Patriot's Day: when does religion become dangerous?

By Sophia Doshi

Note: in this entry, I discuss religion and terrorism. If reading about my views and opinions on either of these makes you uncomfortable in any way, please choose a different entry to read. I want my readers to feel comfortable and secure with what they consume from me, so I encourage you to consider my sidenote. 

I never understood why this movie received so many bad reviews; I was crying by the end of it. Perhaps it is because I wasn't old enough to be aware that the Boston Marathon Bombing occurred (I was 8) or maybe I watch movies to enjoy them. It was late when I watched this film, and when I was tired, my emotions ran high. That might have also had a part to play, but there is no excuse I can make for how I felt about this movie. It was good. It was solidly done: each character and climax made me feel right there in the action alongside Tommy Saunders and the courageous group of people who bravely saved Boston, the US, and the world as we know it. Terrorists don't stop at one inhumane act because terror spreads and irrationality stops for no one.  

It can be difficult to wrap one's head around the question, "Why could humans do this to each other?" There is no one answer for it: greed, anger, revenge. Think of the seven deadly sins. Where does killing innocent people in the name of religion come into play? I do not have a degree in religion, ideologies, or anything of the sort, but I can imagine that in the same way that our economic, political, and social systems tend to encourage/pressure us to think/feel/act a certain way, religion can as well. By no means is this an in-depth education on the subject, but I took a cultural anthropology course in high school and learned a lot about human systems and how they are shaped by the world we perceive. Schemas, symbols, and language all play a large part in an individual and society's way of thinking, and religion is no exception. Because of influential extrinsic life experiences, individuals may find religion to be a positive, negative, or neutral part of their lives. For example, a person who grew up in a cult of religion may view it differently than a person who went to church minimally as a child and eventually phased out of it. My question stands: when is religion weaponized?

I read an informative article from the Pew Research Center that features en expert on the subject, and I learned some very valuable facts. According to Robert A. Pape, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago, and Director, Chicago Project on Suicide Terrorism, "The reason suicide terrorism is so often chosen by terrorist groups is because they have come to believe that suicide attacks generate the most coercive leverage to compel a democratic state to withdraw combat forces from territory that the terrorists prize." In other words, suicide terrorism is based on the belief that the target victims' home country or political power will be forced or pressured to make some kind of (geo)political move in the terrorist group's favor. Pape also said that one act of terrorism can inspire other terrorist cells to follow in their footsteps, spreading the message exponentially. With the knowledge that a suicide attack has occurred, "fear increases palpably", and the result is that much more potent. 

Pape also details that half of the attacks he has researched have nothing to do with religion or belief, which is contrary to what is conventionally believed. Pape states "...what more than 95 percent of all suicide terrorist attacks since 1980 have in common is not religion, but a specific secular goal: to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from the territory the terrorists view as their homeland." Thus, the answer diverts to schema: the "view" that terrorist cells have. It doesn't necessarily mean a religion-based belief. 

I learned a lot more in addition to what I mentioned briefly in this blog, and I encourage you to learn about it, too. While the 2013 Boston Marathon ended in tragedy, education fights misunderstanding and hate. It stops assumptions and curbs implications. With education comes unity, and with unity comes peace. Whether you liked Patriot Day or not, the greater message here is that we as individuals have the power to unify at a grassroots level, even if it is just neighbor-to-neighbor. 

I think the movie is a solid 9/10. 

Cover image from The Telegraph