"The rise of religious movements in the late 20th century with a proclivity toward violence and terrorism - predominantly Islamic extremism - has significantly changed the landscape of international politics. It has also shifted the focus in analyzing the international system from the power struggle of Cold War politics and its attendant conceptual toolbox to a reality that emphasizes culture, violence in the name of religion, identity, and nationalism.”

“Religious fundamentalism is a kind of revolt or rebellion against the secular hegemony of the modern world. Fundamentalists typically want to see God, or religion, reflected more centrally in public life. They want to drag religion from the sidelines, to which it’s been relegated in a secular culture, and back to center stage. For those who see themselves as Muslim fundamentalists, it is a reaction to militant secularism. And for others, it represents a strong desire to see religion reflected more clearly in their polity.”

“Christianity and Islam today comprise well over 40 percent of the world’s population, and Christian-Muslim relations have become a central concern in global politics. The ways in which these two communities of believers relate and understand each other will have profound consequences for the future.”

“The Iran case under Ayatollah Khomeini offers insights into the “fundamentalist” phenomenon because it demonstrates how a “quietist” (nonpolitical) posture was transformed into politico-fundamentalist fervor. And it presents a dramatic example of this fusion between religion and politics in the 20th century. Political rule by clerics was a Khomeini-inspired innovation in Shiism. His message combined religion, politics, and nationalism, and his call for political action was not only appealing to the masses but it galvanized them into taking action against the Shah.”

“The Khomeini experiment in Iran was a watershed event. It emboldened Muslims across the world, making them more politically active and inspiring their fundamentalist fervor, and ultimately leading to radicalization of new groups such as the Mahdi Army under Muqtada al-Sadr in Iraq.”

“The Muslim fundamentalists, political agenda delineated from Khomeini’s Islamic government can be simply stated: Islam provides a comprehensive sociopolitical system valid for all time and place. Thus, God is the sole legislator. Government is mandated in order to implement God’s plan in this world. Individual believers are not permitted simply to suffer unjust rule in silence. They must actively work to realize God’s plan in this world.”

“The cosmic war concept refers to the metaphysical battle between the forces of Good and Evil that enlivens the religious imagination and compels violent action. Cosmic war has roots in the theology of most religions. In the three monotheistic religions, it is the Day of Judgment, the cosmic battle between Good and Evil, and the realization of God’s ultimate purpose for His creation. Cosmic war ensues when this inner conflict between Good and Evil becomes manifest - physical, not metaphysical.”

“Cosmic war has several defining characteristics: It is more symbolic than pragmatic in intent and is performed in remarkably dramatic ways; its displays of violence find their moral justification in a religious imperative; it operates on a divine time line with victory being imminent but not in this lifetime; and it is empowering to those who take up the cause, providing divinely justified actions to real-world problems.”

“Finally, acts of terror in a cosmic war are seen as evocations of a larger spiritual confrontation between Good and Evil. The power of this concept surpasses all ordinary claims of political and earthly authority. In the Middle East and other parts of the Muslim world where the battle for the soul of Islam continues, Islamists and Al-Qaeda’s networks have placed their struggle against secularism, perceived Western domination, and the United States, in a cosmic context. This context animates and elevates their struggle giving it the imprimatur of the divine; hence the outcome of their fight is preordained: Islam in its pristine purity will prevail.”

“Religious fundamentalists and extremists base their commitments on founding myths, decisive stories, inspiring narratives, and forthright commands found in their scriptures.”

“In all of these stories and narratives, there is a dark side, one that identifies the Enemy with evil powers that God has set out to vanquish. This cosmic struggle between the forces of Good and Evil, is the key to understanding how religiously inspired violence is perceived by its perpetrators and what motivates them to kill in the name of God. Thus, the transcendence of religion, with its impulse to engage in a war between Good versus Evil, provides a ready justification for the extremists to commit unspeakable acts of violence. That evil exists in the world is clearly not a contentious or wavering issue for the 'warriors' of holy zeal. For them cosmic war is defensive, not offensive.”

“States find themselves in a difficult position when confronting cosmic war. Tactically, the more states turn to military instruments, the more they run the risk of validating the theology of the cosmic warriors. For the intelligence analyst and for policymaking, an understanding of cosmic war is particularly useful when formulating strategies aimed at its mitigation.”

“In particular, the use of military force as a tool for combating cosmic war could be counterproductive; force could perpetuate the perception that a religious group is under attack and must fight for the preservation of the faith and its own existence. It validates the appeal of cosmic war.”

“Intelligence analysis should also look for identifiable state actions that trigger the perception of a cosmic war in progress. Examples of such action might include coalition forces’ decision to arrest Muqtada al-Sadr and forcibly disarm his movement in Iraq, as well as U.S. government policy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that risks looking completely one-sided to the Muslim world.”

“More generally, in dealing with a perceived clash between Islam and current U.S. foreign policy, an attempt ought to be made to blur the edges of that clash, not sharpen them. Instead of emphasizing the historic sense of conflict between Islam and Christianity or the West, policy ought to emphasize possible points of convergence."

