now to rule the Muslims all over the world.
There are more than 70 sects in the Muslims and all of them have their own and different
religious views like shia, Sunni. They have different rules and different Opinion about Islam.
Sunnis believe all of the four Khalifa or representatives after the death of Prophet Hazrat
Mohammad (SM) but Shias are not agree with this opinion they mentioned first three Khalifa as
the Criminal who took the responsibility of Islam Illegally and they Only believe Ali as the
representatives or the Khalifa of Islam who is able to rule the Islam and the Muslim. And the
opinion that they explain to Their followers is called Islamic Fundamentalism.
For their different opinion, it is getting more difficult to choose the right way to follow for the
general Muslims of the world which is one of the biggest barrier of Islam and for the Muslim in
all over the world.
In Bangladesh, there are a long History of Islamic Fundamentalism. After 1206 when Ikhtear
Uddin Mohammad Bin Bokhtear Kholzi attacked Bengal and Started Islamic rule for the first
time in present-day Sylhet. After then, a lot of Muslim ruler ruled In Bengal for more than 500
Years. After 1757, when the British took Bengal as their own part, the era of Islamic Rules ended
in Bengal for almost 200 years.
After 1947 Pakistan took the responsibility of Bengal and ruled Islamic Law in this land and
stated Islamic Rules again for almost 24 years. After the Independence of Bangladesh, this land
was declared as the Islamic Country that is stable now.
In this period, a lot of Islamic Scholars came to Bangladesh and expressed their opinion about
Islam and make the people and Bengal and Muslim as the Culmination Muslim. And the opinion
that believe the Muslim is mentioned as Islamic Fundamentalism.

Causes of Islamic Fundamentalism:

Fundamentalism means the root of any religion that is
followed by the people of the religion hardly. Islamic Fundamentalism means the rule of Islam
that was made for the Muslim to lead their life easily. The use of these rules hardly and maintain
properly is Islamic Fundamentalism.
But now a days, it is noticed that, in every part of the world the Muslim are begin tourterd by the
Non-Muslim. Especially after 1757 in Bengal or the Indian SubContinent and after 1945 in all
over the world by the Non Muslim. If we look in Palestine, Gaza, Seria and others Islamic
Country of Africa and Asia is being tourtered by the Non Muslim of Europe and USA. It is one
of the most sensitive reasons of Islamic Fundamentalism because all Muslims believe and love
their religion and it's a part of their Emotion.
On the other hand, In India, to gain the popularity in National Assembly Narendra Modi is
torturing the Muslims of India at a high rate. Examples of these are, they banned Hijab and
Burka in India. They also banned on the Eid Ul Adha that no one can kill any Animals on this
day. It is an important reason of Islamic Fundamentalism.
Impact on Geopolitics:
Islamic Fundamentalism is one of the most sensitive fundamentalisms all
over the world. Because we know, there are a lot of Muslims in the world. There are also some
Powerful Muslim countries also. At the same time tnere are som powerful and destructive
Muslim terrorist group in the world who try to make an Islamic world which and important part
of Isla.Islamic Fundamentalism.
Islamic Fundamentalism is an important topic for the Geopolitics of Bangladesh. We know
Bangladesh is an Islamic Country in the world which has a vast coastal area in the South.
Not only for Bangladesh, But also for all over the world because there are some powerful Islamic
Republics including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia who have a
huge number of natural resources which are needed to make the world stable.
On the other hand, we know there is India on the opposite side of Bangladesh which is declared
as a Hindu country all over the world. The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi always try to
establish the Hindu Fundamentalism in India which makes the Muslim angry to him. And the
reason to keep his chair as the Prime Minister longer as much as possible.
At the same time, for the vast area of the coastal side of the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh is one of
the most important countries of South Asian business worldwide. We know there are some
countries including Nepal and Bhutan who Don't have any coastal area for international business
in water. That's they must have to be dependent on Bangladesh and India. But we know India is a
large country and they have a big number of business areas all over the world, that's why it is
impossible to use Indian ports for international coastal business. For this reason, they must have
to be dependent on Bangladesh for input and export.
At the same time, China and India use the port of Bangladesh also for their business. That's why
Bangladesh is an Important land of Geopolitics.
At the same time, by religion, Bangladesh is a Muslim country. That's why it is simple that she
will keep a good Relationship with other muslim Country as well. It has been done by Islamic
Fundamentalism.
Islamic Fundamentalism and Terrorism:
It is generally said that Fundamentalism is a part of
terrorism. Specially, according to western country like USA, UK, Islamic fundamentalism is tje
root of terrorism. They mention Islam as the terrorist society.
After the disaster of 9/11, the USA declared a war Against Taliban and also Muslims. The US
attacked Afghanistan and took power from the Taliban with the help of NATO in 2001. After the
attack, The US declared an Invisible war Against the Muslims. Especially in the Middle East
and African Muslims.
At the same time, according to western countries, Muslims like to create problems in society and
they can be harmful for the world. Because the Muslims believe that if they can die for Islam,
God will give them Zannah after death.
On the other hand, there are some dishonest persons who use Islam for illegal and Criminal
activities in a country or region. They influence the people to these types of activities by talking
to them about Zannah and the satisfaction of God. They publish book on it that can influence
public to the terrorism activities in the country. They basically target the young generation
because they can take any type of risk for these types of activities. Than they teach them about
the Chain of Command of Islam. They influence them to follow the Rules of Islam which is
made by themself. As a result, they take the step to kill the people of other religions and
influence them to make a blast in a public place that can make a big destruction within a
moment. It is the impact of Islamic Fundamentalism to the society or the country and for all over
the world.

Hindu Fundamentalism

An Introduction to Hindu Fundamentalism:

Hindutva is a term that literally means "Hinduness," "Hindu principles," or "Hindu essence." It is
made up of two words: Hindu (Persian) and ttva (English) (in Sanskrit). Hindutva is a new
phrase coined by "some ideologues who want India's population to have one homogeneous
culture and create Hindu culture as the best culture in the world," according to Dominic
Emmanuel. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar popularized Hindutva in his monumental work
Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?, published in 1923. This has since become a well-known concept, at
least within the governing classes. According to M. T. Cherian, Hindutva supporters like
Savarkar separate the Hindu religion from the Hindu nation. Hindtuva is based on a notion and
idea from the Mughal period. The Mughal (or Mongol) invasion of India fostered Hindu
nationalism among the populations they captured and mistreated in various ways. The Mughal
period was the bloodiest in human history, according to S. L. Verma, who quotes Will Durant.
Many Hindus battled the Mughals despite the fact that they knew their resistance would result in
death or economic suffering (because of the levying of the jaziya tax). Even their sacred sites and
temples were desecrated, creating widespread anti-Muslim sentiment.

The Rise of Hindu Fundamentalism:

Fundamentalists are absolute believers who take their scriptures literally and hold fast to their
convictions. They claim that only their scriptures contain the divine truth revealed to their
prophet, and that all other scriptures and prophets are false or redundant. For some years, there
has been growing alarm around the world over the rise of Hindu fundamentalism, or Hindutva.

Hindutva's political ideology is a declaration of "Indian identity" and "Indian nationhood,"

according to its adherents. Hindutva claims to be cultural, civilizational, and nonreligious,
working for the good of all Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Ayyavazhis, Jains, and Lingayats, as well
as Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians who have been given India as their 'fatherland'
and 'holy land.'

Hindutva supports the Gita, which has historically been a sacred text used by only a few Hindu
sects. Although the Gita has been seen as inspirational by many Hindus since the end of the
nineteenth century, the scriptures that are regarded as sacred by all Hindus are the separate and
millennia-old Vedas. Hindutvans advocate for 'Hindu ideals,' a 'Hindu way of life,' a 'not unique
place history,' a 'not unusual place ancestry,' and a 'not unusual place Indian culture,' as well as a
'not unusual place Civil Code'[6] and monetary growth that adheres to 'local ethics and
morality.'However, the BJP and RSS refuse to outline those terms. For example, it isn't always
clean in the event that they include:

● the caste system;

 ● getting up earlier than sunrise for a ritual tub tub in order that you may pray to idols;
● organized marriage;
● the traditional ‘joint family’ system;
● ingesting most effective vegetarian food;
● being ‘anti-Western’ (eg now no longer carrying denims if you’re a man, and now no
longer carrying slacks or skirts if you’re a woman);
● speaking, studying and writing are most effective in Sanskrit.

That is why many Indians see Hindutva as representing most effective themselves, seeking to
benefit political strength so as to gain specially the network of businesspeople who help and are
in turn patronized through them.Hindutva riseDespite such vagueness and self-interest, Hindutva
has grown for 2 reasons:Hindutva gives itself as easy and committed to constructing the nation,
in appreciation to the greed and selfishness of the generations of political leaders that observed
the idealists who led India to independence.

The RSS and BJP were capable of locating backers to fund the education right into a disciplined
cadre of individuals who are reduced off from the substantial privileges of the pinnacle castes.

Alarming consequences Since Modi’s election in 2014, as a part of a method to channel

foreign-beginning finances most effectively to Hindutva organizations, over 20,000
non-Hindutva civil Society organizations have had their registration cancelled. Others along with
Amnesty International, Greenpeace, the Ford Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation were pressured and their price range blocked.THREATS ARE INCREASINGLY
USED TO INTIMIDATE ORDINARY PEOPLE.Furthermore, threats are an increasing number
used to intimidate everyday people, with marauding bands employed for bodily assaults on all
who disagree with Hindutva—particularly if they're Hindus. The BJP-run kingdom equipment
has even been implicated withinside the killing of law enforcement officials and judges who
adhere to the Constitution and consequently refuse to align with the anti-democratic needs of the
BJP/ RSS. Hindu terrorism towards non-Hindutvan Hindus, Muslims, Christians,
Dalit-Bahujans, and different groups, which has steadily expanded for the reason that 1980s, has
obtained a big raise as violence now has reputable support.India’s refugee and citizenship
regulations have additionally been radically modified.For example, citizenship legal guidelines
were amended to make it simpler to strip Indian Muslims of citizenship and to confer Indian
citizenship on Hindu refugees from Bangladesh.Meanwhile, withinside the Indian-administered
part of Kashmir (India’s most effective Muslim-majority state), the BJP’s anti-Muslim guidelines
have grew to become increasingly Kashmiris towards the Indian government.

