Religious Extremism Challenges the Bottom Line of Human Civilization

From the professional perspective of social science research, religious extremism is a political science concept. Its definition is an extremist ideology that uses religion as a banner. However, in contemporary academic research, scholars studying religious extremism mainly come from the field of religious studies, not political science. I think this is because religious extremism is the product of the degeneration of extreme religious sects. Examining the trajectory and characteristics of this degeneration, scholars of religion have more professional analytical capabilities than scholars of politics.

从社会科学研究的专业角度，宗教极端主义是政治学概念。其定义是打着宗教旗帜的极端主义思潮。然而，在当代学术领域研究中，研究宗教极端主义的学者主要来自宗教研究领域，并非政治学领域。我想，这是因为宗教极端主义是宗教极端教派蜕变的产物。考察其蜕变的轨迹、特点，研究宗教的学者比研究政治的学者，更具有专业性的分析能力。

I. Violent Terrorist Activities Trample on Human Rights and Threaten National Security.

一、暴力恐怖活动践踏人权，威胁国家安全。

Since the end of the Cold War, with the decline of traditional ideologies, religious extremist ideologies have become increasingly active. In the first year of the 21st century, the 2001 "9/11 Terrorist Attacks" in the United States became a turning point in world history. Terrorists hijacked planes and crashed them into the World Trade Center, a landmark building in New York City, bringing Islamic extremism to the focus of global attention. After entering the 21st century, religious extremism bred by various fundamentalist sects, combined with violent terrorism and ethnic separatism, has brought enormous security threats to the international order and regional stability.

冷战结束以来，随着传统意识形态的衰弱，宗教极端主义思潮日益活跃。进入21世纪后的第一年，2001年美国“9·11恐怖袭击事件”成为世界历史进程的转折点。恐怖主义分子劫持飞机撞毁美国纽约地标性建筑世界贸易中心，伊斯兰极端主义成为世界关注的焦点。进入21世纪后，各种原教旨主义教派滋生的宗教极端主义，与暴力恐怖主义和民族分裂主义结合，给国际秩序和地区稳定带来巨大安全威胁。

Since the 1990s, religious extremism, combined with violent terrorism and ethnic separatism, has spread to China's border ethnic minority regions. Establishing an "East Turkestan Islamic State" in Xinjiang has become an important mission of international Islamic extremist forces. Recently, "East Turkestan" violent terrorist activities have shown an escalating trend. There are three characteristics: First, they have spread from border areas to the interior. There are two landmark events: one is the "10.28" Tiananmen Jinshui Bridge terrorist attack in 2013. The second is the "3.1" violent terrorist case at Kunming Railway Station in Yunnan Province in 2014. Second, the frequency of violent terrorist activities has accelerated. The "5.22" violent terrorist incident in Urumqi in 2014 caused a large number of innocent civilian casualties. This is one of the bloodiest incidents perpetrated by terrorists in China in recent years. Third, the purpose of violent terrorist activities shows a development trend from "ethnic separatism" to "establishing a state based on religion."

20世纪90年代以来，宗教极端主义与暴力恐怖主义和民族分裂主义蔓延至我国边疆少数民族地区。在新疆建立“东突厥斯坦伊斯兰国”已经成为国际伊斯兰极端势力的重要使命。近期，“东突”暴力恐怖活动出现升级态势。特点有三：其一，由边疆蔓延至内地。标志性事件有两件：一是2013年“10·28”天安门金水桥恐怖袭击事件。二是2014年“3.1”云南昆明火车站暴力恐怖案件。其二，暴力恐怖活动频率加速。2014年“5.22”乌鲁木齐暴力恐怖事件，造成大量无辜平民死伤。这是近年来暴恐分子在中国制造的最血腥的事件之一。其三，暴力恐怖活动的目的呈现从“民族分裂”向“宗教建国”的发展趋势。

On April 25, 2014, the 14th collective study session of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee [1]1 The Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee (中共中央政治局) is the highest decision-making body of the Chinese Communist Party between plenary sessions of its Central Committee. Its collective study sessions are regular meetings on specific policy or theoretical topics. took maintaining national security and social stability as its theme. Comrade Xi Jinping pointed out: "The fight against terrorism concerns national security, concerns the vital interests of the people, concerns the overall situation of reform, development, and stability. It is a struggle to safeguard national unity, social stability, and the people's happiness. We must take resolute and decisive measures, maintain a high-pressure posture of severe crackdowns, and resolutely crush the arrogance of violent terrorists."

