They claim martyrdom, but....
I'd have to agree more with Bill on this one. Such an emphasis is put on the 72 virgins and rewards in paradise, that it seems to be the cause, not the result of blowing up ones self.
After they blow themselves to tiny bits, everyone who knew them before they did it talks about the bomber as a martyr and they even show the video the man (or recently woman) made beforehand. (As an aside, what do the women get for blowing themselves up? Chippendales?) But, all post-bombing discussions return to the emphasis on rewards in paradise.
The anger (in their case, at the west) and tight knit community were already in place for those associating themselves with Jihadists groups. So, suicide bombings wouldn't create them. I wouldn't call the act martyrdom then, as described by aktarian.
Added to that, the fact they take so many innocents out with them, shows the regard for themselves only. If such an egregious disregard for innocents weren't shown, as in the case of a Kamikazee pilot, maybe I'd see it more as an act of courage or martyrdom than cowardice.
When the Jihadists kill all the innocent women and children during a suicide attack do they still qualify for paradise or does that send them to hell, since murder is punishable by death under Islam?
On the original topic of drug use, wasn't there a report of autopsies on corpses revealing the presence of drugs or was that an urban legend? Also, as I recall, our gate guards were always on the lookout for anyone "whacked out on drugs." Probably would have been too late by then, but.....
Martyrdom or murder for personal gain?
Quote:
Originally Posted by aktarian
With an act of martyrdom martyr ties his community together and focuses their anger on enemy.
So when looking at islamic suicide bombers one should comapre them with Japanese kamikaze (sacrifice for higher goal) rather than person who puts a bulet through their heads because they lost all money in stock market or because they can't cope with life anymore.
All this falls under cathegory of "altruistic suicide" with which one's death benefits community. Themopylae are another such eample.
Aktarian, I'll meet you in the middle. While having lost friends to martyr bombers, I can still accept altruistic suicide when the targets are military or other "appropriate targets". One could argue that from the enemy's perspective that the WTC was a strategic target, and the police stations in Iraq are an operational/strategic target, bombings directed again coalition forces are tactical through strategic; however, the wave of marytrdom suicide bombings directed against innocent Iraqis (and now Jordanians) that are random in nature are even rejected by Al Qaeda's leadership. Terrorism is indirect attacks against the enemy, it's public theater to influence, I got all that, but what is happening in Iraq has crossed the line. How altruistic is it to sacrifice yourself to murder shoppers and school children in mass, especially when they are your own people?
Isn't this possibly an example of what you mentioned above, "People who went into battle for wrong reasons (money, showing off....) are "marytyrs only on this world" (shahada ad dunya)." This appears to me to be internal struggle between leadership within the Islamist movement, and many actions are simply actions to attract attention and attact those who lust for blood instead of those motivated by a cause. It appears to be more about personal status and ego if you read between the lines.