RELIGIOSITY AND RADICAL SECULARISM: FAITH, NON-BELIEF, AND THE DYNAMICS OF HATRED IN CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL EXTREMISM
RELIGIOSITY AND RADICAL SECULARISM: FAITH, NON-BELIEF, AND THE DYNAMICS OF HATRED IN CONTEMPORARY POLITICAL EXTREMISM

Summary/Abstract: This article examines how religiosity and radical secularism shape the identities and practices of contemporary political extremism, and how the sacred–profane dichotomy fuels mutual hatred between the far right and the far left. Drawing on a critical synthesis of institutional reports (Europol, ISD), comparative academic analyses (Haynes; Jasko et al.; START), and research documents on major attacks (Program on Extremism), the text offers an interdisciplinary approach, sociological, political, and security-oriented, to explain why and how faith (or its repudiation) becomes a driver of violent or symbolic mobilization. We identify key mechanisms: the instrumentalization of religion as a moral and identity-based foundation by the radical right; the transformation of ideology into a “secular religion” on the radical left; the amplification of antagonism through digital ecosystems; and the spiral effect of reciprocal legitimization of violence. Based on these findings, the introduction identifies early warning signs of risk, such as the normalization of “replacement” narratives, the migration of extremist discourse to alt-tech platforms, and the territorialization of protests, and outlines directions for further analysis (scenarios for 2025-2030, preventive measures). The study provides researchers and policymakers with a framework for understanding how differing relationships to the sacred and the profane contribute to vulnerabilities in security and democratic cohesion, emphasizing the need for integrated strategies, political, educational, and digital, that address both ideological components and the media through which they are transmitted.

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