The Danger of Hindu Extremism:

The Indian administration is blissfully unaware of Hindu fundamentalism's mounting threat. The
country has had many large riots, from Ayodhya in 1992 and Gujarat in 2002 to the recent New
Delhi riots in February 2020. A local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Kapil Mishra, sparked
the Delhi riots by making inflammatory remarks to a crowd protesting the unpopular Citizenship
Amendment Act. Violence broke out in between Hindu mob zealots and Muslim minorities when
thugs in Mishra's cadre plotted attacks across the city.

The BJP government has been criticised for responding slowly and indifferently to the
'anti-Muslim pogrom.' The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Hindu nationalist party, is
encouraging Hindu extremists to exploit minority rights. The country's extreme violence is also a
product of important state institutions.Despite their nonpartisan roles, the police, judiciary, and
federal government are becoming increasingly aligned with Hindu majoritarianism, fostering
extremism.

A high number of police officers sympathize with Hindu fanaticism and support it politically.
Police inaction during ethnic riots is widespread, according to Steven Wilkinson, who attributes
it to a fear of punishment from political superiors, which could imperil their jobs. Hindu
fundamentalism is actively supported by some people. According to one study, 35% of officers
said it was OK for a Hindu mob to punish a Muslim who slaughtered cows.The survey also
found widespread anti-Muslim sentiment among police officers, who regularly mistake Muslims
for criminals.

India's courts have also been tainted by Hindu fundamentalist bias, resulting in laws being
construed against minority. In November 2019, the Supreme Court of India ruled that a temple
should be erected on disputed territory in Ayodhya. The 1992 destruction of the Babri Masjid
mosque as well as the accompanying riots, which resulted in hundreds of deaths, were justified
by the court ruling. The Babri Masjid was demolished by Hindu fanatics who claimed it was the
birthplace of the Hindu god Lord Rama. Hindu nationalists were angered by the verdict,
especially in a political setting when a Hindu nationalist party is in power.

In a clear display of partisanship, Judge Arun Mishra praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
calling him a "versatile genius who thinks and acts globally," throwing doubt on the Supreme
Court's political neutrality. A Delhi High Court justice who chastised the BJP for inciting the
Delhi riots was unjustly transferred to another state.

The government have been unable to control the development of Hindu nationalism. After the
BJP won the kingdom election in 2017, a Hindu nationalist chief Yogi Adityanath was
nominated as leader minister with Modi's help in Uttar Pradesh, India's largest state. As a result,
the country has seen an increase in so-called 'anti-Romeo squads,' which hunt down Muslim men
who are dating Hindu women.

Violence against Muslims who make a living by slaughtering cows is also on the rise. Gau
rakshaks (cow guardians) commit violent crimes by inciting mob justice and thrashing Muslims
suspected of cow slaughter or transportation. It's simply too difficult to control the amount of
Hindu extremist violence without alienating the government's center supporters when the federal
government advocates for a Hindu nation. Many Hindu fanatics perceive themselves as carrying
out the covert wishes of the rulers. (Palanisamy,2020)

The Babry Mosque Tragedy:

From the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 through the triumph of the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP), a Hindu fundamentalist party, in the May 1996 election, India's failure to respect its
constitutional concept of "secularism" by separating religion and politics can be witnessed.
Secularism has been threatened multiple times since India's independence due to the country's
recurrent communal bloodshed. The façade of secularism was shattered on December 6, 1992,
when the Indian government was powerless to stop angry Hindus from demolishing the Babri
Masjid.With the mosque's demolition, India had its worst outbreak of sectarian conflict since the
year 2000, with 1700 people killed and 5000 injured. The failure of the Indian government to
prevent Hindu militants from demolishing the mosque has cast serious doubt on the
government's promise to protect citizens' fundamental rights to religious freedom, i.e. Sarva
dharma Samabhav (let all religions prosper). Was the failure due to an accident or a
miscalculation? In truth, was it really a political plan to treat all sects and faiths equally? Is it
conceivable that the mosque was saved by the Rao government? The purpose of this thesis is to
look into the Babri Masjid disaster and, in light of it, to find answers to the aforementioned
issues in Indias political context.

Hindu Fundamentalism and Indian Politics :

Hindu fundamentalist politics has long been a source of contention for India's religious
minorities, Dalits and Lower castes, who account for around 40% of the country's population.
The Hindu Mahasabha (Great Council of Hindus) was founded in 1915 to combat the Muslim
League and establish a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu state). VD Savarkar's intellectual ideas were the
first to break through Hinduism's amorphousness, which had prevented the emergence of a
strong political movement. The Hindutva political theory, which literally means "Hinduness" and
was apparently the root of Hindu nationalism, was given to it by Savarkar. Furthermore, the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS or National Volunteers Corps), founded in Nagpur in 1925,
has always aspired to develop a paramilitary force of ideologically indoctrinated volunteers to
help Hindu Rashtra achieve its goals. Hindu fundamentalism is today represented by a plethora
of organizations and groups that appeal to all sections of Indian society.While the majority were
created by the RSS and are consequently known as the Sangh Parivar (RSS family of groups),
some, like Maharashtra's Shiv Sena (Army of Shivaji), are not linked with the RSS but are
devoted to Hindu fundamentalism. Hindu fundamentalism derives its intellectual orientation
from a form of Brahmanism that naturalizes the world's hierarchical structure, avoiding major
conceptual problems with many forms of political and cultural control, which explains its many
contradictions. While it supported Hindu nationalism, it never had a serious quarrel with British
colonial rule and advocated anti-colonial struggle. While living under Muslim rule, those who
supported Gandhi's ideal of progress were accountable for his assassination. (Teltumbde,2006)
Social Identities, Hindu Fundamentalism and politics in India: Some scholars
studying the various phenomena grouped together under the label "fundamentalism" emphasize
the importance of religious components above issues of social identity and politics development.
However, recent events in the world compel us to dig further into these social and political
challenges. Acts of "ethnic" and "religion-based" violence, which have been considered as
overlapping occurrences in some settings, have expanded globally and taken on an international
dimension. These circumstances have caused concern not just in regions where they occur, but
also at the academic and political levels in central Western societies, where ambitious projects to
study them were launched at the end of the 1980s, and where stereotypical portrayals of ethnic
and religious clashes have become commonplace. The use of religion and divine permission to
justify political activities, particularly violent ones (such as war), has recently entered the global
political conversation. Political discourses including moral/religious themes, for example, proved
to be a significant resource both for US administration and Asian leaders as during Gulf War of
1991. This conflict also revealed the terrifying potential of modern military technology in
depicting bloodshed.

In a context marked by socioeconomic, ethnic, and religious variety, two conflicting strategies
have been attempted to establish a fabricated "national" unity. On the one hand, variation has
been reduced in the sake of national integration. Differences based on "racial," "ethnic," or
"religious" grounds, on the other hand, have been reinforced in social and political practice. In
India, the concept of Indian unity coexists with classification systems and common
representations of sociological variety based on ethnic and caste ascriptions. At the same time,
the secularist ideal coexists with a religious idiom in the ruling classes' political activity. In the
1980s, this last component led to widespread communalization of electoral political
processes.The best evidence of this approach came from the Congress Party's electoral campaign
in 1984/85. (I). The Congress Party's (I) practice of soliciting votes in one or more localities
depending on the party's requirements at any given time may be traced back to the roots of this
method. After 1969, Indira Gandhi exploited Muslims and the lower classes as a "card" until the
Emergency, when her popularity waned. The Hindu small bourgeoisie has been courted since
1980 in attempt to gain their electoral support. With the support of the governing classes, the
inclusion of the communal element in the politics of the then ruling party contributed to the
deadly riots of the first half of the 1980s (Moradabad, Biharsharif, Meerut, Baroda, Pune,
Sholapur, Bombay-Bhivandi). It also exacerbated polarization between Hindu and Muslim
electors. This trend can be seen in the communal violence against the Sikh community in Delhi
in 1984. Secular parties' broad use of communal practices helped the rise of communalist
organisations and political parties (like the BJP, the VHP and the RSS). The social dislocation
that these organizations have helped to generate since August 1989, particularly around the
feared date when karsevaks were to invade the disputed sacred area at Ayodhya, gives them the
confidence to build a Hindu platform based on fundamentalist doctrine and violence.

The Challenges of Hindu Nationalism and Its Impact on Christian Mission

Today:

The underlying primary purpose of Hindutva is that "to be Indian is to be Hindu." There is no
room for compromise or middle ground; those who do not satisfy certain criteria are regarded as
foreigners who have no place in India's past, present, or future. The consequences of this one
philosophy have marred India's history, evoking similar philosophies around the world that have
wreaked devastation on the country, its various communities, and even the world at
large.Hindutva is growing popularity among Indians worldwide, regardless of caste, background,
or ethnicity. This rise in popularity is due to ongoing propaganda from a variety of
fundamentalist organizations, which is fueled by a shared worldview that views "Hinduness" to
be the only desirable stance for the country. Minorities in India have been made to feel unwanted
and weird by Hindu fundamentalists. The Christian community has been subjected to an upsurge
in organized and systematic persecution aimed at uprooting and eradicating them totally.So that
the founders' aspirations of a secular democratic republic that honors and upholds all faiths can
continue to be achieved, unconstitutional conflict spread under the cover of patriotism,
nationalism, and economic progress should be scrutinized and rejected where necessary. The
so-called Christian agenda is misunderstood, miscommunicated, and misunderstood by secular
Hindus, particularly when it comes to missionary efforts. Hindutva organizations like the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Jana Sangh, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have
cleverly ensured that anti-Christian sentiment remains high even among secular and previously
disinterested Hindus by propagating the myth that Christianity is a foreign (Western) religion
whose adherents are anti-Hindu and anti-nationalistic.

CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISM

INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISM

Christian fundamentalism is just like any other

religious fundamentalism. Only this fundamentalism emerges centering on the extremist
Christian groups. This religious movement started from the misinterpretation of various verses of
religious texts. Its modern form was generated in the last nineteenth and twentieth centuries
through British and American Protestants. Moreover, the history of Christian fundamentalism is
thousands of years old. The ubiquity of modern-day liberalism has reshaped Christian
fundamentalism. Fundamentalist views Liberal public representatives and society deny a
significant portion of Christianity. So in opposition to this modernism and liberalism, the
extremists started the so-called religious movement like Christian fundamentalism.

