The documentary 'Among the Believers' depicts the harrowing story of the radicalization of children in the Red Mosque madrasa.
“Once we train their minds, they’ll never change until they die,” is the ideology followed when the clerics train the children to memorize the Quran and slowly brainwash them into internalizing hatred and intolerance.
Religion is used a tool of manipulation in two ways: religious teachings can never be questioned, and an enemy exists beyond the walls which threatens their existence and must be dealt with force and ammunition. The depiction of this consistent otherization and radicalization sheds light on the role of power hungry men in warping the minds of children by distorting religion to benefit their own needs.
This issue is not just restricted to madrasas. All over the globe, religion has been used to hide greed and power under a veil of pretense. Televangelist preachers in the US have been criticized for amassing fortunes under the guise of donations.
“You can’t manage that today, in this dope-filled world, get in a long tube with a bunch of demons,” televangelist Copeland explained after asking his followers to bankroll a $54 million jet.
To the average person, these sort of statements would be dismissed as absurd, but the sheer manipulation with which these religious clerics twist the narrative needs to examined to understand the real issue. First, they preach the gospel truth to be unquestioned. Then, once they have cemented their power they can convince the masses to adhere to any of their misinformed teachings.
Religion being used as an instigator for violent acts is a tale as old as time. It spurs people's passions and is often used as a tool by conniving religious personalities to further their own ends. The debate about whether the world should collectively embrace secularism is much more nuanced. The US has been divided over whether the Constitution should be based on the Bible or if religion should be separated from the State completely. It is a fair assumption that religious teaching can be subject to bias and prejudice, especially by those in power. But the real question is whether the people in power would be willing to lose such an integral tool? By manipulating the masses, they are able to gain control. The brainwashing of children through education and propaganda was the sole reason Hitler was able to come into power and secure his rule.
The question remains that are the masses willing and able to shed this tool of mind control and realize that religion should be a private matter? That is yet to be seen.
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