Page 154 - Age of Peace Goodword.indd

The Culture of Terrorism

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n previous ages, the culture of terrorism was not widespread
Iand weapons were produced in limited numbers, generally
only for monarchs who deployed them in battle. The terror
culture is a recent phenomenon: it has become prevalent only
since the major upswing in the armaments industry which has
turned weapons into readily available commodities.
A recent survey reveals that those who produce deadly
weapons for the purpose of killing people experience
deep frustration towards the end of their lives. All of them
question themselves as to why they engaged in an evil of such
proportions. However, they mostly die with this question
unanswered.
The Russian arms designer, Mikhail Kalashnikov (1919
– 2013) is a notable example of this. He was best known for
having developed the AK-47 assault rifle which was named
after him. The Kalashnikov, or AK-47, is one of the world’s
most familiar and widely used weapons. It is thought that more
than 100 million Kalashnikov rifles have been sold worldwide.

Six months before his death, Kalashnikov wrote a letter
expressing his anxiety to the leader of the Russian Orthodox
Church, Patriarch Kirill. It was published by the Russian daily
newspaper Izvestia in January 2014. In it, Kalashnikov stated
that he was suffering “unbearable spiritual pain” about whether
he was responsible for the deaths caused by the weapons he
created. ‘I keep having the same unsolved question: if my rifle
claimed people’s lives, then can it be that I… a Christian and
an Orthodox believer, was to blame for their deaths?’ he asked.

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