Christian fundamentalism is as serious a problem as any other religious fundamentalism in the

world today. This is one of the major obstacles to world peace and harmony. Like other religious
fundamentalisms, it has spread everywhere for thousands of years. Fundamentalists are nearly
often described as believing in the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible. They focus on some of
the historical events and prophecies of the Bible and conduct their activities around them. At that
time they resorted to massive lies to distort those religious verses and spread them everywhere.
Their extremism is manifested in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the preaching of the
religion, and the misinterpretation of the role of the state and the church. Most earlier
assessments of the fundamentalist movement were based on the conceptions of social dislocation
or cultural shock.
Christian fundamentalism played a major role in changing the world today. Changing the
lifestyles of people in different countries is no exception. Issues such as forced conversions and
genocide of indigenous peoples have changed the course of history in the Middle Ages and
modern times. Issues such as the Crusades, colonialism, and tribal genocide are the result of
extreme Christian fundamentalism.

HISTORICAL BASIS OF CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISM

Although the history of Christian fundamentalism is

very old, its modern form was born in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This is the
beginning of religious fundamentalism as opposed to modern liberalism and modernism.
According to authors Robert D. Woodberry and Christian Smith,

Following the civil war, there were difficulties between Northern evangelical leaders over
Darwinism and greater biblical criticism, but Southerners remained united in their resistance to
both. Modernists strove to modernize Christianity to reflect their scientific viewpoint. They
rejected biblical miracles, claiming that God shows himself through society’s social growth.
Conservatives fought against these reforms. Following World War I, these simmering tensions
erupted in what became known as the fundamentalist/modernist split.

In the twentieth century, along with the industrial one, modern modernism and liberalism spread
in society. The spread of liberalism gave birth to the new liberal principles among the people. At
that time the influence of the church at various policy-making levels of society was diminishing.
At this time, it seems to various reactionary religious groups of the society that the effect of
irreligion is prevailing everywhere in the society. Misinterpretations of biblical prophecies have
led to the emergence of various extremist Christian groups. New excitement began among them
about things like the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and they despise all other religions. In the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the doctrines of these peoples gained popularity in Britain
and the United States, and gradually spread throughout the world. As a result, different extremist
Christian fundamentalist groups were born in different countries, which is the new form of
modern Christian fundamentalism.

When we talk about old-fashioned Christian fundamentalism, we are reminded of the various
monarchical states influenced by the Church in ancient and medieval times. At that time, the
church had a very important role to play at the highest policy-making level of the state. The rise
of the Crusades began throughout Europe in the middle ages because of various extremist rulers
and the Church Fathers. The Crusades were a series of religious battles in the medieval period
that was started, supported, and occasionally commanded by the Latin Church. The most
well-known of the Crusades for the Holy Land is between 1095 and 1291., which aimed to free
Jerusalem and its environs from Islamic dominion. During these crusades, in response to the
church’s call, all European nations come together and fought for the Holy Land. These crusades
would have killed millions of people in Europe and the Middle East. These medieval religious
wars sowed the seeds of modern Christian fundamentalism.

The role of Christian fundamentalists in the success of Western colonialism is not well spoken.
During the period of colonialism, the west tried its best to spread its religious value everywhere.
Extremist pirates from Europe were behind the killing of millions of indigenous people in North
and South America during colonialism. Europeans’ exploration of America killed 56 million
indigenous people in 1600 alone. According to new research, European colonization of the
Americas resulted in the deaths of so many indigenous people that it altered the environment and
caused the earth’s climate to cool. ( The Guardian, 2019 )

Thus, after colonialism on different continents of the world, they converted them to Christianity
through various tricks through the church. The United States, the bearer and carrier of modern
liberalism, has so far not brought to justice the Europeans the genocide of their indigenous
peoples. At present, the western aggression against various countries is the result of their
Christian fundamentalist mentality. So it can be said that modern Christian fundamentalism was
born in the last nineteenth and twentieth centuries but its real seeds were sown thousands of
years ago.

CAUSES OF CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISM

There are several reasons why ordinary people engage in

Christian fundamentalism. To get rid of Christian fundamentalism it is necessary to find out the
reasons behind it. It is universally acknowledged that Christian fundamentalism is a platform
against modernism and liberalism. One of the main reasons for the involvement of Christian
fundamentalism is that it does not support modern liberal principles. An important principle of
modernism and liberalism is to respect and honor all religions. All religions should be respected
for a peaceful coexistence of society. But according to extremists, the coexistence of all religions
could endanger their religion. For this, they fiercely prove the superiority of their religion
everywhere. They violently present the prophecies of their scriptures in front of everyone and by
believing in these they proceed to carry out their nefarious activities.

The colonial mindset is also one of the main reasons for the involvement of Christian
fundamentalism. Due to the colonialism of various past states, including British, French,
Portuguese, and Spanish, people can often get involved in Christian fundamentalism. Because at
the time of Western colonialism, almost the whole world was under their rule. Many of them
remember the old days of domination and a kind of ego is awakened in them. This is the reason
behind the origin of Christian fundamentalist groups in different countries of the world. In that
case, we can mention the event of the recent terrorist attack at a mosque during the Friday prayer
in Christchurch, New Zealand on 15 March 2019. The terrorist attack killed 51 people and
injured 40 others.
One of the guns left behind by the terrorist who killed at least 50 people in two mosques in
Christchurch, New Zealand, had racist and white supremacist inscriptions inscribed on it. On the
rifle were also engraved the names of Christian and Nazi military Commanders who had
participated in conflicts against the former Ottoman Empire, as well as dates relating to key
historical events in eastern Europe. ( TRTWORLD, 2019 )

In this case, the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia in the last century is easily remembered. The
ethnic cleansing was carried out by forces of the Bosnian Serb Army of Republic Srpska led by
Ratko Mladic. In the closing phase of the 1990s Bosnian war, Serb soldiers massacred more than
8000 Muslim men and boys. Their main goal was the ethnic cleansing of the Bosnian Muslims.
One of the main reasons for their extremist mentality is the long Muslim rule in the Balkan
region and to establish Serb nationalism by dispersing Muslims from Eastern Europe. That is
why it can be said that extremist Christian fundamentalists are often inspired by the history of the
past.

The apathy toward religious coexistence also often leads to the spread of fundamentalism. The
aggression of the west in different countries of the world has created a huge refugee crisis. As
refugees and immigrants of different faiths migrate to the West, the citizens of that country feel,
that their religion will be in crisis if immigration is not stopped. These fears are spread to
ordinary citizens by some far-right groups and many political parties in that countries for
political gains. As a result, ordinary citizens are intolerant of other religions, which is the first
step in Christian fundamentalism. Nowadays in Europe, Canada and America there are reports of
mistreatment of Muslims, Hindus, and Sikh immigrants by various local far-right groups. It is the
result of misinterpretations by the extremists to the general people.

IMPACT ON GEOPOLITICS

Fundamentalism has a lot to do with world politics. Most of its

effects on world politics are negative. The negative effect of Christian fundamentalism has
affected world politics in many ways. The notion that Christian fundamentalism has a profound
effect on world politics is not very well-spoken. If the history before the twenty-first century is
observed, it can be seen how the Christian extremism has played a role in reshaping geopolitics.
But there is no news of the destruction of the society due to Christian extremism as they take
place under the guise of secularism and liberalism. A closer look at ancient geopolitics reveals
how Christian extremist ideologies have done so much damage to other states. The church used
to dominate the ancient Christian states of the past. For this reason, the combined aggression of
the Christian states towards the states of other religions could always be seen. The conversion of
the Roman Empire to Christianity was followed by fierce fighting with other pagan states,
including the neighboring Persian Empire. At that time, due to various insidious quarters, it
became known that the Jews were the greatest enemy of the Christians. This led to the
persecution of the Jews from the ancient times to the end of the Middle Ages and the expulsion
of them from their land. These small incidents and the subsequent Holocaust contributed to the
creation of the unconstitutional state of Israel.

A great change can be observed all over the world after the colonialism of the West. They have
not only gone to different countries to loot but have been forced to adopt their own culture and
religion. Many other pirates, such as the Portuguese sailor Vasco da Gama, changed America’s
geopolitics forever after its discovery. Many advanced and ancient civilizations of the American
continent perished only to deny the dominance of European colonialists. The intense racism and
fundamentalist thinking that existed among those explorers is nowhere to be found. By forcibly
propagating Christianity and killing other aborigines, including the Red Indians, the millennial
history of American glory was forever erased. The same thing has happened in the African
continent. There are still Western colonies that are the bearers of so-called secularism and
liberalism. In many countries, far-right governments sponsor the spread of extremism in society
in order to gain huge public support. In different countries, hegemonic states provoke religious
divisions in order to weaken them. For example, religious divisions were incited to separate
South Sudan from Sudan and East Timor from Indonesia. The separatist terrorists in the hill
districts of India and Bangladesh have been incited to violence many times in the past.
According to extremists, there is still an unwritten crusade around the world, like the medieval
crusades. One of the characteristics of fundamentalists is that they do not consider people of
other religions as human beings, and their basic rights are violated. That is exactly the same
mentality that is found in the current aggressive heads of state of the western countries. In the
name of restoring democracy in various countries of the world, including the Middle East, they
have killed millions of people and crippled each state economically and socially. In this way, the
aggressor states spread their dominance in world po0litics by oppressing other states and there is
no denying that Christian fundamentalist doctrine plays a very important role here.

Many fundamentalist activities are also conducted through the division of different sects among
Christians which has played a role in world politics. The Great Schism of 1054 divided the
Roman Empire into two parts, East and West. The origin came from the negative divisions
between Orthodox and Catholic sects that still exist today. Catholic-Orthodox divisions also play
a role in Western Europe’s support for USA and Eastern European countries’ support for Russia.
The rivalry between Russia and the USA for world domination is well known. In many
developed countries, things like Islamophobia and Racism happen all the time and the media
treats them as merely isolated incidents. Thus, only one religion is cited as the cause of terrorism
so that the hegemonic states can isolate them and seize the opportunity in world politics. Radical
thinking among the policymakers is largely responsible for the aggression of the aggressor
countries in Cuba, Venezuela, Vietnam, Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other countries. Millions
of people died in these aggressions. The former president of the USA, George W. Bush once said
that God told him to invade Afghanistan and Iraq, so he invaded. (The Guardian, 2005). This
proves that religious fundamentalism has at times swallowed up many high-level policymakers
from which horrific events have taken place in world politics. Therefore, it can be said that
Christian fundamentalism has a lot of negative effects on global politics.

