Monday, July 24, 2006
Yes, although the means are not always pretty. Diana Muir at History News Network: So Hezbollah Can't Be Crushed?
The Czech Hussites earned the condemnation of the Church in 1415 for adherence to doctrines that the Church called heresy, and which historians call proto-Protestant. They successfully defended an independent Czech Hussite state against large Catholic armies for twenty years, before agreeing to strike a compromise with the Church. Large numbers of devoted Hussites rejected the political compromise. Many were killed in battle with a combined Czech/Catholic army near Prague on May 30, 1434. Surviving “Warriors of God” were eliminated in a series of small battles, captures, and hangings.
On February 5, 1597, Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi decided to crush Christianity in Japan. He considered the rapid increase, geographic concentration, and intense devotion of Christians to be threats to the state. The newly introduced religion had over 300,000 adherents, of whom between 5,000 and 6,000 were executed, many by crucifixion. Christianity as a movement was eliminated from Japan.
I could multiply examples of large populations united by intense religious commitment that have been crushed by the state power. Not obliterated – remnants of Japanese Christianity survived underground, for example – but crushed to the point where a movement no longer existed.
I am certainly not defending the morality of Hideyoshi’s actions, or the crushing of the Cathars, Hussites, or Zanj. I am simply pointing out that popular religious movements can be forcibly destroyed...
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The case with Hezbollah is far more difficult than the above mentioned persecutions of Christians. All three examples involve minority Christian sects which were MAINLY PEACEFUL. The ruling authorities - Catholic church or the Shogun decided to suppress popular movements for religious or political reasons. It was their firm faith that made the suppression so difficult and bloody.
But now let us suppose a cult group - as firm in piety and faith as Christianity - but one that uses armed struggle to achieve its political goal. Suppose this cult group promotes suicide bombing and battle death as 'holy acts'. And this cult group has a Nazi-like stranglehold on children's education and popular entrtainment to promote its authority and its core message.
One can only conclude that suppression of Hezbollah is virtually impossible.