Med Tron Som Vapen : Legitimering av våld och död hos en japansk religiös sekt

Sammanfattning: This study was performed to investigate how the Japanese sect Aum Shinrikyo was legitimating its violence and killing acts. By analyzing the leader and members of the sect, and applying this information on two theoretical models, this paper tries to give an explanation of both single acts of violence and killing, and two terrorattacks. The result shows that Aum Shinrikyo was able to legitimate violence and killing acts through its ideology. In their opinion, cosmos was a place with several levels and everyone wanted to get as high as possible. Those who were killed by the sect would never be able to get to a higher level by living, since they would do too many bad actions. The murderers also got better karma since they helped the person to a better place. The legitimating of violence and killing acts in Aum Shinrikyo can be explained as a duty that is holy, which agrees with the theorists about religious terrorism.