2014年4月25日，中共中央政治局第十四次集体学习，以维护国家安全和社会安定为主题。习近平同志指出：“反恐怖斗争事关国家安全，事关人民群众切身利益，事关改革发展稳定全局，是一场维护祖国统一、社会安定、人民幸福的斗争，必须采取坚决果断措施，保持严打高压态势，坚决把暴力恐怖分子嚣张气焰打下去。”

Religious extremism, combined with violent terrorism and ethnic separatism, creates violent terrorist activities, "disregarding basic human rights, trampling on humanity and justice, and challenging the common bottom line of human civilization."

宗教极端主义与暴力恐怖主义和民族分裂主义相结合，制造暴力恐怖活动，“漠视基本人权、践踏人道正义，挑战的是人类文明共同的底线。”

II. Religious Extremism is the Spiritual Pillar of Violent Terrorism.

二、 宗教极端主义是暴力恐怖主义的精神支柱。

Professor Jin Yijiu divides religious extremist forces into three types: namely, the preaching and missionary type, the violent terrorist type, and the ethnic separatist type. He points out: Preaching and missionary organizations are the "spiritual pillar and living soul" of violent terrorist activities and ethnic separatist activities. From the perspective of national security strategy, governing the latter two types of religious extremist forces, namely the violent terrorist type and the ethnic separatist type, mainly relies on hard power. Currently, ethnic separatist forces inside and outside the country use religious factors to carry out destructive activities to split the motherland. Among them, the main forces are the Tibetan independence separatist forces led by the Dalai clique and the "East Turkestan" separatist forces under the banner of Islam. Defending the unity and integrity of the motherland's territory is the responsibility of all citizens, among which the armed forces are an important national hard power, shouldering a special mission. We have already seen fully armed police patrolling day and night, which has been institutionalized in large cities. Governing the first type of religious extremist forces, namely the preaching and missionary type, requires more use of soft power. Resisting the infiltration of foreign religious extremist ideas is the responsibility of every patriot.

金宜久教授将宗教极端势力分为三种类型：即：布道宣教型、暴力恐怖型、民族分裂型。他指出：布道宣教型组织是暴力恐怖活动和民族分裂活动的“精神支柱和活的灵魂”。从国家安全战略角度，治理宗教极端势力的后两类，即暴力恐怖型、民族分裂型，主要运用硬实力。当前，境内外民族分裂势力利用宗教因素，进行分裂祖国的破坏活动。其中主要势力就是以达赖集团为首的藏独分裂势力和打着伊斯兰教旗帜“东突”分裂势力。保卫祖国领土的统一完整，是全体公民的责任，其中武装力量是国家重要的硬实力，肩负着特殊的使命。我们已经看到，全副武装的警察日夜巡逻，在大城市已经制度化。而治理宗教极端势力的第一类，即布道宣教型，更多地需要运用软实力。抵御境外宗教极端思想的渗透是每一位爱国者的责任。

Seeking truth from facts, we objectively analyze various world religions, and all have extremist phenomena. These phenomena have two forms: First, the violent terrorist form. According to various religious historical records, some religious believers, in order to uphold their sect's doctrines, adopt violent and terrorist extreme means. For example, after the rise of Islam, the Kharijite sect split off from the main body of Muslims. The doctrine of this sect clearly stated that those who are not believers of this sect are all "apostates" and should be killed indiscriminately, regardless of gender or age. The Kharijites practiced what they preached, continuously using armed struggle to exclude dissidents and kill Muslims not belonging to their sect.

实事求是地说，我们客观地分析世界各种宗教，都存在着极端主义现象。这类现象有两种形式：其一，暴力恐怖形式。根据各种宗教史的记载，有些宗教信仰者为维护其教派教义，采取暴力恐怖的极端手段。比如：伊斯兰教兴起后，从穆斯林主体中分化出哈瓦利吉派。该教派的教义明确提出，非本教派的信徒皆为“叛教者”，无论男女老少应一律杀戮。哈瓦利吉派言行一致，它不断以武装斗争的方式，排除异己，杀戮非本教派的穆斯林民众。

Second, the non-violent form, i.e., extremist ideological concepts and lifestyles. It should be pointed out that the practical activities of many religious believers are voluntary choices of the believers, which non-religious people often find difficult to judge or intervene in. However, if a certain religious extremist ideology spreads widely, infiltrates the field of social and political life, and forms forces challenging the existing social system, it goes beyond the purely religious belief field. Belief paranoia and intolerance of dissent are important characteristics of religious extremism. Analyzing contemporary religious extremist ideologies, they all have some inherited historical origins. Contemporary various religious fundamentalist trends are the ideological roots of religious extremism.

