When Religion Turns Radical

“If you're radical in your religion you're usually a terrorist.”

So said one of the kids in one of my classes today, a class that is supposedly full of open, activist-type people, supposed to be accepting and fighting stereotypes and hegemonic governments and power structures. Yet, that one statement is so full of stereotypes, it flows right into the idea that all radicals are extremists, and I bet the first extremist religion that popped into your mind was Islam. There's already a huge assumption by the general population that all Muslims are radical extremists bent upon terrorizing the world, yet when you talk to most Muslims they say that the ideals of the extremists actually counter the teachings of Islam! 

But I digress. 

Let's start at the beginning...a definition. 

radical |ˈradikəl|

adjective

1 (esp. of change or action) relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough: a radical overhaul of the existing regulatory framework.

• forming an inherent or fundamental part of the nature of someone or something: the assumption of radical differences between the mental attributes of literate and nonliterate peoples.

• characterized by departure from tradition; innovative or progressive: a radical approach to electoral reform.

2 advocating or based on thorough or complete political or social reform; representing or supporting an extreme section of a political party: a radical American activist.

noun

1 a person who advocates thorough or complete political or social reform; a member of a political party or part of a party pursuing such aims.

*Note: I removed the definitions relating to math or medicine, as they were not pertinent. 

So, yes, radical can be defined as supporting an extreme political party, advocating reform, defying tradition and forming new ideals. Being radical is about passion, it is about reformation, it is about going way against the flow and fighting a traditional ideal. It is extreme. It is against tradition. It can be dangerous, but one cannot make that automatic generalization. 

Being radical in one's beliefs, faith, or religion does not equal violence. It means being fully committed, passionate, and 100% fighting for one's cause, no going back. This could, yes, become violent, it could manifest itself in terrorism, but not every time. 

Being radical is going against the flow because one believes something so strongly that it is all that matters, and spending one's entire life, giving one's whole being, to this cause, to changing the way things are because one believes their values to be different. It is fighting for reform, for change, it is often fighting against the power structures in place, against what is traditional, or accepted as normal, it is trying to drastically change the status quo. But this does not have to be in a violent manner, and radical religion does not equal terrorism. 

Yes, sometimes people do bad things in the name of religion. Muslim extremists, the Crusades, the list could go on. Yes, acts of terrorism have been committed by radical religious groups, but one cannot say that all radical religion is terrorism. 

Terrorism may be radical, but radical is not terrorism.