Yet hardly anybody speaks about 'Christian terrorism' or 'Hindu terrorism'. The religion of Islam has unfortunately been linked to terrorism by groups of political entrepreneurs. These groups misuse the Islamic notion of a Jihad to mobilize young men and women, inducing them to fight for causes that might or might not be related to religion. Like ethnicity, religion is a tool for mobilization and, like nationalism, it can be abused. Religious groups often claim to be in possession of absolute truth, and some terrorist groups do the same.
Religion also appears to offer the terrorist a seemingly 'moral 'justification for immoral deeds.
Human rights violations are 'justified' in the name of an invoked 'divine law'. Brutal violence can take on a seemingly 'sacred' character and elevate the slaughter of innocents to a 'holy war'. Poverty, social injustice and repression are often listed as prime causes of insurgent terrorism. If desperate enough, such situations can drive people to migration, revolt, crime, suicide, madness or religious fervor. The terrorist often fanatically combines several of these.