其二，非暴力形式，即极端主义的思想观念、生活方式。应当指出，许多宗教信仰者的实践活动是信徒的自愿选择，非宗教界人士常常难以判断和干预。然而，如果某种宗教极端思想广泛传播，渗入社会政治生活领域，形成挑战现存社会制度的势力，就超出了单纯的宗教信仰领域。信仰偏执、不容异己是宗教极端主义的重要特征之一。分析当代宗教极端思想都具有某种传承性的历史渊源。当代各种宗教原教旨主义思潮是宗教极端主义的思想根源。

After the end of the Cold War, with the emergence of the global hegemony of neoliberal ideology, state secular ideologies receded, and various religious fundamentalisms rose. After the "9/11" terrorist attacks in the United States, Wahhabism, along with the name of Al-Qaeda, appeared in the discourse of the non-Muslim world. The interpretation of "jihad" by Wahhabi leader Osama bin Laden became a famous "fatwa" of religious extremism. Supported by the US neoliberal Middle East strategic thought, the Saudi royal family rose rapidly. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia established Wahhabi doctrine as the state religion. The pattern of the integration of state and religion between Saudi Arabia and the Wahhabi sect provided an important economic and organizational foundation for the global expansion of Wahhabism. Using the favorable conditions of being the guardian of the two holy cities (Mecca and Medina) and relying on the continuous growth of "petrodollar" income, the Saudi royal family rapidly spread Wahhabism globally. In the process of its global dissemination, the ideology of Wahhabism is mainly characterized by opposing Arab nationalism, communism, secularism, and atheism. In April of this year, Saudi King Abdullah announced a new law, which defines "terrorism" as any form of atheistic thought, any act that questions Islam. The new law labels all atheists as terrorists, claiming they threaten national unity and public order. With the spread of Wahhabism in Xinjiang and other places in China, the deep Sufi traditions among Muslim communities in Kashgar, Shadian, Yiwu, etc., have gradually been replaced by conservative fundamentalist Salafism or even Wahhabism. Especially in Xinjiang, the Uyghur people, who were once known for their singing, dancing, and splendid attire under the influence of Sufi tradition, have become fewer, replaced by Muslims in black robes and veils with strong Wahhabi characteristics. The relationship between Wahhabism and violent terrorism deserves in-depth study.

冷战结束之后，随着新自由主义意识形态全球霸权的出现，国家世俗意识形态退潮，各种宗教原教旨主义兴起。美国“9·11”恐怖袭击事件后，瓦哈比主义随着基地组织的名字，出现在非穆斯林世界的话语中。瓦哈比派教长奥萨马·本·拉登对“圣战”（jihad）的阐述，成为宗教极端主义著名的“教令”。在美国新自由主义中东战略思想的支持下，沙特王室迅速崛起。沙特阿拉伯王国将瓦哈比派教义立为国教。沙特与瓦哈比教派政教合一的格局，为瓦哈比主义在全球的扩张提供了重要的经济和组织基础。沙特王室利用两大圣地（麦加和麦地那）监护人的有利条件，依靠“石油美元”收入不断增长，瓦哈比主义在全球迅速传播。瓦哈比主义的意识形态在向全球的传播过程中，以反对阿拉伯民族主义、共产主义、世俗主义和无神论为主要特征。今年4月，沙特国王阿卜杜拉公布新法，新法将“恐怖主义”定义为任何形式的无神论思想，任何质疑伊斯兰教的行为。新法将所有无神论者贴上恐怖分子的标签，称他们威胁国家团结和公共秩序。随着瓦哈比主义在中国新疆等地的蔓延，喀什、沙甸、义乌等地穆斯林群体中深厚的苏菲主义传统逐渐被保守原教旨主义的萨拉非主义甚至瓦哈比主义所取代。特别是在新疆，苏菲传统影响下能歌善舞、着装华丽的维吾尔民众变少了，取而代之的则是黑袍蒙面、具有浓厚瓦哈比主义特点的穆斯林。瓦哈比主义与暴力恐怖主义的关系值得深入研究。