● Fundamentalism, Extremism in Politics

● Drawbacks
Communalism:

Due to communalism, fundamentalism and extremism in politics can rise. Communalism refers
to the interest of a particular group or community to greater than others. In the meantime,
religious fundamentalist consciousness awakens people's minds. A particular group begins to
look at its own opportunities than the interests of others. Which has an impact on politics.

Fanaticism

The attachment to the politics of fanatics is one of the reasons for the development of radical and
extremist consciousness in the political field. No religion in the world supports an extremist
consciousness. All religions in the world are asked to coexist with all of the world.

Lack of Centralized Control:

Due to the lack of central governance, radical and extremist consciousness arises. Various
ideologies, ideas, opinions, etc. are presented in politics at different times. These ideologies and
concepts are a strong and well -thought -out arrangement and a strong central governance is
required to apply it. When the imbalance of this central governance is observed, the neat and
sophisticated organization of various ideologies is disrupted. As a result, radical consciousness
has the opportunity to move freely in politics.

Reading of extremist books:

Fundamentalim and many explanations of terrorism have been found

The essence of literature was involved in socio-psychological details that emphasized
The initiality of complaints and dissatisfaction, usually by the underlying reference
Disappointment-agitation or humiliation-revenge process. One rather
Obvious knowledge, can be thought of as all inspiration for violent extremism
Complaints to form, but literature proves that they can carry out
Strong effects. These feelings of emotional

1. Individual radicalisation by personal victimisation:

This first mechanism relates to the importance of personal grievance in the radicalisation process
(the authors offer several examples, including Palestinian suicide bombings in which retribution
for the death of a loved one is the motivation for self-sacrifice).

2. Individual radicalisation by political grievance:

A political grievance stemming from a political event or trend can also radicalize an individual
(though this might be difficult to distinguish from group grievances).
3. Individual radicalization through affiliation with a radical group – a precarious situation
Joining a radical group is often a long and winding road, with little jobs increasing to increased
responsibility and risk before being involved in major actions.
Solution of Religious Fundamentalism

Expansion of non -communal consciousness:

Politics requires non -communal consciousness to suppress fundamentalism and extremism.

Caste religion, regardless of caste, should see equally. Everyone must imagine as a human being,
and the world needs to be awakened.

Secularism:

The awakening of secularism can forget the differences between people and bring it to everyone.
All religions of the world have to be respectful and respect their religious rituals and discipline.
People of all religions have to try to maintain goodness among themselves.

The introduction of strong and well -established governance:

The most needed regime is the most needed to prevent religious fundamentalism and extremism
in politics. A well -known regime can be a peaceful politics by respecting and respecting all
kinds of ideologies.

Awakening of religious values:

The awakening of religious values ​is a very important thing to remove radical consciousness in
politics. If the consciousness of religious values ​is within everyone, everyone will respect and
respect their religion. Religious values ​can be implemented in their lives and become a conscious
and patriotic citizen.

Working for the welfare of the people overall:

The politics of the state will be for the development of the country only and the welfare of the
people. There will be no specific party development at the point of development. For the welfare
of the people, political people will always be awakened.

Conclusion:

Religious fundamentalism seems to have become a broadly believed and widely disparaged
reputation. Fundamentalism is a hot topic in the news practically every day. It is generally
described as antidemocratic, antimodern, and aggressive. Security and permeability should be
increased to reduce the harmful effects of fundamentalist groups.

People feel less frightened when their security is improved, and their antipathy toward the
out-group reduces. Increased contact between groups is referred to as permeability. Sharing ideas
and discussing themes and similar difficulties might help to create these connections. Because
many fundamentalists have just one social identity, it is important and crucial in their existence.
The importance of the fundamentalist identity would be lessened if more social identities could
be formed. The society should not tolerate violent statements or extremism. We should all be
mindful of fundamentalist groups and rise above any misdeeds committed by these reformers.
Reference:

1.Beller, J., & Kröger, C. (2018). Religiosity, religious fundamentalism, and perceived threat as
predictors of Muslim support for extremist violence. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality,
10(4), 345–355. https://doi.org/10.1037/rel0000138
2.Palanisamy,B.(2020).The creeping danger of Hindu
extremism.https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2020/06/12/the-creeping-danger-of-hindu-extremism

3.Hunsberger, B. (2009).Religious Fundamentalism, Right-Wing Authoritarianism, and Hostility

Toward Homosexuals in Non-Christian Religious Groups

Pages 39-49.https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327582ijpr0601_5

4.Devalle, S. B. (1995). Social Identities, Hindu Fundamentalism, and Politics in India. Bhakti
Religion in North India: Community Identity and Political Action, 253-87.

5..Abraham, T. J. (2003). Flawed Gandhism or Hindu Fundamentalism? No Cheers for"

Kanthapura". Indian Literature, 47(4 (216), 162-167.

6. Piracha,B.(2017).The rise of Hindu

fundamentalism.https://www.mcgilldaily.com/2017/09/the-rise-of-hindu-fundamentalism/#close-
modal

7..Palanisamy.B.(2020).The Creeping Danger of Hindu

Fundamentalism.https://www.eastasiaforum.org/2020/06/12/the-creeping-danger-of-hindu-extre
mism/.
8.En.m.wikipedia.org. 2022. Christian fundamentalism - Wikipedia. [online] Available at:
<https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_fundamentalism> [Accessed 9 May 2022].

9..Milman, O. (2019). European colonization of Americas killed so many it cooled Earth's

climate. the Guardian. Retrieved 9 May 2022, from
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/31/european-colonization-of-americas-helpe
d-cause-climate-change.

10..TRT WORLD. (2019). The Islamophobic signs that defined the Christchurch terrorist.
Retrieved 9 May 2022, from
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982.

11..MacAskill, E. (2005). George Bush: 'God told me to end the tyranny in Iraq'. The Guardian.
Retrieved 9 May 2022, from https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/oct/07/iraq.usa.

12..Tan, C. (2012). Islamic education and indoctrination: The case in Indonesia. Routledge.

13.Ben-Dor, G., & Pedahzur, A. (2003). The uniqueness of Islamic fundamentalism and the
fourth wave of international terrorism. Totalitarian Movements and Political Religions, 4(3),
71-90.

.Julian, P.(2015).The Challenges of Hindu Nationalism and Its Impact on Christian

Mission
Today.https://trainingleadersinternational.org/jgc/123/the-challenges-of-hindu-nati
onalism-and-its-impact-on-christian-mission-today
UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA
Assignment Title:
Religious Fundamentalism:Islamic Fundamentalism,
Hindu Fundamentalism, Cristian Fundamentalism

Subject : Japanese Studies

Course Title : Principles of Sociology
Course code : JS-102

Submitted to:
Dr. Abdullah Al Mamun
Associate Professor & Chairman
Department of Japanese Studies
University of Dhaka

Submitted by Group-7 Roll

1. Shadman Shariar Nibir BB-197-043
2. Md. Hasibul Hasan Chowdhury AA-197-045
3. Jannatul Afia Priya SK-197-046
4. Soaib Mahmud SS-197-047
5. Sifat Mia ZR-197-049

Submission date : May 09 , 2022

Abstract

Fundamentalism means the word that refers to religious situations all over the world. We
know, there are more than four thousands religion in this world including Islam, Hindu,
Christian, Buddist, Yehudi etc. All religions have different views and opinions which
they try to follow Every Time. It is impossible for a person to live out of any religious
view.
But when the people of the world follow it in their own view and they don’t have any
respect for others ' religion, he or she can not take another religion easily, which will
create a critical situation in the society. And the situation that is created to establish one's
own religious opinion is called Religious Fundamentalism.
It is a barrier for our modern world because at present we all must have to live with
others mutually by sharing our Daily lives. So, in this situation, if we can not match with
others with other religious views we can not live in a society or country and all over the
world.
When a Muslim will follow the rules of Islam and make the pressure to other to maintain
his religious view will be Islamic Fundamentalism. At the same thing will happen for the
Hindu and Cristian also.
Acknowledgement
we want to convey our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to our professor, Dr Abdullah Al
Mamun for providing us with the opportunity to work on this insightful topic “Religious
Fundamentalism:Islamic Fundamentalism, Hindu Fundamentalism, Cristian Fundamentalism ”
and giving us the scope and resources to do extensive research. Without him providing us with
adequate knowledge and guidelines it would’ve been impossible for us to present our studies and
ideas in the given timeline.

We were thrilled to work on this topic which aided us in conducting extensive study and learning
about a plethora of new topics and gaining much experience in research based study. It expanded
our knowledge and provided us with an imperative understanding of how to do research projects.

We want to express our gratitude to our team members who worked thorough and hard to
complete this assignment on time and with integrity. We’d like to thank each one of our team
members for their helpful discussions and good ideas along the way. By working with this team
we learn not only academic knowledge but also teamwork, time management and empathy.

Thank you to everyone who invested their time and intellect to make this assignment complete.
Table Of Content

★An Introduction to Religious Fundamentalism. Jannatul Afia

★Literature Review. Hasibul Hasan

★Methodology. Hasibul Hasan

★The root Causes of religious Fundamentalism. Jannatul afia

★Body section 1: Islamic Fundamentalism. Sifatul Islam

★Body Section 2: Hindu Fundamentalism. Hasibul Hasan

★Body section 3: Christian Fundamentalism. Sadman Shahriar

★Solution to Religious Fundamentalism. Soaib Mahmud

★Conclusion. Jannatul Afia

★Reference
Introduction :
Religious fundamentalism is a very sensitive topic. It has been shaping world history and the
behaviour of people throughout the years. It represents a distinctive attitude of certainty as to the
ultimate truth of one’s religious beliefs (Altemeyer and Hunsberger, 1992, 2004).

To get a deeper understanding of this topic we can break down the words to get a more detailed
understanding. The word fundamentalism could be described as devotion to any subject or
discipline’s fundamental principles.

This term was first used to define a group of Christian Protestants in the United States, but it is
now used to denote a wide range of religious organizations and sects that share certain traits.
Religious fundamentalists believe in the superiority of their religious teachings, and in a strict
division between righteous people and evildoers (Altemeyer and Hunsberger, 1992, 2004). This
belief system governs not only religious beliefs, but also all concepts of ourselves, others, and
the world.

