A United States-based think tank has clubbed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh with al Qaeda and some other groups as examples of New Religious Movements.

"NRMs can be found in Hinduism (the 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."

The Rand study suggested that al Qaeda cannot be defeated by force, but only by reaching out to its roots in religion and promoting convergence of Christianity and Islam.