Have you ever read or watched much about the Chinese cultural revolution? They did pretty much the same thing without any need to justify it by religion - in fact the strength of their belief that religion was to blame for many of the (very real) ills they had faced in the past led to it's own despotic acts of violence.Religion says that no matter who you are if you believe these things and do these things then you are part of the "us" and hold out the promise that one day you will have a perfect life.
If you look closely at where these acts take place they cluster around already existent subjugation, poverty, powerlessness, poor education, low life expectancy, and being under attack. Of course there are exceptions, but then a certain level of crime exists the world over but create the context outlined above and religious zeal thrives. Look at Palestine and the number of suicide bombings there, it's too easy to say this is caused by their religion and not take into account the fight over land and resources - not to mention the relative powerlessness of one of the sides involved. I'm not denying that there exist suicide bombers that actually have an otherwise comparatively easy life, like the London bombers - but where life is easier there are less and crime exists even in the easiest of lives so I would expect some extremes just because some folk are bonkers (not to mention we were engaged in a war at the time and had killed 10000's that they considered 'their people')!Add in a religious leader or a leader using religion who tells people that committing certain acts, which would be considered crimes or atrocities under any other circumstances, will please a certain deity, and you have the makings of a horrific event. Religion makes it easier for humans to justify actions such as war, rape, murder, genocide, clinic bombings, denying medical treatment, treating women and children as possessions, and a whole list of other things. So yes, religion can really be blamed.
Regarding social inequality such as the way women and children are treated, the acts are appalling and NOTHING should remove the culpability of those committing the acts, if the focus of blame shifts from societies and individual supporting suppression to 'religion' how does that help ensure we continue to hold the doers to account? Additionally, states that have rejected religion such as China 40 yrs ago still contain social horrors (abandoning/infanticide of baby girls). Poverty, suppression, desperation, lack of education, all seem more reliable as markers of what causes these traits in people than religion.