Religious fundamentalism is the belief that a holy religious scripture orthe teachings of a certain
religious leader, prophet, and/or God have absolute power over an individual or a group of
believers. Fundamentalists think their faith is impervious to criticism and hence should be
pushed onto others. Rational reasoning and scientific facts have no place in these belief systems
if they contradict religious fundamentalism. Fundamentalists think that religion should dominate
every part of their life, and they attempt, often violently, to subjugate the whole society to their
ideals.

The term "fundamentalism" now refers to a wide religio-political viewpoint found in most, if not
all, major faiths. Worse, it is associated with different forms of religious extremism.
Literature Review : The group read numerous articles to gain a greater understanding of
religious fundamentalism. Most of the articles shows what is fundamentalism,types of
fundamentalism,what are the causes of fundamentalism , the political and social impact of
religious fundamentalism, etc.

Gaps: The group has able to learn a lot of things from those articles. But they do believe they
can add more knowledge about religious fundamentalism.

Objectives: This research will let people know more about religious fundamentalism, the impact
of it,the pros and cons of different types of fundamentalism, is it related to terrorism and so
many things.

Question : What is religious fundamentalism and how it effect our social and political life.

Methodology: The study has been conducted following a qualitative research approach, a
popular research method in social sciences, which is exploratory and descriptive in nature.To
know the religious fundamentalism subtly . This study is mainly based on online analyses.

The root causes for Religious fundamentalism:

It is said that the main causes for religious fundamentalism

are modernisation and secularisation, but we also need to consider the nature of the religions
themselves and a range of ‘external factors’ to fully explain what drives the fundamentalists.

Modernisation has affected the social and religious lives of people in many ways.
Because of modernization and development of many scientific theories and discoveries shapes
our social life from our religious life are seen as a threat to religion and religious beliefs. As
religious fundamentalists believe that the inscribed text in the holy book are the only possible
way to lead life they are not very keen on accepting changes in the social lives. Incorporation of
different scientific evolution in our day to day life modernisation has given a new perspective to
people which is rationalism where people are turning to science for scientific explanations about
different phenomenon other than believing religious explanations. In this view science is taking
over from religion as the predominant belief system in society.

One of the other main reasons for religious fundamentalism is secularisation. Brian Wilson
(1966) described secularisation as “the process whereby religious thinking, practices and
institutions lose their social significance.” As the world is moving toward a more technologically
and scientifically advanced society the relevancy of religious text and prophecies aren’t taken
with much significance like people would take them in the 19th century.

There has been said that other than modernization and secularisation there are other external
factors which contribute to the causes of religious fundamentalism. Among them, ethnocentrism
could be one of the prominent reasons for fundamentalism.

Ethnocentrism means to believe that one’s way of life is more ideal than others. Fundamentalists
tend to think that their religion is above any criticism and is the ideal way that the life should be
led. Because of putting their religion on such a high moral viewpoint that they do not accept any
other religion or religious context to be right so they think that societies should be reformed and
modernity should be abandoned.

Literal translations of religious scripture are also the cause for the rise of religious
fundamentalism. Some groups of people and/or individuals fail to understand the underlying
meaning of religious scripts so they make up their own version of the meaning they think it
might mean. Which results in a very extreme form of religious rules.
Body Section 1:
Islamic Fundamentalism

An Introduction to Islamic Fundamentalism:

Islamic Fundamentalism prefers the thing that is
supported and ruled by using Islamic Rules. There are more then four thousands religions in this
world and all of them have different identities, different rules, different culture, different
religious views also. People all over the world always follow the rules of their religion.
Islam is an uniquyand of the most famous and peaceful religions of the world. Infect Islam is
mentioned as the best religion of the world. And the rules that are used to rule the Muslims is
called the Islamic Fundamentalism which is a part of Islamic Fundamentalism also.
Islamic Fundamentalism means those rules which are highly applied in the society or country
and followed by the people of this religion that means Muslims.
The era of Islamic Fundamentalism started from the start of the world. But It mainly started after
Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM) declared Islam and started inviting the people to the Islam. He
made it one of the most famous religions of the world and that was spread widely after 610 when
Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM) was a man of 40. After his death at the age of 63 Islam started
spreading in world wide durning the era of four Khalifa. Islamic Fundamentalism is based on
those rules that was established on this time.
But some of the religious personalities using this fundamentalism to complete their own wish,
their establishment, to earn money, to earn fame, to earn public sympathy, and to be a celebrity
person. This is the misuse of Islamic Fundamentalism all over the world. They are creating
unhealthy religious views for the people and also for the Muslims.
Historical Basis of Islamic Fundamentalism:
The era of Islamic Fundamentalism started after
Established Islam in this world. Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM) declared Islam as the religion
of peace, as the religion of people, as the religion of the world. In 610, when Prophet Hazrat
Mohammad (SM) was a man of 40 got the prophet ship to spread Islam as the religion of people,
as the religion of tge world. The Stated to publish Islam to the people of Arab (Makka then
Madina). He also visited Iraq, Turkey etc to invite people in Islam. He made a strong base to
make Islam as the religion of the world after his death. After 633 to 643, four of his
representatives took responsibility to spread Islam world-wide and they were successful in their
job. After the era of Prophet Hazrat Mohammad (SM) and his four representatives, the leadership
went to the Umaia Family who started to rule Islam and Arab.
Then Osmania family and more others important family took the responsibility of Islam to
spread world wide. They made a lot of rules to rule the public and the Muslims also. They made
their emperor to the half of the world including whole middle East, North Africa, South Asia,
Middle Asia and in tge Europe also. They successfully ruled for a huge time in this world. At this
moment, a lot of extra rules also created by the Islamic scholars to rule the Muslim and too keep
the Muslims under them. They also published some illogical rules to rule the Muslims like
women can not go out of the home and they can not attach with any kind of business and job.
After the 16th century, it started to break and decrease Its power and after first world war, when
USA broke Turkey and dismissed the rule of Khalifa the era of Islam stopped.
At this time, a lot of rules were created that are used now to rule the Muslims all over the world.
There are more than 70 sects in the Muslims and all of them have their own and different
religious views like shia, Sunni. They have different rules and different Opinion about Islam.
Sunnis believe all of the four Khalifa or representatives after the death of Prophet Hazrat
Mohammad (SM) but Shias are not agree with this opinion they mentioned first three Khalifa as
the Criminal who took the responsibility of Islam Illegally and they Only believe Ali as the
representatives or the Khalifa of Islam who is able to rule the Islam and the Muslim. And the
opinion that they explain to Their followers is called Islamic Fundamentalism.
For their different opinion, it is getting more difficult to choose the right way to follow for the
general Muslims of the world which is one of the biggest barrier of Islam and for the Muslim in
all over the world.
In Bangladesh, there are a long History of Islamic Fundamentalism. After 1206 when Ikhtear
Uddin Mohammad Bin Bokhtear Kholzi attacked Bengal and Started Islamic rule for the first
time in present-day Sylhet. After then, a lot of Muslim ruler ruled In Bengal for more than 500
Years. After 1757, when the British took Bengal as their own part, the era of Islamic Rules ended
in Bengal for almost 200 years.
After 1947 Pakistan took the responsibility of Bengal and ruled Islamic Law in this land and
stated Islamic Rules again for almost 24 years. After the Independence of Bangladesh, this land
was declared as the Islamic Country that is stable now.
In this period, a lot of Islamic Scholars came to Bangladesh and expressed their opinion about
Islam and make the people and Bengal and Muslim as the Culmination Muslim. And the opinion
that believe the Muslim is mentioned as Islamic Fundamentalism.

Causes of Islamic Fundamentalism:

Fundamentalism means the root of any religion that is
followed by the people of the religion hardly. Islamic Fundamentalism means the rule of Islam
that was made for the Muslim to lead their life easily. The use of these rules hardly and maintain
properly is Islamic Fundamentalism.
But now a days, it is noticed that, in every part of the world the Muslim are begin tourterd by the
Non-Muslim. Especially after 1757 in Bengal or the Indian SubContinent and after 1945 in all
over the world by the Non Muslim. If we look in Palestine, Gaza, Seria and others Islamic
Country of Africa and Asia is being tourtered by the Non Muslim of Europe and USA. It is one
of the most sensitive reasons of Islamic Fundamentalism because all Muslims believe and love
their religion and it's a part of their Emotion.
On the other hand, In India, to gain the popularity in National Assembly Narendra Modi is
torturing the Muslims of India at a high rate. Examples of these are, they banned Hijab and
Burka in India. They also banned on the Eid Ul Adha that no one can kill any Animals on this
day. It is an important reason of Islamic Fundamentalism.
Impact on Geopolitics:
Islamic Fundamentalism is one of the most sensitive fundamentalisms all
over the world. Because we know, there are a lot of Muslims in the world. There are also some
Powerful Muslim countries also. At the same time tnere are som powerful and destructive
Muslim terrorist group in the world who try to make an Islamic world which and important part
of Isla.Islamic Fundamentalism.
Islamic Fundamentalism is an important topic for the Geopolitics of Bangladesh. We know
Bangladesh is an Islamic Country in the world which has a vast coastal area in the South.
Not only for Bangladesh, But also for all over the world because there are some powerful Islamic
Republics including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Pakistan, Indonesia who have a
huge number of natural resources which are needed to make the world stable.
On the other hand, we know there is India on the opposite side of Bangladesh which is declared
as a Hindu country all over the world. The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi always try to
establish the Hindu Fundamentalism in India which makes the Muslim angry to him. And the
reason to keep his chair as the Prime Minister longer as much as possible.
At the same time, for the vast area of the coastal side of the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh is one of
the most important countries of South Asian business worldwide. We know there are some
countries including Nepal and Bhutan who Don't have any coastal area for international business
in water. That's they must have to be dependent on Bangladesh and India. But we know India is a
large country and they have a big number of business areas all over the world, that's why it is
impossible to use Indian ports for international coastal business. For this reason, they must have
to be dependent on Bangladesh for input and export.
At the same time, China and India use the port of Bangladesh also for their business. That's why
Bangladesh is an Important land of Geopolitics.
At the same time, by religion, Bangladesh is a Muslim country. That's why it is simple that she
will keep a good Relationship with other muslim Country as well. It has been done by Islamic
Fundamentalism.
Islamic Fundamentalism and Terrorism:
It is generally said that Fundamentalism is a part of
terrorism. Specially, according to western country like USA, UK, Islamic fundamentalism is tje
root of terrorism. They mention Islam as the terrorist society.
After the disaster of 9/11, the USA declared a war Against Taliban and also Muslims. The US
attacked Afghanistan and took power from the Taliban with the help of NATO in 2001. After the
attack, The US declared an Invisible war Against the Muslims. Especially in the Middle East
and African Muslims.
At the same time, according to western countries, Muslims like to create problems in society and
they can be harmful for the world. Because the Muslims believe that if they can die for Islam,
God will give them Zannah after death.
On the other hand, there are some dishonest persons who use Islam for illegal and Criminal
activities in a country or region. They influence the people to these types of activities by talking
to them about Zannah and the satisfaction of God. They publish book on it that can influence
public to the terrorism activities in the country. They basically target the young generation
because they can take any type of risk for these types of activities. Than they teach them about
the Chain of Command of Islam. They influence them to follow the Rules of Islam which is
made by themself. As a result, they take the step to kill the people of other religions and
influence them to make a blast in a public place that can make a big destruction within a
moment. It is the impact of Islamic Fundamentalism to the society or the country and for all over
the world.

