In the 1950s, some religious leaders were behind a campaign to ban shorts in public. Today that would be seen as an extreme move. What is it about religious extremism that in the worst case scenario turns violent?
A regular weekly look-back at some offbeat or interesting stories that have appeared in the Ottawa Citizen over its 175-year history. Today, a 1950s-era wardrobe debate.
Read the cited Ottawa Citizen article That was then: City of Ottawa considers banning shorts in public.
What is happening in the world of terrorism? In this podcast, a retired Canadian intelligence analyst discusses the subject of terrorism: what it is (and isn’t), trends, developments and more. Phil Gurski, author of five books on terrorism, is not shy to wade into controversial matters and provide his perspective honed from more than three decades in intelligence. From Canada to the greater West to the world, subscribe to listen to the thoughts of a person who ‘worked at the coalface’ for many years.
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When Religion Kills: How Extremists Justify Violence Through Faith
Phil Gurski (2019)
$79.95
Christian fundamentalists. Hindu nationalists. Islamic jihadists. Buddhist militants. Jewish extremists. Members of these and other religious groups have committed horrific acts of terrorist violence in recent decades. How is this possible? How do individuals use their religious beliefs to justify such actions? How do they manipulate the language and symbols of their faith to motivate others to commit violence in the name of the divine? Phil Gurski addresses these essential questions as he explores violent extremism across a broad range of the world’s major religions.
