Sociology 7 - Abrahamic Religions and Their Modern Influence

This essay delves into the influence of Abrahamic religions on the modern world, specifically addressing the perception of Islam following events like 9/11 and the rise of extremist groups such as ISIS and Boko Haram. It examines how the actions of a few extremists have led to widespread stereotypes and Islamophobia, affecting Muslims globally and causing them to question their identity and teachings. The essay also touches upon the impact on other Abrahamic religions like Judaism, highlighting the challenges faced by minority religious groups. It emphasizes the importance of understanding the complex motivations behind radicalism and advocates for a human-focused approach that promotes inclusion, empathy, and critical thinking to combat fear-mongering and prejudice. This document is a student contribution and is available on Desklib, where you can find a wealth of study resources and solved assignments.

[Abrahamic Religions and their influence on the modern world]
2020
University
Student Credentials

Sociology 1
The vast majority of Muslims worldwide, including conservative/fundamentalist
Muslims, believe that Osama bin Laden, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, and extremists like
them (e.g., al-Qaeda and ISIS) have “hijacked” Islam. What do they mean? How have
the events of September 11, 2001 and succeeding developments, such as the rise of ISIS
and Boko Haram, affected non-Muslims’ understanding of and attitude toward Islam?
“No religion in the word teaches people to fight or harm another human” this is a quote that
every human is taught during their childhood or just throughout their life. Despite being of
any religion, the priority of people needs to be the betterment of human race or even the
world for that matter. People of certain religions like the Muslims have been facing many
dilemmas and so much criticism due to a few extremists who have made survival difficult for
the people of same community or religion (Hudson, 2020). These extremists in the name of
religion have been conducting certain missions to overpower the other super power. These
extremists are the ones fighting to gain power or create fear in the minds of others. Incidences
like one that took place on 11th September 2001 is clear example of how the mindset of these
extremists work (History, 2018).
‘Hijacking Islam’ is something that refers to the use of religion as per their choice and
according to their convenience instead of solely for the purpose of professing a religion. Here
specifically the extremists are the ones who have been using the religion as a key to satisfying
their needs or to cater to their needs here. Community or people worldwide generally

Sociology 2
recognise Muslims with an idea of fear and have stereotyped the religion on the basis of
activities of a few individual extremists. Muslims on their own in any manner do not mark
these extremists as one of their own or even as a part of their own community due to their
deeds being a terrorist or as such. This inflicts wrongly on each and every muslim out there
who is trying to survive the world just like any other human or any individual from any other
religion as well. This majorly affects the individuality of all other people following the
religion and also makes the other people professing the similar religion be judged on the
same basis or be seen with the same thought process. These kind of actions have led people
following Islam question their existence or their teachings. This has also inflicted badly on
the decision making for not just the people following the religion but also the people who are
surrounding them. Stereotyping them as well as not being able to trust are a few things that
affect individuals (National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, 2020).
In the midst of automatic reactions to brutality, people would be insightful to recollect that
fear mongering is a strategy. It doesn't have a place with any one gathering of belief system
and it tends to be utilized to seek after any objective. The reasons driving people towards
brutal radicalism are numerous and complex, and each must be managed in like manner
(Sikorski, 2017).
People with a desire to die have unexpected inspirations in comparison to those selected to
join the positions of fear based oppressor associations. For the last mentioned, the draw of
gatherings, for example, Daesh (ISIS) is bound to originate from an individual quest for

Sociology 3
status, a feeling of character and having a place, and a sentiment of direction and self-
approval. Given this, incorporation – social, monetary or political – would appear to be an
unquestionably more remarkable cure than military counter-fear based oppression measures.
Incorporation could likewise help individuals with a desire to die, obviously, however
recovering the bogus account of suffering as an adequate plan of action for individual or
cultural complaints may end up being progressively strong (COTTEE, 2015).
One promising model is the refusal of Muslim imams to perform customary petitions for the
perished culprits of the London Bridge assault. They affirmed that the "weak aggressors"
were false Muslims. Making such practices standard could vanish the vagueness around the
possibility of a blessed passing and deflect in any case legitimate suicide assaults. Similarly –
and maybe increasingly critical – is for Muslim imams and priests to lecture more noteworthy
control, acknowledgment and sympathy, towards ourselves just as others. Psychological
oppression is a strategy, and individuals are astute to perceive that they can't take up arms
against it. Rather, they have to concentrate on the social and enthusiastic explanations behind
radical conduct. Individuals need a human-focused methodology, one that begins from inside
(Mintz, Chatagnier, & Samban, 2019).
All such incidences such as the ones that are abovementioned as well as others including the
terrorist attacks of 26th November 2008 in Mumbai, India, and many other bombings
including the London bombing, attack in Doha, Baghdad and several others have been
recorded. Also the idea that has been portrayed is something associated with the act of