Hindu Fundamentalism

An Introduction to Hindu Fundamentalism:

Hindutva is a term that literally means "Hinduness," "Hindu principles," or "Hindu essence." It is
made up of two words: Hindu (Persian) and ttva (English) (in Sanskrit). Hindutva is a new
phrase coined by "some ideologues who want India's population to have one homogeneous
culture and create Hindu culture as the best culture in the world," according to Dominic
Emmanuel. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar popularized Hindutva in his monumental work
Hindutva: Who is a Hindu?, published in 1923. This has since become a well-known concept, at
least within the governing classes. According to M. T. Cherian, Hindutva supporters like
Savarkar separate the Hindu religion from the Hindu nation. Hindtuva is based on a notion and
idea from the Mughal period. The Mughal (or Mongol) invasion of India fostered Hindu
nationalism among the populations they captured and mistreated in various ways. The Mughal
period was the bloodiest in human history, according to S. L. Verma, who quotes Will Durant.
Many Hindus battled the Mughals despite the fact that they knew their resistance would result in
death or economic suffering (because of the levying of the jaziya tax). Even their sacred sites and
temples were desecrated, creating widespread anti-Muslim sentiment.

The Rise of Hindu Fundamentalism:

Fundamentalists are absolute believers who take their scriptures literally and hold fast to their
convictions. They claim that only their scriptures contain the divine truth revealed to their
prophet, and that all other scriptures and prophets are false or redundant. For some years, there
has been growing alarm around the world over the rise of Hindu fundamentalism, or Hindutva.

Hindutva's political ideology is a declaration of "Indian identity" and "Indian nationhood,"

according to its adherents. Hindutva claims to be cultural, civilizational, and nonreligious,
working for the good of all Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Ayyavazhis, Jains, and Lingayats, as well
as Muslims, Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians who have been given India as their 'fatherland'
and 'holy land.'

Hindutva supports the Gita, which has historically been a sacred text used by only a few Hindu
sects. Although the Gita has been seen as inspirational by many Hindus since the end of the
nineteenth century, the scriptures that are regarded as sacred by all Hindus are the separate and
millennia-old Vedas. Hindutvans advocate for 'Hindu ideals,' a 'Hindu way of life,' a 'not unique
place history,' a 'not unusual place ancestry,' and a 'not unusual place Indian culture,' as well as a
'not unusual place Civil Code'[6] and monetary growth that adheres to 'local ethics and
morality.'However, the BJP and RSS refuse to outline those terms. For example, it isn't always
clean in the event that they include:
 ● the caste system;
● getting up earlier than sunrise for a ritual tub tub in order that you may pray to idols;
● organized marriage;
● the traditional ‘joint family’ system;
● ingesting most effective vegetarian food;
● being ‘anti-Western’ (eg now no longer carrying denims if you’re a man, and now no
longer carrying slacks or skirts if you’re a woman);
● speaking, studying and writing are most effective in Sanskrit.

That is why many Indians see Hindutva as representing most effective themselves, seeking to
benefit political strength so as to gain specially the network of businesspeople who help and are
in turn patronized through them.Hindutva riseDespite such vagueness and self-interest, Hindutva
has grown for 2 reasons:Hindutva gives itself as easy and committed to constructing the nation,
in appreciation to the greed and selfishness of the generations of political leaders that observed
the idealists who led India to independence.

The RSS and BJP were capable of locating backers to fund the education right into a disciplined
cadre of individuals who are reduced off from the substantial privileges of the pinnacle castes.

Alarming consequences Since Modi’s election in 2014, as a part of a method to channel

foreign-beginning finances most effectively to Hindutva organizations, over 20,000
non-Hindutva civil Society organizations have had their registration cancelled. Others along with
Amnesty International, Greenpeace, the Ford Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation were pressured and their price range blocked.THREATS ARE INCREASINGLY
USED TO INTIMIDATE ORDINARY PEOPLE.Furthermore, threats are an increasing number
used to intimidate everyday people, with marauding bands employed for bodily assaults on all
who disagree with Hindutva—particularly if they're Hindus. The BJP-run kingdom equipment
has even been implicated withinside the killing of law enforcement officials and judges who
adhere to the Constitution and consequently refuse to align with the anti-democratic needs of the
BJP/ RSS. Hindu terrorism towards non-Hindutvan Hindus, Muslims, Christians,
Dalit-Bahujans, and different groups, which has steadily expanded for the reason that 1980s, has
obtained a big raise as violence now has reputable support.India’s refugee and citizenship
regulations have additionally been radically modified.For example, citizenship legal guidelines
were amended to make it simpler to strip Indian Muslims of citizenship and to confer Indian
citizenship on Hindu refugees from Bangladesh.Meanwhile, withinside the Indian-administered
part of Kashmir (India’s most effective Muslim-majority state), the BJP’s anti-Muslim guidelines
have grew to become increasingly Kashmiris towards the Indian government.

The Danger of Hindu Extremism:

The Indian administration is blissfully unaware of Hindu fundamentalism's mounting threat. The
country has had many large riots, from Ayodhya in 1992 and Gujarat in 2002 to the recent New
Delhi riots in February 2020. A local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Kapil Mishra, sparked
the Delhi riots by making inflammatory remarks to a crowd protesting the unpopular Citizenship
Amendment Act. Violence broke out in between Hindu mob zealots and Muslim minorities when
thugs in Mishra's cadre plotted attacks across the city.

The BJP government has been criticised for responding slowly and indifferently to the
'anti-Muslim pogrom.' The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a Hindu nationalist party, is
encouraging Hindu extremists to exploit minority rights. The country's extreme violence is also a
product of important state institutions.Despite their nonpartisan roles, the police, judiciary, and
federal government are becoming increasingly aligned with Hindu majoritarianism, fostering
extremism.

A high number of police officers sympathize with Hindu fanaticism and support it politically.
Police inaction during ethnic riots is widespread, according to Steven Wilkinson, who attributes
it to a fear of punishment from political superiors, which could imperil their jobs. Hindu
fundamentalism is actively supported by some people. According to one study, 35% of officers
said it was OK for a Hindu mob to punish a Muslim who slaughtered cows.The survey also
found widespread anti-Muslim sentiment among police officers, who regularly mistake Muslims
for criminals.
India's courts have also been tainted by Hindu fundamentalist bias, resulting in laws being
construed against minority. In November 2019, the Supreme Court of India ruled that a temple
should be erected on disputed territory in Ayodhya. The 1992 destruction of the Babri Masjid
mosque as well as the accompanying riots, which resulted in hundreds of deaths, were justified
by the court ruling. The Babri Masjid was demolished by Hindu fanatics who claimed it was the
birthplace of the Hindu god Lord Rama. Hindu nationalists were angered by the verdict,
especially in a political setting when a Hindu nationalist party is in power.

In a clear display of partisanship, Judge Arun Mishra praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
calling him a "versatile genius who thinks and acts globally," throwing doubt on the Supreme
Court's political neutrality. A Delhi High Court justice who chastised the BJP for inciting the
Delhi riots was unjustly transferred to another state.

The government have been unable to control the development of Hindu nationalism. After the
BJP won the kingdom election in 2017, a Hindu nationalist chief Yogi Adityanath was
nominated as leader minister with Modi's help in Uttar Pradesh, India's largest state. As a result,
the country has seen an increase in so-called 'anti-Romeo squads,' which hunt down Muslim men
who are dating Hindu women.

Violence against Muslims who make a living by slaughtering cows is also on the rise. Gau
rakshaks (cow guardians) commit violent crimes by inciting mob justice and thrashing Muslims
suspected of cow slaughter or transportation. It's simply too difficult to control the amount of
Hindu extremist violence without alienating the government's center supporters when the federal
government advocates for a Hindu nation. Many Hindu fanatics perceive themselves as carrying
out the covert wishes of the rulers. (Palanisamy,2020)

The Babry Mosque Tragedy:

From the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992 through the triumph of the Bharatiya Janata
Party (BJP), a Hindu fundamentalist party, in the May 1996 election, India's failure to respect its
constitutional concept of "secularism" by separating religion and politics can be witnessed.
Secularism has been threatened multiple times since India's independence due to the country's
recurrent communal bloodshed. The façade of secularism was shattered on December 6, 1992,
when the Indian government was powerless to stop angry Hindus from demolishing the Babri
Masjid.With the mosque's demolition, India had its worst outbreak of sectarian conflict since the
year 2000, with 1700 people killed and 5000 injured. The failure of the Indian government to
prevent Hindu militants from demolishing the mosque has cast serious doubt on the
government's promise to protect citizens' fundamental rights to religious freedom, i.e. Sarva
dharma Samabhav (let all religions prosper). Was the failure due to an accident or a
miscalculation? In truth, was it really a political plan to treat all sects and faiths equally? Is it
conceivable that the mosque was saved by the Rao government? The purpose of this thesis is to
look into the Babri Masjid disaster and, in light of it, to find answers to the aforementioned
issues in Indias political context.