"The rise of religious movements in the late 20th century with a proclivity toward violence and terrorism - predominantly Islamic extremism - has significantly changed the landscape of international politics. It has also shifted the focus in analyzing the international system from the power struggle of Cold War politics and its attendant conceptual toolbox to a reality that emphasizes culture, violence in the name of religion, identity, and nationalism.”

“Religious fundamentalism is a kind of revolt or rebellion against the secular hegemony of the modern world. Fundamentalists typically want to see God, or religion, reflected more centrally in public life. They want to drag religion from the sidelines, to which it’s been relegated in a secular culture, and back to center stage. For those who see themselves as Muslim fundamentalists, it is a reaction to militant secularism. And for others, it represents a strong desire to see religion reflected more clearly in their polity.”

“Christianity and Islam today comprise well over 40 percent of the world’s population, and Christian-Muslim relations have become a central concern in global politics. The ways in which these two communities of believers relate and understand each other will have profound consequences for the future.”

“The Iran case under Ayatollah Khomeini offers insights into the “fundamentalist” phenomenon because it demonstrates how a “quietist” (nonpolitical) posture was transformed into politico-fundamentalist fervor. And it presents a dramatic example of this fusion between religion and politics in the 20th century. Political rule by clerics was a Khomeini-inspired innovation in Shiism. His message combined religion, politics, and nationalism, and his call for political action was not only appealing to the masses but it galvanized them into taking action against the Shah.”

“The Khomeini experiment in Iran was a watershed event. It emboldened Muslims across the world, making them more politically active and inspiring their fundamentalist fervor, and ultimately leading to radicalization of new groups such as the Mahdi Army under Muqtada al-Sadr in Iraq.”

“The Muslim fundamentalists, political agenda delineated from Khomeini’s Islamic government can be simply stated: Islam provides a comprehensive sociopolitical system valid for all time and place. Thus, God is the sole legislator. Government is mandated in order to implement God’s plan in this world. Individual believers are not permitted simply to suffer unjust rule in silence. They must actively work to realize God’s plan in this world.”

“The cosmic war concept refers to the metaphysical battle between the forces of Good and Evil that enlivens the religious imagination and compels violent action. Cosmic war has roots in the theology of most religions. In the three monotheistic religions, it is the Day of Judgment, the cosmic battle between Good and Evil, and the realization of God’s ultimate purpose for His creation. Cosmic war ensues when this inner conflict between Good and Evil becomes manifest - physical, not metaphysical.”

“Cosmic war has several defining characteristics: It is more symbolic than pragmatic in intent and is performed in remarkably dramatic ways; its displays of violence find their moral justification in a religious imperative; it operates on a divine time line with victory being imminent but not in this lifetime; and it is empowering to those who take up the cause, providing divinely justified actions to real-world problems.”

“Finally, acts of terror in a cosmic war are seen as evocations of a larger spiritual confrontation between Good and Evil. The power of this concept surpasses all ordinary claims of political and earthly authority. In the Middle East and other parts of the Muslim world where the battle for the soul of Islam continues, Islamists and Al-Qaeda’s networks have placed their struggle against secularism, perceived Western domination, and the United States, in a cosmic context. This context animates and elevates their struggle giving it the imprimatur of the divine; hence the outcome of their fight is preordained: Islam in its pristine purity will prevail.”

“Religious fundamentalists and extremists base their commitments on founding myths, decisive stories, inspiring narratives, and forthright commands found in their scriptures.”

“In all of these stories and narratives, there is a dark side, one that identifies the Enemy with evil powers that God has set out to vanquish. This cosmic struggle between the forces of Good and Evil, is the key to understanding how religiously inspired violence is perceived by its perpetrators and what motivates them to kill in the name of God. Thus, the transcendence of religion, with its impulse to engage in a war between Good versus Evil, provides a ready justification for the extremists to commit unspeakable acts of violence. That evil exists in the world is clearly not a contentious or wavering issue for the 'warriors' of holy zeal. For them cosmic war is defensive, not offensive.”

“States find themselves in a difficult position when confronting cosmic war. Tactically, the more states turn to military instruments, the more they run the risk of validating the theology of the cosmic warriors. For the intelligence analyst and for policymaking, an understanding of cosmic war is particularly useful when formulating strategies aimed at its mitigation.”

“In particular, the use of military force as a tool for combating cosmic war could be counterproductive; force could perpetuate the perception that a religious group is under attack and must fight for the preservation of the faith and its own existence. It validates the appeal of cosmic war.”

“Intelligence analysis should also look for identifiable state actions that trigger the perception of a cosmic war in progress. Examples of such action might include coalition forces’ decision to arrest Muqtada al-Sadr and forcibly disarm his movement in Iraq, as well as U.S. government policy in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that risks looking completely one-sided to the Muslim world.”

“More generally, in dealing with a perceived clash between Islam and current U.S. foreign policy, an attempt ought to be made to blur the edges of that clash, not sharpen them. Instead of emphasizing the historic sense of conflict between Islam and Christianity or the West, policy ought to emphasize possible points of convergence."