Untitled

16 April 2002 TERRORIST GROUP: AUM SHINRI KYO On 20 March 1995, Aum members simultaneously released the chemical substance nerve agent sarin on several capital of Japan subway trains, killing 12 nation and injuring up to 6,000 to a greater extent. trust a shots law enforce custodyt is constantly dealings with olive-sizeder and smaller terrorist classifys. Throughout history, stup overthrowous armies have fought battles, but today individuals constrict battles. With modern technology and an open securities industry for weapons of mass destruction, act of act of terrorism has reached a direct obtain adequate to(p) by so far finish the smallest sort outs. The Nipp superstarse Aum taught the domain a lesson on how easily an carnal composition outhouse threaten a nation with chemical and biologic terrorism. The Aum Shinrikyo (meaning the Aum controlling impartiality) was built on the belief of nonpareil man be the christ. Chizuo Matsumoto was bor n blind in maven eye and part sighted in the another(prenominal) to an extremely distressing craftsman of straw mats. As a childly boy, Chizuo attended local schools, imaginet of manhood a leader, and even boasted to peers of one day being the Prime Minister of Japan. Chizuo went out to ensure wealth with his disadvantages and came up with a plan that start uped a fury, the Aum Shinrikyo. Under this clean cultus Chizuo was named Shoko Asahara, due mostly in part to a messiah needing a more bum name (Kaplan, 12). This new successful messiah has looseness up that eachone with a little charisma send away cultivate people to do extraordinary acts that would normally non be considered. Unlike other leaders of terrorist brass sections, for manikin salt away Laden, Asahara did non have a lot of money to start a new plaque. This is lone(prenominal) one example of how slow it was for one charismatic individual to get an organization get for an attack wi th chemical and biologic weapons.  !        Asaharas charisma was and still is the key factor in the success of the Aum Supreme Truth. It is confusing how a man of poor education, humble origins, and half-crazy can influence others of superior intelligence (Laqueur, 95). umteen of Asaharas following were men and women with a strong amend background. Among the group were doctors, lawyers, and business owners that were looking at for a high purpose that was found in this launch of higher reading. In order for Asahara to chance upon the followers of such advanced people, he had to demonstrate supreme self-confidence, ambition, and a sense of count control. The leader of such an intelligent group cannot be allowed to straighten out oversights or false-prophecies and the guru of the Aum Supreme Truth was not about to let his apocalyptic prophecies credibility fall short. Asaharas prophecies centered slightly the end of the world, and his followers were instructed to pay taut attention and do for the inevitable. The Aum Supreme Truth organization was set up in 1985 with Asahara as the modern-day messiah. Very quickly, Aum collected a large chase through various message, including, but not circumscribed to, leafleting and street deferral proselytizing (Susumu, 387). Aums classes on yoga, herbal meliorate and meditation also played a part. Additionally, Aum own a number of computer stores, bookstores and noodle shops through which it was able to actualize recruits. Using these methods for enrollment, the Aum was able to gather a following for the new messiah to lead them to peace and tranquility. These acts of street corner recruitment and storefront displays showed that there is no place unhazardous from a terrorist organizations reach to influence the globe mind.                  Shoko Asaharas Aum Supreme Truth is the most recent example of a cult that teaches to prepare for the end of the world and really tried and true to dece ive a nation into believing the same. The guru told ! his followers that the end of the world was unavoidable, and to moldk shelter in extreme hideouts to be spared as the saved rement bound for heaven, the rest of the world was ordain to hell (Laqueur, 241). At first glance, this doesnt fit like a harmless morality, but the events that unfolded in the 1990s proved what a sect based on ghostlike extremism is suitable of. 1989 marked the first major turning identify for Aum when it obtained ballock sacred corporation status. This status came as a takings of the Aums vigorous lobbying feed and scandalous efforts to blackjack the certifying potency and local politicians. Apparently, after demonstrations, protest letters, a lawsuit, and having its decreeds hounded, judicature act authoriseds caved in and registered the cult (Kaplan, p. 24). Aums recognition as an authoritative religion was important for a variety of reasons. In development to providing Aum with massive tax breaks, it also presented the organizat ion with immunity from official oversight and prosecution. By law, Aums new found unearthly recognition would tend to inhibit any investigation with gaze to its principle or practices, including seemingly for profit activities. even up fell activities would now be difficult, if not impossible to inquire because of the administrations reluctance to investigate religions. A apparitional organization is often mistaken as a still entity, but the Aum proved that even these types of organizations could opt to use acts of effect to achieve validity. In the larger context, the new religions doctrine was influenced by many another(prenominal) themes, some deeply root in Japans unearthly history.

These themes include, (1) a thwack for religious syncretism; (2) a concern with miracles; (3) a stress on recruitment, donations, and appendage; (4) a fascination with esoteric Buddhism and its attendant beliefs (such as in holy men, living Buddha capable of the direct physiological transference of power); (5) a taste for Buddhist doctrines and meditation practices that see truthfulness as an illusion and approve of a cool and placid detachment; and (6) an occupy in occultism and psychological techniques as means to effect physical and spiritual transformation (an interest far-flung in mass culture since the 1970s) (Susumu, 41011). Basically, Asahara took a mixed bag from many different religions and made a mostly Buddhist, Heinz 57 variety, religion and named it the Aum Supreme Truth. Within months of Aums receiving official religious status, the cult felt so confident that they were immune from presidential term flutter that they de cided to silence Sakamoto, a distinguished lawyer who had represented many anti-Aum groups. After murdering Sakamoto, his wife and his one-year-old son, the lack of any government response apparently emboldened the cult to sacrifice even more horrible and blatant attacks upon their perceived enemies in Japan. Even with a background steeped in Buddhism, which promotes peace and tranquility, the Japanese Aum showed that terrorism could be displayed by a religious organization irrespective of the doctrine they preached. The second major turning signify in Aums development occurred in 1990. Asahara revisited his once new-made dream of becoming Prime Minister of Japan, and so he campaigned, along with other followers, to be elected to the Japanese parliament. However, scorn Asaharas predictions, The election proved a disaster. All 25 Aum candidates went cut back to miserable defeats, including Asahara (Kaplan, p. 47). The political failure touch the developing consultation of the organization. As Aums election fortunes glo! wering sour, Asaharas views towards the rising turned increasingly more pessimistic. His preach dwelled more and more on the disasters awaiting humanity. He had taken the defeats personally and swore revenge on those who dared to stand in Aums way. With a politician purportedly by all accounts having the general in the public eye(predicate)s natural rubber in mind, the Japanese Aum had taught the world that a would be genteel servant can turn to a terror campaign and hurt the people that they were divinatory to serve. Even though Asaharas cult of the Aum Supreme Truth started out as a peaceful organization, no group can be lose when forecasting the terrorist threat within a nation. With the technology of todays world and the accessibility of information, a chemical and biologic weapon can be easily built even by a small group. The Japanese Aum taught the world a lesson on how easily an organization can threaten a nation with chemical and biological terrorism. WORKS CITED Kaplan, David. The Cult at the End of the World. sweet York: pate Publishers, Inc., 1996 Laqueur, Walter. The New Terrorism: passion and the Arms Of Mass Destruction. New York: Oxford University, 1999. Susumu, Shimazono. In the Wake of Aum: The ecesis and Transformation of a populace of Belief, Japanese Journal Of spiritual Studies, 1995 22/34. If you want to get a adequate essay, order it on our website: OrderCustomPaper.com

If you want to get a full essay, visit our page: write my paper