November/December 2002 Spirituality
Terrorism, Psy-Ops and Religion

by Paul Von Ward

Why do statements by US leaders, some of their allies, and Saddam Hussein frequently contain similar "code words"?  It is because polarizing words like "good/evil", "God-Allah/Satan","just war-jihad/terrorism" activate subconscious, religious-based emotions? It is a Psy-Ops (psychological operations) tactic that both sides direct at their own people.

Calculating leaders who have hidden agendas use the technique to motivate both the warriors who do battle and those needed to support them. In the current world, when there are attacks against innocent victims, leaders can use code words to arouse and lead their followers to wars that meet covert objectives. Unconsciously motivated by this approach people will engage in wars that would not be feasible without use of the Psy-Ops tactic.

How does one recognize that this Psy-Ops tactic has been used? When the punishments given (large scale military operations) are out of proportion to the crime (individuals directly responsible for the 9/11 attacks). When the target is expanded (anyone in the neighborhood of or distantly linked to the criminal) to justify extreme measures. When the means (high-tech warfare) cannot achieve the declared end (eradicate terrorism based in religious, economic and political conditions). When there is incongruence between espoused goals (international cooperation to eliminate terrorism) and implementation strategies (arrogation of justice via a national military tribunal and curtailment of civil liberties). When such actions are justified in black and white emotional terms ("we're at war") rather than through discussion of systemic problems (underlying causes).

Portraying the situation as simply a "just war between good and evil" serves the broader and largely hidden objectives of vested interests on both sides. It also serves the needs of followers who wish to avoid taking responsibility for the long-term consequences of their behavior. People unwilling to raise questions about their own motives and prejudices willingly suppress them and gain psychological release in the emotional cheering.

Public rhetoric in the West now equates terrorism with coded terms like "malevolent, satanic, hatred and evil." On the other hand war, as waged by the US and its allies, is labeled "holy, benevolent and just, on the side of good." A similar polarity-jihad versus terrorism-exists in much of the Muslim world, with their positive term jihad (holy struggle) opposing terrorism (our attacks on them). But, in terms of the fear and anxiety produced in humans at ground zero, there is no difference between modern war and terrorism.

This 3,500-year old cycle of "holy eye-for-eye" violence is possible because the zealotry that breeds and supports such conflict has its roots in no particular religion, but in the mind of every person who thinks he has God-given authority to enforce his own concept of divine justice. Such thinking invokes religious beliefs that assume one's own warriors are instruments of divine authority and that their society has been uniquely sanctioned by an all powerful deity to mete out justice.

The basic problem of war/terrorism lies not in the types of weapons or tactics used, but whence comes any group's belief in the "right" to use violence to further their own purposes. These assumptions underpin the notion of "just war" articulated by the three major supernatural religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. This psychologically permits people to turn to the easier-to-wage and more lucrative military campaigns rather then tackle the basic human issues that set one group against another.

Thus, the problem lies not in the perversion of a particular religious faith, but in the very nature of such blind faith. There is only one effective way for humanity to transcend war/terrorism. Those who value social needs and individual freedoms must seek a widely accepted, transcendent view of reality that precludes the arrogation of the right to violate others based in any group's religious beliefs. Reaching such a global consensus requires that ordinary, peace-loving people release their claims to divine truth, admitting that we do not have exclusive access to universal wisdom. This removes the psychological basis used by Psy-Ops to manipulate the emotions of gullible followers.

Author Paul Von Ward is a former naval officer and U. S. diplomat. His book Our Solarian Legacy: Multidimensional Humans in a Self-Learning Universe synthesizes research in several disciplines to provide insight into the nature of human consciousness and the potential for a new phase in global civilization. Visit www.vonward.com.