Hindu Fundamentalism and Indian Politics :

Hindu fundamentalist politics has long been a source of contention for India's religious
minorities, Dalits and Lower castes, who account for around 40% of the country's population.
The Hindu Mahasabha (Great Council of Hindus) was founded in 1915 to combat the Muslim
League and establish a Hindu Rashtra (Hindu state). VD Savarkar's intellectual ideas were the
first to break through Hinduism's amorphousness, which had prevented the emergence of a
strong political movement. The Hindutva political theory, which literally means "Hinduness" and
was apparently the root of Hindu nationalism, was given to it by Savarkar. Furthermore, the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS or National Volunteers Corps), founded in Nagpur in 1925,
has always aspired to develop a paramilitary force of ideologically indoctrinated volunteers to
help Hindu Rashtra achieve its goals. Hindu fundamentalism is today represented by a plethora
of organizations and groups that appeal to all sections of Indian society.While the majority were
created by the RSS and are consequently known as the Sangh Parivar (RSS family of groups),
some, like Maharashtra's Shiv Sena (Army of Shivaji), are not linked with the RSS but are
devoted to Hindu fundamentalism. Hindu fundamentalism derives its intellectual orientation
from a form of Brahmanism that naturalizes the world's hierarchical structure, avoiding major
conceptual problems with many forms of political and cultural control, which explains its many
contradictions. While it supported Hindu nationalism, it never had a serious quarrel with British
colonial rule and advocated anti-colonial struggle. While living under Muslim rule, those who
supported Gandhi's ideal of progress were accountable for his assassination. (Teltumbde,2006)

Social Identities, Hindu Fundamentalism and politics in India: Some scholars

studying the various phenomena grouped together under the label "fundamentalism" emphasize
the importance of religious components above issues of social identity and politics development.
However, recent events in the world compel us to dig further into these social and political
challenges. Acts of "ethnic" and "religion-based" violence, which have been considered as
overlapping occurrences in some settings, have expanded globally and taken on an international
dimension. These circumstances have caused concern not just in regions where they occur, but
also at the academic and political levels in central Western societies, where ambitious projects to
study them were launched at the end of the 1980s, and where stereotypical portrayals of ethnic
and religious clashes have become commonplace. The use of religion and divine permission to
justify political activities, particularly violent ones (such as war), has recently entered the global
political conversation. Political discourses including moral/religious themes, for example, proved
to be a significant resource both for US administration and Asian leaders as during Gulf War of
1991. This conflict also revealed the terrifying potential of modern military technology in
depicting bloodshed.

In a context marked by socioeconomic, ethnic, and religious variety, two conflicting strategies
have been attempted to establish a fabricated "national" unity. On the one hand, variation has
been reduced in the sake of national integration. Differences based on "racial," "ethnic," or
"religious" grounds, on the other hand, have been reinforced in social and political practice. In
India, the concept of Indian unity coexists with classification systems and common
representations of sociological variety based on ethnic and caste ascriptions. At the same time,
the secularist ideal coexists with a religious idiom in the ruling classes' political activity. In the
1980s, this last component led to widespread communalization of electoral political
processes.The best evidence of this approach came from the Congress Party's electoral campaign
in 1984/85. (I). The Congress Party's (I) practice of soliciting votes in one or more localities
depending on the party's requirements at any given time may be traced back to the roots of this
method. After 1969, Indira Gandhi exploited Muslims and the lower classes as a "card" until the
Emergency, when her popularity waned. The Hindu small bourgeoisie has been courted since
1980 in attempt to gain their electoral support. With the support of the governing classes, the
inclusion of the communal element in the politics of the then ruling party contributed to the
deadly riots of the first half of the 1980s (Moradabad, Biharsharif, Meerut, Baroda, Pune,
Sholapur, Bombay-Bhivandi). It also exacerbated polarization between Hindu and Muslim
electors. This trend can be seen in the communal violence against the Sikh community in Delhi
in 1984. Secular parties' broad use of communal practices helped the rise of communalist
organisations and political parties (like the BJP, the VHP and the RSS). The social dislocation
that these organizations have helped to generate since August 1989, particularly around the
feared date when karsevaks were to invade the disputed sacred area at Ayodhya, gives them the
confidence to build a Hindu platform based on fundamentalist doctrine and violence.

The Challenges of Hindu Nationalism and Its Impact on Christian Mission

Today:

The underlying primary purpose of Hindutva is that "to be Indian is to be Hindu." There is no
room for compromise or middle ground; those who do not satisfy certain criteria are regarded as
foreigners who have no place in India's past, present, or future. The consequences of this one
philosophy have marred India's history, evoking similar philosophies around the world that have
wreaked devastation on the country, its various communities, and even the world at
large.Hindutva is growing popularity among Indians worldwide, regardless of caste, background,
or ethnicity. This rise in popularity is due to ongoing propaganda from a variety of
fundamentalist organizations, which is fueled by a shared worldview that views "Hinduness" to
be the only desirable stance for the country. Minorities in India have been made to feel unwanted
and weird by Hindu fundamentalists. The Christian community has been subjected to an upsurge
in organized and systematic persecution aimed at uprooting and eradicating them totally.So that
the founders' aspirations of a secular democratic republic that honors and upholds all faiths can
continue to be achieved, unconstitutional conflict spread under the cover of patriotism,
nationalism, and economic progress should be scrutinized and rejected where necessary. The
so-called Christian agenda is misunderstood, miscommunicated, and misunderstood by secular
Hindus, particularly when it comes to missionary efforts. Hindutva organizations like the
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Jana Sangh, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have
cleverly ensured that anti-Christian sentiment remains high even among secular and previously
disinterested Hindus by propagating the myth that Christianity is a foreign (Western) religion
whose adherents are anti-Hindu and anti-nationalistic.

CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISM

INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISM

Christian fundamentalism is just like any other

religious fundamentalism. Only this fundamentalism emerges centering on the extremist
Christian groups. This religious movement started from the misinterpretation of various verses of
religious texts. Its modern form was generated in the last nineteenth and twentieth centuries
through British and American Protestants. Moreover, the history of Christian fundamentalism is
thousands of years old. The ubiquity of modern-day liberalism has reshaped Christian
fundamentalism. Fundamentalist views Liberal public representatives and society deny a
significant portion of Christianity. So in opposition to this modernism and liberalism, the
extremists started the so-called religious movement like Christian fundamentalism.

Christian fundamentalism is as serious a problem as any other religious fundamentalism in the

world today. This is one of the major obstacles to world peace and harmony. Like other religious
fundamentalisms, it has spread everywhere for thousands of years. Fundamentalists are nearly
often described as believing in the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible. They focus on some of
the historical events and prophecies of the Bible and conduct their activities around them. At that
time they resorted to massive lies to distort those religious verses and spread them everywhere.
Their extremism is manifested in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, the preaching of the
religion, and the misinterpretation of the role of the state and the church. Most earlier
assessments of the fundamentalist movement were based on the conceptions of social dislocation
or cultural shock.
Christian fundamentalism played a major role in changing the world today. Changing the
lifestyles of people in different countries is no exception. Issues such as forced conversions and
genocide of indigenous peoples have changed the course of history in the Middle Ages and
modern times. Issues such as the Crusades, colonialism, and tribal genocide are the result of
extreme Christian fundamentalism.

HISTORICAL BASIS OF CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISM

Although the history of Christian fundamentalism is

very old, its modern form was born in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. This is the
beginning of religious fundamentalism as opposed to modern liberalism and modernism.
According to authors Robert D. Woodberry and Christian Smith,

Following the civil war, there were difficulties between Northern evangelical leaders over
Darwinism and greater biblical criticism, but Southerners remained united in their resistance to
both. Modernists strove to modernize Christianity to reflect their scientific viewpoint. They
rejected biblical miracles, claiming that God shows himself through society’s social growth.
Conservatives fought against these reforms. Following World War I, these simmering tensions
erupted in what became known as the fundamentalist/modernist split.

In the twentieth century, along with the industrial one, modern modernism and liberalism spread
in society. The spread of liberalism gave birth to the new liberal principles among the people. At
that time the influence of the church at various policy-making levels of society was diminishing.
At this time, it seems to various reactionary religious groups of the society that the effect of
irreligion is prevailing everywhere in the society. Misinterpretations of biblical prophecies have
led to the emergence of various extremist Christian groups. New excitement began among them
about things like the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and they despise all other religions. In the
nineteenth and twentieth centuries, the doctrines of these peoples gained popularity in Britain
and the United States, and gradually spread throughout the world. As a result, different extremist
Christian fundamentalist groups were born in different countries, which is the new form of
modern Christian fundamentalism.

When we talk about old-fashioned Christian fundamentalism, we are reminded of the various
monarchical states influenced by the Church in ancient and medieval times. At that time, the
church had a very important role to play at the highest policy-making level of the state. The rise
of the Crusades began throughout Europe in the middle ages because of various extremist rulers
and the Church Fathers. The Crusades were a series of religious battles in the medieval period
that was started, supported, and occasionally commanded by the Latin Church. The most
well-known of the Crusades for the Holy Land is between 1095 and 1291., which aimed to free
Jerusalem and its environs from Islamic dominion. During these crusades, in response to the
church’s call, all European nations come together and fought for the Holy Land. These crusades
would have killed millions of people in Europe and the Middle East. These medieval religious
wars sowed the seeds of modern Christian fundamentalism.

The role of Christian fundamentalists in the success of Western colonialism is not well spoken.
During the period of colonialism, the west tried its best to spread its religious value everywhere.
Extremist pirates from Europe were behind the killing of millions of indigenous people in North
and South America during colonialism. Europeans’ exploration of America killed 56 million
indigenous people in 1600 alone. According to new research, European colonization of the
Americas resulted in the deaths of so many indigenous people that it altered the environment and
caused the earth’s climate to cool. ( The Guardian, 2019 )

Thus, after colonialism on different continents of the world, they converted them to Christianity
through various tricks through the church. The United States, the bearer and carrier of modern
liberalism, has so far not brought to justice the Europeans the genocide of their indigenous
peoples. At present, the western aggression against various countries is the result of their
Christian fundamentalist mentality. So it can be said that modern Christian fundamentalism was
born in the last nineteenth and twentieth centuries but its real seeds were sown thousands of
years ago.

