Religion is a categorized system of beliefs used to worship a god or goddess. Freedom of religion is a human right but that right is violated by practicing atrocities against the person in the name of religion. Religion is a belief system that is non-identical for everyone.

Since the rise of denomination, Wars have been fought here and there in the name of different gods. From Myanmar (Burma) 1948 Buddhist vs Christians to Sri Lanka 1983 Hindu vs Muslims Which are the sweeping wars in Southeast Asia. Similarly, these types of wars have been fought on different continents and at different periods.

As of today, the majority of warfare takes place with the name of Religion associated with patriotism, economic failure, and other concerns.

Most Christians believe that war should be avoided if possible, and should only be undertaken if all efforts to resolve an issue by peaceful means have failed. Many Christians see war as the result of a failure to live by God's standards.

Extremists often describe their actions as saving the world from evil out-groups. ...People who use religion to create conflict simply multiply this belief in their superiority tenfold. The reason religious superiority leads to conflict is that it motivates extremists for it.

Swami Vivekananda said:
"Religion is not in doctrines, in dogmas, nor intellectual argumentation; it is being and becoming, it is a realization”

History of Religious wars:

The Crusades (1st Holy war) was organized by the Christians which had been fought on by the lightning-fast rise of the Islamic empire which was started in the 8th century and the first crusade began with Jerusalem and assassinating of Pope Urban II and ended up in the 13th century which created a noxious environment in Europe

Similarly, The Vikings (Scandinavians) people from the late eighth to early 11th century established a name for themselves as traders, explorers, and warriors. They believed in Norse gods Odin (God of war and wisdom), Thor (God of Lightning), and Loki (Who was part god and the part devil). Today there are between 500 and 1000 people in Denmark who believe in the old Nordic religion and worship its ancient gods.

After the 9/11 ambush, George Bush has claimed he was on a mission from God when he launched the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq to counter and end the terrorism of Al-Qaeda.
The violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians is an example of religious and political conflict. Israel is the world's only Jewish state located just east of the Mediterranean Sea. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is over who gets what land and how it's controlled.

Bloodshed and violence took place in India after India got independent from British colonial rule. Partition of India in 1947 to create a separate Islamic state Pakistan for Muslims saw large riots throughout the country.

Bloodshed in India:

The major incidences after commitment to secularism in India are -: Gujarat riots (1969), Anti-Sikh riots (1984), Bhagalpur rights (1989), Kashmir violence (1989), Godhra train burning, Gujarat Riots (2002), Muzaffarnagar riots (2013), Delhi riots (2020)

The most barbaric riot in Indian history was the Babri Masjid riot case
Masjid was built in 1528–29 (935 AH) by general Mir Baqi, on the orders of the Mughal emperor Babur
The destruction of the Babri Mosque sparked Muslim outrage around the country, provoking several months of inter-communal rioting in which Hindus and Muslims attacked one another, burning and looting homes, shops, and places of worship.

International affect:

1. Bangladesh
   Following the demolition in India, Muslim mobs in Bangladesh attacked and burned down Hindu temples, shops, and houses across the country. An India-Bangladesh cricket match was disrupted when a mob of an estimated 5,000 men tried to storm the stadium in the national capital of Dhaka.
    
2. Pakistan
   The government closed offices and schools on 7 December to protest against the demolition of the Babri Masjid Pakistani Foreign Ministry summoned the Indian ambassador to lodge a formal complaint and promised to appeal to the United Nation and the Organisation of the Islamic Conference to pressure India to protect the rights of Muslims.
   
   Strikes were held across the country, while Muslim mobs attacked and destroyed as many as 30 temples in one day using fire and bulldozers, and stormed the office of Air India, India's national airline, in Lahore. The retaliatory attacks included rhetoric from mobs calling for the destruction of India and Hinduism. Students from Islamabad burned an effigy of the then-Prime Minister of India, P.V. Narasimha Rao, and called for Jihad against Hindus.
   
   In subsequent years, thousands of Pakistani Hindus visiting India sought longer visas, and in some cases citizenship of India, citing increased harassment and discrimination in the aftermath of the demolition

United nations:
In a 2018 report, the United Nations Human Rights office expressed concerns over attacks directed at minorities and Dalits in India. The statement came in an annual report to the United Nations Human Rights Council's March 2018 session where Zeid Ra'ad al-Hussein said:
"In India, I am increasingly disturbed by discrimination and violence directed at minorities, including Dalits and other scheduled castes, and religious minorities such as Muslims. In some cases, this injustice appears actively endorsed by local or religious officials. I am concerned that criticism of government policies is frequently met by claims that it constitutes sedition or a threat to national security. I am deeply concerned by efforts to limit critical voices through the cancellation or suspension of registration of thousands of NGOs, including groups advocating for human rights and even public health groups"

Conclusion:
These riots can get reduced if the religious groups and the political trauma of the governments get driven towards peace-making.

This will require leaving the safe zone of like-minded religious organizations and engaging more fulsomely with international agencies and the business community. People of these types of organizations should get more literate with the modern technologies not least social media, finding ways to promote optimistic values both on- and offline.

Written By: Shubhankar Mishra - Jagran Lake City University