Quote Originally Posted by Rob Thornton View Post
That is a great place to start. I think I can at least accept the Jihadist who comes to fight witht he intention of participating as an insurgent, freedom fighter, holy warrior or guerilla (all distinct enough to mention) because he has the intent of remaining alive even though his convictions allow him to face death.

The one I don't understand is the suicide martyr. Do they see it as suicide? How do they view their act? What is the conviction that allows them to prepare for the event (Mentally, Physically, Spiritually)? What is the attraction (maybe a poor choice of words)? This is not facing death, it is accepting death (or is it?).

It seems to me that if a village (or another geographically distant) location outside of Iraq can produce people who are willing to destroy themselves then it is important to understand why. It is their "will" to do so which interests me.
Thanks, Rob
It is not suicide. It’s sacrifice in the name of God and greater good having no other weapon except one’s own life, against powerful enemy with better weapons or bigger numbers… There is no fear of wining or loosing since either win (on the battlefield) over the enemy or being killed in that holly struggle is – win.

It is deep religious feeling and motivation, either from childhood or “newcomers” (converts) who are sometimes even more zealots trying to prove that they can be good Muslims like they brethren who was born in Islam… That’s reason why you see high number of converts doing martyrdom seeking operations…

Attraction are not virgins they are promised (like many westerners like to mock them) but promise of Paradise, of doing something great for Islam and they people (since not everyone can be martyr) and promise that to they souls would be forgiven any transgressions they did (and they families)…

They are not thinking in ways of “facing the death” or “accepting the death”, since they essentially not dieing… For them, being not Muslim is being dead.