Citation

Introvigne M. Terrorism Polit. Violence 2000; 12(1): 47.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/09546550008427549

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Religious minorities in Western Europe today are often perceived as threatening. After Solar Temple suicides and homicides, parliamentary and other official commissions investigated the dangers of 'cults' or 'sects'. The article reviews reports published between 1996-1999 and argues that they may be classified into two categories. 'Type I' reports (more prevalent throughout French-speaking Europe) rely on anti-cult models and stereotypes, and may perpetuate moral panics by seeing all unfamiliar religious minorities as uniformly dangerous. 'Type II' reports, while still maintaining elements of the anti-cult models, appear to be more balanced and concentrate more attention on academic findings. 'Type I' reports, and anti-cult models in general, generated 'anti-cult terrorism' (an expression first used in one of the Swiss 'Type II' reports) in the form of both verbal and actual violence, with extremist groups acting as self-appointed anti-cult vigilantes. While there are actually and potentially dangerous religious minorities, anti-cult rhetoric in official documents may incite and provoke violence both against the assaulted movements and by the movements threatened. Law enforcement, the article concludes, should focus on the minority of violent religious and millenialist movements and the small extreme anti-cult fringes.