We all know the deadly toll terrorism
takes. Every Israeli, in one way or another, is exposed to it –
many of us have lost friends and family in attacks, many of us
have been injured in attacks, and many of us live in fear of
terror attacks.
One thing we're all less familiar with, however, are the people
who are committing such murderous acts against us. What is the
profile of a suicide bomber? What makes him give his life just
to take the lives of innocent people. And what is his reward? We
ask these questions, not to humanize the bomber, but to
understand our enemy.
Israel's security forces have come to define suicide bombings as
"every terror attack or attempted attack in which the terrorist
reaches his destination with weapons or explosives for the
purpose of giving his life in the attack." In these cases, the
terrorist is aware that he has no chance of staying alive.
Kids being raised for suicide bombings
The majority of terrorists committing
these types of attacks come from modern radical Islamic groups.
They refer to the death of the suicide bomber as "astashad"
– the death of a holy one – man or woman – in the name of Allah.
The act of suicide bombing is called "Amaliya Astashadiya"
– an act of self-sacrifice. And the "battlefields" on which
these "warriors" fight are Israeli population centers – soft
targets such as malls, restaurants, markets, and buses; any
public place that is crowded.
It should be noted that "Amaliya
Astashadiya" is a modern term not found in any classic
Islamic literature. It's a term common today in Palestinian
society and the wider Arab world. The suicide bomber enjoys
prestige and respect that comes from the courage he's showing by
undertaking a mission of certain death.
This modern aspect gives terrorism
Islamic (religious) legitimacy. The shahid according to
classical Islam receives many rewards. He wins eternal life and
is saved from judgment day. He is granted mercy for all his sins
and can recommend 70 of his relatives to join him in heaven. The
greatest reward, however, is the promise of "72 black-eyed
virgins." In keeping with this promise, Palestinian posters
proclaiming the heroism of the terrorist after his attack, refer
to the suicide bombing as a wedding. The terrorist is portrayed
as a groom walking to his wedding with songs and dancing…..on
his way, of course, to join 72 virgins.
For female suicide bombers the reward is slightly different.
They are granted the honor of marrying a shahid in
heaven.
While those benefits are granted automatically, the moment the
terrorist decides to go out to the "battlefield" and board an
Israeli bus, other organizations make sure to give material
benefits to the terrorist and his family – namely, bank checks.
These financial rewards serve as a tool to increase the
motivation of terrorists and aid in recruiting more suicide
bombers.
Saddam Hussein, when he still ruled Iraq,
was one of the strongest supporters of suicide bombing. In the
beginning of the Intifadah (October 2000), he awarded $15,000 to
the family of each bomber. As the Intifadah continued that
amount grew to $25,000 and even more, depending on the case. In
addition, terrorists received certificates thanking them for
their sacrifice.
In the beginning of the Intifadah the majority of suicide
bombers were educated people with good families, who gave their
lives out of ideology. The women, on the other hand, were mostly
social outcasts. They had stains on their honor they hoped to
wash clean by murdering Israelis.
After more than five years of terrorism, today most suicide
bombers are young people from poor families. Many are teenagers;
few older than 35. They are attracted to the financial rewards,
glory, and heavenly promises made to shahids.
The subject of suicide terrorism is very complicated and
complex. Consider this interesting fact: among all of the
suicide bombers of the Second Intifadah, not one has been a
Christian Arab. This begs the question, is suicide bombing a
national or religious phenomenon? Is this a struggle for
self-determination or jihad?
From another angle, we might see this as the classic question of
the chicken and the egg. Which came first, the terrorist or the
reward?
One thing we can be sure of, however, is that whoever commits
such heinous acts of terrorism takes the life of innocent people
in cold blood, and cannot be called a hero or a warrior. As long
as there is a G-d in the Heavens we can be sure that suicide
bombers are not the ones seated around him.
By Reut Davidson
