Cultic Studies Review, Vol. 5, No. 1, 2006, Page 87
10, Dr. Stern makes counterterrorism policy recommendations based on her data collection
and on her experience.
Part I: Grievances That Give Rise to Holy War
In chapter 1 (―Alienation‖) Dr. Stern interviews former members of a domestic right-wing,
extremist hate group, called the Covenant, the Sword and the Arm of the Lord (CSA). Like
most cults, the CSA was based on a charismatic leader, and it practiced many typical cult
behaviors identified by Margaret Singer, Robert Lifton, and other cult researchers. The cult
was located in an isolated environment, members were not allowed to receive any outside
messages or information, and members had to give up all vestiges of their pre-cult
identities. The leader and the other cult members became the only reality for each member.
Dr. Stern concludes that these behaviors occurred because CSA members became
increasingly alienated from mainstream society.
Chapter 2 (―Humiliation‖) is essentially an abbreviated history of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict from the Palestinian viewpoint. In 1999, Dr. Stern interviewed Hamas and Fatah
officials in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as Israeli counter-terrorism officials. She
concludes that the Palestinians have been militarily, economically, and culturally humiliated
by the Israelis, both historically and in the present, and that this humiliation leads to a
continuous supply of Palestinian suicide bombers.
In Chapter 3 (―Demographics‖), Dr. Stern describes how population shifts alter the balance
between competing religious groups. The Soeharto regime in Indonesia supported the
movement of Muslims from overcrowded islands to underpopulated islands with indigenous
Christian populations. In some cases, Christians reacted violently, which led to the
formation of Islamic terrorist groups in Indonesia who attack Christians and other minorities
and the Indonesian government.
Chapter 4 (―History‖) examines the impact of selective historical memory on extremist
behavior. Right-wing Jewish extremists wanted to destroy Muslim holy sites in Israel, to
restore the Temple of Solomon, and to expand Israeli borders to their biblical dimensions.
Dr. Stern uses their story to demonstrate how historical interpretation can be used to
sustain a long-term grievance of one group against another, thus leading to a continuing
cycle of violence.
Chapter 5 (―Territory‖) describes the Indian-Pakistani Kashmir conflict from the viewpoint of
various participants. In this chapter, Dr. Stern makes the point that competing groups
imbue disputed land with sacred and/or nationalist characteristics, thereby making land
something more than just a natural resource. Extremist groups on both sides use the
sacredness of the land to fuel the grievance process of potential joiners and supporters.
Part II: Holy-War Organizations
In chapter 6 (―Inspirational Leaders and Their Followers‖), Dr. Stern discusses her
interviews with leaders of the ―save-the-babies‖ movement, a violent subgroup of the right-
to-life movement. These leaders describe a new form of extremist organizational structure
called ―leaderless resistance.‖ This is a disturbing extension of the cult organizational model
into the Internet age. Similar to traditional violent cults, this group uses a charismatic,
transformational leader to inspire followers to commit violent acts. However, these followers
are only inspired. The leaders do not explicitly order followers to engage in these acts.
Those who engage in the acts do not live with the leaders or with other followers, and they
do not regularly communicate with anyone in the movement. This new ―virtual reality‖
extremist organizational structure is also used by Al-Qaeda, which Dr. Stern describes in
chapter 9. This structure is much more difficult for law enforcement and security agencies to
monitor and penetrate.
10, Dr. Stern makes counterterrorism policy recommendations based on her data collection
and on her experience.
Part I: Grievances That Give Rise to Holy War
In chapter 1 (―Alienation‖) Dr. Stern interviews former members of a domestic right-wing,
extremist hate group, called the Covenant, the Sword and the Arm of the Lord (CSA). Like
most cults, the CSA was based on a charismatic leader, and it practiced many typical cult
behaviors identified by Margaret Singer, Robert Lifton, and other cult researchers. The cult
was located in an isolated environment, members were not allowed to receive any outside
messages or information, and members had to give up all vestiges of their pre-cult
identities. The leader and the other cult members became the only reality for each member.
Dr. Stern concludes that these behaviors occurred because CSA members became
increasingly alienated from mainstream society.
Chapter 2 (―Humiliation‖) is essentially an abbreviated history of the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict from the Palestinian viewpoint. In 1999, Dr. Stern interviewed Hamas and Fatah
officials in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as Israeli counter-terrorism officials. She
concludes that the Palestinians have been militarily, economically, and culturally humiliated
by the Israelis, both historically and in the present, and that this humiliation leads to a
continuous supply of Palestinian suicide bombers.
In Chapter 3 (―Demographics‖), Dr. Stern describes how population shifts alter the balance
between competing religious groups. The Soeharto regime in Indonesia supported the
movement of Muslims from overcrowded islands to underpopulated islands with indigenous
Christian populations. In some cases, Christians reacted violently, which led to the
formation of Islamic terrorist groups in Indonesia who attack Christians and other minorities
and the Indonesian government.
Chapter 4 (―History‖) examines the impact of selective historical memory on extremist
behavior. Right-wing Jewish extremists wanted to destroy Muslim holy sites in Israel, to
restore the Temple of Solomon, and to expand Israeli borders to their biblical dimensions.
Dr. Stern uses their story to demonstrate how historical interpretation can be used to
sustain a long-term grievance of one group against another, thus leading to a continuing
cycle of violence.
Chapter 5 (―Territory‖) describes the Indian-Pakistani Kashmir conflict from the viewpoint of
various participants. In this chapter, Dr. Stern makes the point that competing groups
imbue disputed land with sacred and/or nationalist characteristics, thereby making land
something more than just a natural resource. Extremist groups on both sides use the
sacredness of the land to fuel the grievance process of potential joiners and supporters.
Part II: Holy-War Organizations
In chapter 6 (―Inspirational Leaders and Their Followers‖), Dr. Stern discusses her
interviews with leaders of the ―save-the-babies‖ movement, a violent subgroup of the right-
to-life movement. These leaders describe a new form of extremist organizational structure
called ―leaderless resistance.‖ This is a disturbing extension of the cult organizational model
into the Internet age. Similar to traditional violent cults, this group uses a charismatic,
transformational leader to inspire followers to commit violent acts. However, these followers
are only inspired. The leaders do not explicitly order followers to engage in these acts.
Those who engage in the acts do not live with the leaders or with other followers, and they
do not regularly communicate with anyone in the movement. This new ―virtual reality‖
extremist organizational structure is also used by Al-Qaeda, which Dr. Stern describes in
chapter 9. This structure is much more difficult for law enforcement and security agencies to
monitor and penetrate.
