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Constraints of Reason in the Era of Radicalisation
Even as we search for reasons, it is necessary to pause and think seriously about what can be done differently to address increased terrorism in this era of radicalisation.
We are standing on the edge of a precipice and are being dragged into a new kind of religious war. We do not realise it; and every time the world leaders say that we should stand together and not let terrorism and religious intolerance win, we rest reassured. Yet, the grim reality is that this “feel good” narrative is perched on quicksand and is being steadily pushed under. The social and political analysis that followed news of serial bomb blasts in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday has made this amply clear. If we do not want the first half of the 21st century to be remembered as the age of new religious wars, then we should seriously introspect and ask what we, as individuals and concerned citizens, should do differently.
On 21 April, Easter Sunday, as prayers were being offered, bombs “tore apart” three churches and some luxury hotels in Sri Lanka.1 The headlines of the Daily Telegraph read: “Shadow of Death over Easter” and of the New York Times: “Blasts Targeting Christians Kill Hundreds in Sri Lanka” (Smith et al 2019; Bastian et al 2019). The latter struck a poignant note as it opened with the words:
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