US study equates RSS with al-Qaeda

"NRMs (New Religious Movements) can be found in Hinduism -- the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or RSS, Israel (Gush Emunim), Christianity (the US-based Identity Movement) and Islam, including al-Qaeda, a global network with a transcendent vision that draws support in the defence of Islam," a new Rand study said.

"Sometimes referred to as cults, NRMs have two defining characteristics -- a high degree of tension between the group and its surrounding society and a high degree of control exercised by leaders over their members," the study said.

"While most are not violent, a few have engaged in ritualised acts of mass suicide and homicide. Notable examples include Heaven's Gate, the Branch Davidians and Aum Shinrikyo."