Terrorism Explored in the Village

In Ancient Greece, great thinkers and townspeople often assembled at a stoa, an open space to express ideas and debate the burning issues of the day.  Today, we have local venues like Village Books, where on Thursday night, scholars and residents gathered together to hear a lecture on terrorism.

Entitled “Terrorism and Political Violence the Contemporary Era” the discussion was led by Pacific Palisades resident Jean Rosenfeld, Ph.D., an academic researcher at the UCLA Center for the Study of Religion.

“This is such a wonderful venue,” said Rosenfeld, addressing the full capacity crowd. “It’s sad to think that places like this don’t exist anymore. This is the soul of the Pacific Palisades.”

Rosenfeld talked briefly about the book she edited, Terrorism, Identity and Legitimacy: The Four Waves Theory and Political Violence, a collection of essays covering a wide range of terrorism topics.

She introduced two other distinguished colleagues who contributed to the book—Jeffrey D. Simon, president of the Political Risk Assessment Company in Santa Monica and David C. Rapoport, professor emeritus of UCLA’s Department of Political Science and renowned expert on terrorism.

“David is the spirit of the book, “she said. “Without him, there is no book.”

Rosenfeld opened the evening praising another book—The Tabernacle of Hate: Seduction into Right-Wing Extremism (a revised edition includes a special introduction by Rosenfeld).

Written by Kerry Noble, a former religious radical in the U.S., Rosenfeld read excerpts explaining how he was recruited by the CSA (The Covenant, the Sword and the Arm of the Lord), a racist cult bent on overthrowing the government. 

The CSA’s doctrine was linked to Timothy McVeigh, the terrorist behind the Oklahoma City bombing.

“This is a bedtime story that will give you nightmares,” she said.

She recounted a critical moment when Noble was asked to blow up a gay church and had a sudden change of heart. “I began to put a human face on the enemy,” he wrote. “I knew if I was to kill these people, I would kill Christians.”  Eventually, Noble helped the F.B.I. infiltrate the CSA.

Next, Rosenfeld brought David C. Rapoport to the podium, whose research, writing, and teaching on terrorism span a generation.

 “I taught the first course on terrorism, according to the New York Times. I know, because they used my material,” he said.

He explained his theory on the four waves of modern terrorism, which he compared to an ocean wave that peaks and recedes.

Each wave covers 40 years, beginning with the anarchists of 19th century Russia.  A second politically motivated wave of terror followed the end of World War I. The third wave is highlighted by the anger over the Viet Nam War and ends with the fall of the Soviet Union. The current fourth wave centers primarily on religious terror, including radical jihadists.

“Will there be a 5th wave?” asked one audience member, which provided a natural set-up for Jeffery D. Simon to explore current trends.

“I see a 5th wave . . . a technological wave combining the Internet with the lone wolf terrorist,” said Simon.

Simon cited several examples of lone wolf operators: the Unabomber; Nidal Hasan of the Ft. Hood shooting; Bruce Ivens, credited with the Anthrax scare; Jared Laughner, who shot Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and an attack on soldiers in Frankfurt by a foreigner angry with the U.S. involvement in Afghanistan.

Lone wolf terrorists also share common characteristics, including alienation or rejection from like-minded groups. 

“They are often highly intelligent but mentally unstable,” he said, making them a difficult threat to recognize and apprehend.

The audience, a mix of friends, colleagues and residents, posed several thought-provoking questions.

"How important is the split between the Shia and Sunni?" someone in the crowd asked.

“It’s worse than it’s ever been now and will continue to get worse,” Rapoport replied.

 "Does extreme Christian terrorism extend beyond the United States?’ asked another person.

The speakers acknowledged that the potential is there, citing an incident in Africa when a disbanded Catholic collective died in mass murder-suicide.

 Toward the conclusion of the lecture, Rosenfeld discussed the Christian Identity Movement and Christian Reconstructionism who actively impose their agenda through politics and other means.  She linked their formation to America’s roots in religious freedom.

 “We’re a Petri dish for new religions because of our individualism, where these ideas and groups can develop,” she said.

 Those in attendance got an earful of knowledge and insight on terrorism during the two-hour event—not unlike in ancient times, when communities assembled in public places to gain insights from scholarly sophists.

 “This is like a stoa . . . small gathering of people around one teacher and one subject to learn and to exchange ideas,” said Rosenfeld.