Religious forces outside the country infiltrate through various means with religious extremist ideology, engaging in violent terrorism and separatist and splittist activities. In particular, they exploit religious extremist ideology to incite some inexperienced young people to blindly follow, even to take the irreversible path of engaging in violent terrorist activities, becoming victims of their political schemes. Religious extremist forces loudly advocate “holy war martyrdom enters paradise,” “killing one infidel is better than ten years of religious practice, and one can directly enter paradise,” thereby deceiving and enticing religious believers to launch so-called “holy wars” through extremely brutal methods such as suicide attacks; they advocate theocracy, inciting the masses that “no one other than Allah can be obeyed,” and instigating believers to resist government management; they advocate the theory of infidels, regarding all who do not follow extremist practices as infidels, religious traitors, and scum of the nation, inciting abuse, exclusion, and isolation of non-believing masses, Party members and cadres, and patriotic religious figures; they advocate religious supremacy, opposing all achievements of modern civilization, rejecting long-established ethnic customs and traditional ethnic cultures, forbidding people from singing and dancing, forcing young people to grow long beards and women to wear veils and robes; through the infiltration of religious extremist ideology, they undermine ethnic unity, create ethnic division, incite opposition between religious believers and non-believers, and between religious believers and the government, forming a real force to confront the government, and attempt to create social unrest through violent terrorist activities, undermining development and stability.

境外宗教势力通过各种方式进行宗教极端思想渗透，从事暴力恐怖和分裂破坏活动，特别是利用宗教极端思想，煽动一些涉世不深的青少年盲目追随，甚至走上从事暴恐活动的不归路，成为其政治图谋的牺牲品。宗教极端势力大肆鼓吹“圣战殉教进天堂”，“杀一个异教徒胜做十年功，可以直接进天堂”，以此来迷惑、引诱信教群众，以自杀袭击等极其残暴的方式发动所谓的“圣战”；鼓吹神权政治论，煽动群众“除了真主以外不能服从任何人”，教唆信教群众抵制政府管理；鼓吹异教徒论，把一切不遵循极端做法的人都视为异教徒、宗教叛徒、民族败类，煽动辱骂、排斥、孤立不信教群众、党员干部和爱国宗教人士；鼓吹宗教至上论，反对一切现代文明成果，排斥传承已久的民族风俗习惯、民族传统文化，不许人们唱歌跳舞，强迫年轻人留大胡须，妇女穿着蒙面罩袍；通过宗教极端思想的渗透，破坏民族团结，制造民族分裂，挑起信教群众与不信教群众、信教群众与政府的对立，形成对抗政府的现实力量，并企图通过暴力恐怖活动制造社会动乱，破坏发展和稳定。

It must be pointed out that the preaching and proselytizing of religious extremism differs from the missionary work of religion. The targets of general religious propagation may be followers of other religions or non-believers. The primary targets of religious extremist preaching and proselytizing are the followers of the original parent religion. Therefore, patriotic religious figures bear a special and important mission in the work of resisting religious extremism from outside the country.

需要指出的是，宗教极端主义的布道宣教与宗教的传教事业不同。一般宗教的传播对象可能是其他宗教信仰者或不信仰宗教的人士。而宗教极端主义的布道宣教，主要传播对象是原有母体宗教的信仰者。因此，爱国宗教界人士在抵御境外宗教极端主义的工作中，负有特殊重要的使命。

Note: This text is the author’s speech at the seminar “Resisting Religious Extremism, Safeguarding Ethnic Unity” jointly organized by the Central Institute of Ethnic Administrators and the China Ethnic News on May 22, 2014. An abstract of this article was published in the China Ethnic News on May 27, 2014. The title formulated by the editorial board of that publication was: “Resisting Religious Extremism, Patriotic Religious Figures Bear a Special and Important Mission.”

注:此文是作者在2014年5月22日中央民族干部学院和中国民族报联合举办的“抵御宗教极端主义 维护民族团结”研讨会上的发言稿。《中国民族报》2014年5月27日刊发本文摘要。该刊编辑制定的题目为：《抵御宗教极端主义，爱国宗教界人士负有特殊重要的使命》。

Online editor: Jia Fei

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