Religiosity and Terrorism: Evidence from Ramadan Fasting
This study examines the effect of religiosity on terrorism by focusing on one of the five pillars of Islam: Ramadan fasting. For identification, we exploit two facts: First, daily fasting from dawn to sunset during Ramadan is considered mandatory for most Muslims. Second, the Islamic calendar is not synchronized with the solar cycle. We find a robust negative effect of more intense Ramadan fasting on terrorist events within districts and country-years in predominantly Muslim countries. We argue that this effect partly operates through a decrease in public support for terrorism, which in turn reduces the operational capabilities of terrorist groups.
Can a nation of civilized religions and civil religion produce political religions? Why should the United States be an exception? Beyond the marginal totalitarian groups that we easily identify as political religions, however, is a larger question of how an American sense of messianic destiny continuously pushes social and political movements toward political religion, in ways that periodically gain mass support and influence public policy.