CAUSES OF CHRISTIAN FUNDAMENTALISM

There are several reasons why ordinary people engage in

Christian fundamentalism. To get rid of Christian fundamentalism it is necessary to find out the
reasons behind it. It is universally acknowledged that Christian fundamentalism is a platform
against modernism and liberalism. One of the main reasons for the involvement of Christian
fundamentalism is that it does not support modern liberal principles. An important principle of
modernism and liberalism is to respect and honor all religions. All religions should be respected
for a peaceful coexistence of society. But according to extremists, the coexistence of all religions
could endanger their religion. For this, they fiercely prove the superiority of their religion
everywhere. They violently present the prophecies of their scriptures in front of everyone and by
believing in these they proceed to carry out their nefarious activities.

The colonial mindset is also one of the main reasons for the involvement of Christian
fundamentalism. Due to the colonialism of various past states, including British, French,
Portuguese, and Spanish, people can often get involved in Christian fundamentalism. Because at
the time of Western colonialism, almost the whole world was under their rule. Many of them
remember the old days of domination and a kind of ego is awakened in them. This is the reason
behind the origin of Christian fundamentalist groups in different countries of the world. In that
case, we can mention the event of the recent terrorist attack at a mosque during the Friday prayer
in Christchurch, New Zealand on 15 March 2019. The terrorist attack killed 51 people and
injured 40 others.
One of the guns left behind by the terrorist who killed at least 50 people in two mosques in
Christchurch, New Zealand, had racist and white supremacist inscriptions inscribed on it. On the
rifle were also engraved the names of Christian and Nazi military Commanders who had
participated in conflicts against the former Ottoman Empire, as well as dates relating to key
historical events in eastern Europe. ( TRTWORLD, 2019 )

In this case, the Srebrenica massacre in Bosnia in the last century is easily remembered. The
ethnic cleansing was carried out by forces of the Bosnian Serb Army of Republic Srpska led by
Ratko Mladic. In the closing phase of the 1990s Bosnian war, Serb soldiers massacred more than
8000 Muslim men and boys. Their main goal was the ethnic cleansing of the Bosnian Muslims.
One of the main reasons for their extremist mentality is the long Muslim rule in the Balkan
region and to establish Serb nationalism by dispersing Muslims from Eastern Europe. That is
why it can be said that extremist Christian fundamentalists are often inspired by the history of the
past.

The apathy toward religious coexistence also often leads to the spread of fundamentalism. The
aggression of the west in different countries of the world has created a huge refugee crisis. As
refugees and immigrants of different faiths migrate to the West, the citizens of that country feel,
that their religion will be in crisis if immigration is not stopped. These fears are spread to
ordinary citizens by some far-right groups and many political parties in that countries for
political gains. As a result, ordinary citizens are intolerant of other religions, which is the first
step in Christian fundamentalism. Nowadays in Europe, Canada and America there are reports of
mistreatment of Muslims, Hindus, and Sikh immigrants by various local far-right groups. It is the
result of misinterpretations by the extremists to the general people.

IMPACT ON GEOPOLITICS

Fundamentalism has a lot to do with world politics. Most of its

effects on world politics are negative. The negative effect of Christian fundamentalism has
affected world politics in many ways. The notion that Christian fundamentalism has a profound
effect on world politics is not very well-spoken. If the history before the twenty-first century is
observed, it can be seen how the Christian extremism has played a role in reshaping geopolitics.
But there is no news of the destruction of the society due to Christian extremism as they take
place under the guise of secularism and liberalism. A closer look at ancient geopolitics reveals
how Christian extremist ideologies have done so much damage to other states. The church used
to dominate the ancient Christian states of the past. For this reason, the combined aggression of
the Christian states towards the states of other religions could always be seen. The conversion of
the Roman Empire to Christianity was followed by fierce fighting with other pagan states,
including the neighboring Persian Empire. At that time, due to various insidious quarters, it
became known that the Jews were the greatest enemy of the Christians. This led to the
persecution of the Jews from the ancient times to the end of the Middle Ages and the expulsion
of them from their land. These small incidents and the subsequent Holocaust contributed to the
creation of the unconstitutional state of Israel.

A great change can be observed all over the world after the colonialism of the West. They have
not only gone to different countries to loot but have been forced to adopt their own culture and
religion. Many other pirates, such as the Portuguese sailor Vasco da Gama, changed America’s
geopolitics forever after its discovery. Many advanced and ancient civilizations of the American
continent perished only to deny the dominance of European colonialists. The intense racism and
fundamentalist thinking that existed among those explorers is nowhere to be found. By forcibly
propagating Christianity and killing other aborigines, including the Red Indians, the millennial
history of American glory was forever erased. The same thing has happened in the African
continent. There are still Western colonies that are the bearers of so-called secularism and
liberalism. In many countries, far-right governments sponsor the spread of extremism in society
in order to gain huge public support. In different countries, hegemonic states provoke religious
divisions in order to weaken them. For example, religious divisions were incited to separate
South Sudan from Sudan and East Timor from Indonesia. The separatist terrorists in the hill
districts of India and Bangladesh have been incited to violence many times in the past.
According to extremists, there is still an unwritten crusade around the world, like the medieval
crusades. One of the characteristics of fundamentalists is that they do not consider people of
other religions as human beings, and their basic rights are violated. That is exactly the same
mentality that is found in the current aggressive heads of state of the western countries. In the
name of restoring democracy in various countries of the world, including the Middle East, they
have killed millions of people and crippled each state economically and socially. In this way, the
aggressor states spread their dominance in world po0litics by oppressing other states and there is
no denying that Christian fundamentalist doctrine plays a very important role here.

Many fundamentalist activities are also conducted through the division of different sects among
Christians which has played a role in world politics. The Great Schism of 1054 divided the
Roman Empire into two parts, East and West. The origin came from the negative divisions
between Orthodox and Catholic sects that still exist today. Catholic-Orthodox divisions also play
a role in Western Europe’s support for USA and Eastern European countries’ support for Russia.
The rivalry between Russia and the USA for world domination is well known. In many
developed countries, things like Islamophobia and Racism happen all the time and the media
treats them as merely isolated incidents. Thus, only one religion is cited as the cause of terrorism
so that the hegemonic states can isolate them and seize the opportunity in world politics. Radical
thinking among the policymakers is largely responsible for the aggression of the aggressor
countries in Cuba, Venezuela, Vietnam, Libya, Afghanistan, Iraq, and other countries. Millions
of people died in these aggressions. The former president of the USA, George W. Bush once said
that God told him to invade Afghanistan and Iraq, so he invaded. (The Guardian, 2005). This
proves that religious fundamentalism has at times swallowed up many high-level policymakers
from which horrific events have taken place in world politics. Therefore, it can be said that
Christian fundamentalism has a lot of negative effects on global politics.

● Fundamentalism, Extremism in Politics

● Drawbacks

Communalism:
Due to communalism, fundamentalism and extremism in politics can rise. Communalism refers
to the interest of a particular group or community to greater than others. In the meantime,
religious fundamentalist consciousness awakens people's minds. A particular group begins to
look at its own opportunities than the interests of others. Which has an impact on politics.

Fanaticism

The attachment to the politics of fanatics is one of the reasons for the development of radical and
extremist consciousness in the political field. No religion in the world supports an extremist
consciousness. All religions in the world are asked to coexist with all of the world.

Lack of Centralized Control:

Due to the lack of central governance, radical and extremist consciousness arises. Various
ideologies, ideas, opinions, etc. are presented in politics at different times. These ideologies and
concepts are a strong and well -thought -out arrangement and a strong central governance is
required to apply it. When the imbalance of this central governance is observed, the neat and
sophisticated organization of various ideologies is disrupted. As a result, radical consciousness
has the opportunity to move freely in politics.

Reading of extremist books:

Fundamentalim and many explanations of terrorism have been found

The essence of literature was involved in socio-psychological details that emphasized
The initiality of complaints and dissatisfaction, usually by the underlying reference
Disappointment-agitation or humiliation-revenge process. One rather
Obvious knowledge, can be thought of as all inspiration for violent extremism
Complaints to form, but literature proves that they can carry out
Strong effects. These feelings of emotional

1. Individual radicalisation by personal victimisation:

This first mechanism relates to the importance of personal grievance in the radicalisation process
(the authors offer several examples, including Palestinian suicide bombings in which retribution
for the death of a loved one is the motivation for self-sacrifice).

2. Individual radicalisation by political grievance:

A political grievance stemming from a political event or trend can also radicalize an individual
(though this might be difficult to distinguish from group grievances).
3. Individual radicalization through affiliation with a radical group – a precarious situation
Joining a radical group is often a long and winding road, with little jobs increasing to increased
responsibility and risk before being involved in major actions.
Solution of Religious Fundamentalism

Expansion of non -communal consciousness:

Politics requires non -communal consciousness to suppress fundamentalism and extremism.

Caste religion, regardless of caste, should see equally. Everyone must imagine as a human being,
and the world needs to be awakened.

Secularism:

The awakening of secularism can forget the differences between people and bring it to everyone.
All religions of the world have to be respectful and respect their religious rituals and discipline.
People of all religions have to try to maintain goodness among themselves.

The introduction of strong and well -established governance:

The most needed regime is the most needed to prevent religious fundamentalism and extremism
in politics. A well -known regime can be a peaceful politics by respecting and respecting all
kinds of ideologies.

Awakening of religious values:

The awakening of religious values ​is a very important thing to remove radical consciousness in
politics. If the consciousness of religious values ​is within everyone, everyone will respect and
respect their religion. Religious values ​can be implemented in their lives and become a conscious
and patriotic citizen.

Working for the welfare of the people overall:

The politics of the state will be for the development of the country only and the welfare of the
people. There will be no specific party development at the point of development. For the welfare
of the people, political people will always be awakened.

Conclusion:

Religious fundamentalism seems to have become a broadly believed and widely disparaged
reputation. Fundamentalism is a hot topic in the news practically every day. It is generally
described as antidemocratic, antimodern, and aggressive. Security and permeability should be
increased to reduce the harmful effects of fundamentalist groups.

People feel less frightened when their security is improved, and their antipathy toward the
out-group reduces. Increased contact between groups is referred to as permeability. Sharing ideas
and discussing themes and similar difficulties might help to create these connections. Because
many fundamentalists have just one social identity, it is important and crucial in their existence.
The importance of the fundamentalist identity would be lessened if more social identities could
be formed. The society should not tolerate violent statements or extremism. We should all be
mindful of fundamentalist groups and rise above any misdeeds committed by these reformers.
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