Abu Dhabi: A book tracing the roots of contemporary terrorism was launched in the UAE on Saturday evening.
Shaikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, launched the book titled Children of Abraham at War — The Clash of Messianic Militarisms written by Talmiz Ahmad, Indian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia.
Ahmad was Indian Ambassador to the UAE during 2007 to early 2010.
Role of religion
In his presentation about the book, the author said: "Contemporary terrorism reveals the central role of religion in terms of providing its ideology, organisation and motivating impulse. Societies move into crises when existing secular models are seen as having failed to fulfil the developmental, psychological and cultural aspirations of the populace.
Pre-condition
"They then often trace contemporary shortcomings in their lives and the perilous state of their polities to the erosion of religious belief and its diminished influence in contemporary society, and seek solace by harking back to the fundamentals of their faith," he said.
"However it is only when fundamentalism is clothed in the garb of messianism that we obtain the essential precondition for violence against the ‘other'," Ahmad said.
M.K. Lokesh, Indian Ambassador to the UAE and Mohan Jashanmal, a prominent Indian businessman also addressed the gathering.
Ahmad said messianic belief has been central to the three Semitic religious traditions since their inception and it has remained a vibrant force throughout their history.
While providing comfort in times of crises and calamities, messianic movements also demonise the enemy seeing him as Satan or Antichrist.
In this conflict with evil, God is seen as providing divine sanction for the perpetration of the most horrendous violence against the ‘other', which is identified as a collective enemy among whom "no-one is innocent."
The event was held to launch the book in the UAE, which came out in September 2010.