Sociology 4
religion and their identity. All the above -mentioned issues or major incidences have inflicted
directly upon the conditions of Muslims throughout the world. There are so many incidences,
not just by a single organization but various others who call themselves Muslims (Von
Sikorski, Schmuck, Matthes, & Binder, 2017). These kinds of activities give rise to another
worldly issue that is Islamophobia. Political parties involved have been taking advantage of
the same and have also assisted in creating a bias against Muslims for that matter.
The major issue that these minorities face is related to their identity or to get recognised
somehow and for that, they can be seen doing things that harms others or damages lives.
Similar is the situation of other Abrahamic religions as well. Judaism is a religion that is in
minority and the people following the same have also been judged before due to their beliefs
and ideologies (Alkhadher & Scull, 2019). This judgement inflicted very negatively on the
people who wanted to change the way people think towards Muslims. As a result these
extremists in order to be recognised or even in situations where power was to be established
came to be known and hence, creating an image for the whole community that follows the
religion. In modern world there are several Islam following individuals that in the name of
god follow the path of terrorism in the name of Jihad. Suicide Bombers, men who are
professional shooters and even other similar to the profession are hired in the name of god so
as to inflict pain on the society in general (Mintz, Chatagnier, & Samban, 2019).
As per various researches conducted throughout nations, with an idea to know how positive
or negatively people feel about certain religions, out of all the widespread researches, the

Sociology 5
conclusion was that, people clearly had a negative view in regards with the Muslims as well
as Atheists. Though public in general had grown warmer towards the idea of religions, yet
much ideology change could not be spotted by the researchers. When people talk about jihad,
all they refer to is a negative image attached to it. Jihad in itself as per their holy book, Quran,
is something that makes humans better or an inner struggle to leave malicious or negative
thoughts, while these extremists have their own approach towards the word. This is why the
other people or the ones who are not much educated about the subject takes it as a negative
thing, while actually the meaning it states is something very powerful and positive. This kind
of mentality also affects the mentality or the decision making of individuals. It leads people
to judge Muslims based upon the thought that is being spread around by the extremists, which
is not true at all. Apart from these, Muslims specifically who are citizens of the western
nations as in United States or even United Kingdom disassociate themselves from these
extremists and the way they portray the religion (COTTEE, 2015).

Sociology 6
Bibliography
Alkhadher, O., & Scull, N. C. (2019). Can moral judgment, critical thinking, and Islamic
fundamentalism explain ISIS and Al-Qaeda’s armed political violence. In Psychology
of Violence.
COTTEE, S. (2015). What Motivates Terrorists? Retrieved March 5, 2020, from Atlantic:
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/06/terrorism-isis-motive/
395351/
History. (2018). September 11 Attacks. Retrieved March 5, 2020, from History:
https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/9-11-attacks
Hudson, R. A. (2020). THE SOCIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY OF TERRORISM:WHO
BECOMES A TERRORIST AND WHY? Retrieved March 5, 2020, from Library of
Congress: https://fas.org/irp/threat/frd.html
Mintz, A., Chatagnier, T., & Samban, Y. (2019). Terrorist Decision-Making: A Leader-
Centric Approach. Routledge.
National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States. (2020). WHAT TO DO? A
GLOBAL STRATEGY. Retrieved March 5, 2020, from National Commission on
Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States:
https://govinfo.library.unt.edu/911/report/911Report_Ch12.htm
Sikorski, C. v. (2017). “Muslims are not Terrorists”: Islamic State Coverage, Journalistic
Differentiation Between Terrorism and Islam, Fear Reactions, and Attitudes Toward
Muslims. Media, Terrorism and Society, 825-848.
Von Sikorski, C., Schmuck, D., Matthes, J., & Binder, A. (2017). “Muslims are not
terrorists”: Islamic State coverage, journalistic differentiation between terrorism and

Sociology 7
Islam, fear reactions, and attitudes toward Muslims . Mass Communication and
Society, 825-848.