Is Radicalisation Bad?

Written by Rabbi Levi Brackman
Sunday, 19 March 2006

Radicals and radicalisation are the words on everyone’s lips. People are trying to understand the process of how normal people become radicalised to the extent that they become suicide bombers. They therefore talk about radicalisation as if it is always a terrible thing. The truth is however that anyone who becomes enthusiastic enough about a cause can become radical – is radicalism really a bad thing?

There is an extraordinary story in the Bible about a radical. The Israelites in the desert were committing adultery with the Moabite women and serving their idols. In full view of the congregation Zimri leader of the Shimonite tribe takes a Midianite woman into his tent and has relations with her. Upon seeing this, Pinchas the grandson of Aaron the high priest is outraged. He takes his spear and kills both Zimri and his Midianite consort. The commentaries explain that Moses had forgotten the law which explains how an adulterer such as Zimri was to be punished. Out of all the Israelites, only Pinchas remembered the law: “…a zealous one may slay the adulterer.”

This story is fascinating but unclear. Moses was reminded of the law in time to have carried out the punishment himself, so why did he leave it up to Pinchas to act as the zealot? The next part of the story sheds light on this. As a reward for his heroic act in defence of Divine morals Pinchas was rewarded: “Therefore,” said G-d, “I give him my covenant of peace, and it shall be for him…a covenant of eternal priesthoods.” The fact the priesthood was first described here as “a covenant of peace” is significant.

In truth Pinchas was no more of a radical or zealot than Moses and the priests. The difference was that Moses as leader of the Jewish nation, and the priests through their Divine Service in the tabernacle, were both able to channel their passionate radicalism in a peaceful manner. Pinchas on the other hand was neither priest nor leader. He was a radical and a zealot who lacked a channel for his passion and zeal. G-d recognized that whilst his passion for G-d was in itself virtuous, without a proper conduit it could also be extremely lethal. So He gave Pinchas a peaceful way to channel his zeal and passion -- the covenant of peace in the form of the priesthood. Now, like the rest of the priests, his passion for G-d was quenched in a peaceful manner by his service in the holy Tabernacle.

Radicalism, zeal, passion and even fanaticism are not negative traits. They are all neutral qualities that can be harnessed for either good causes or for catastrophically negative ones. Terrorists have learnt how to employ these powerful human traits to perpetrate unspeakable evil. We must beat them at their own game. When channelled positively there is nothing more inspiring than fired up young people passionate about a positive cause. We must not allow the potentially positive traits of passion and radicalism to become dishonoured and sullied by terrorists. Instead we must harness them to create and unleash their relentless positive energy.

Terrorists have demonstrated the infinite power of passionately held ideas. We must harness this power for good. When radicalised by non-violent and positive ideas we have the ability to change the world and make it a better place.

Source: http://levibrackman.com/index.php/Is-Radicalisation-Bad.html