THE MOTIVATION BEHIND TERRORISM

RELIGIOUS MOTIVATIONS FOR SUICIDE BOMBING (SELF MARTYDOM)

A FOCUS ON ISLAMIC SUICIDE BOMBERS

Introduction - What is the problem?

Video Clip - Crossing Over - PLEASE CLICK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyYA7Idc63I

WARNING: This clip contains coarse language

Who is the suicide bomber?

Not mainly depressed or lonely individuals Are socially integrated, productive members of their

community Most are working-class and middle-class citizens Most suicide terrorists are walk-in volunteers who are

not long-time members of the terrorist organisation and, therefore, easy for intelligence services to track for years

Most suicide terrorists join the suicide terrorist group just a few months or even just a few weeks in order to do their very first act of violence - their own suicide terrorist attack (ABC, 2005)

Who is to blame?

Al-Qaeda – a terrorist network.

Islam – The religion of the terrorist network.

The term itself “Islam”, is an Arabic word meaning “submission to God”, with its etymological roots firmly planted in Arabic “salam”, or in English “peace” (Bell, January 2002, p 82).

Most of the 1.3 Billion Muslims disagree with Al-Qaeda regarding it’s religious view (Bell, January 2002, p 85).

Who inspired Al-Qaeda?

Dr Abdullah Azzam - founder of Al-Qaeda was inspired by Sayyid Qutb writings.

Osama Bin Laden - educated under Sayyid’s brother Muhammad Qutb.

Sayyid Qutb’s View of the West Egyptian philosopher: 1906 – 1966

Trip to America

Rejection of American culture - including individualism, sexual freedoms, materialism and child rearing responsibilities of women.

Modern world VS human nature

Nietzsche = Greek logic

Qutb = Christian and Jewish errors

View short film about Qutb:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XmPJhurB0k

Sayyid’s Qutb’s solution

Islamist – A political society based on ancient Koranic principles & sharia law.

Resist western invasion of culture and find an Islamic way.

Jihad – has different interpretations1. Internal struggle against impurity

2. Holy war against non believers

The impossibility of social change without the death of pure innocent souls ( the jihadist).

What is Jihad?

To struggle in the cause of God. (Loboda, 2004)

Two questions arise from this definition of jihad:

1. What does it mean to “struggle”? And

2. What is the cause of God? 

Why did Muslims in Mohammad's time commit Jihad?

The early Muslim communities were surrounded by tribes and armies who wished to destroy Islam.

Jihad was necessary and the last resort to protect the peoples’ right to their own culture and faith.

Qutb’s Interpretation of jihad

Jahiliyyah: Ignorance of divine guidance. One who “rebels against the sovereignty of God on

earth.” Muhammad was sent to save people from jahiliyyah by

calling for the recognition of one God and submission to Him.

Western civilisation has rejected Islam and refuses to accept the divine guidance provided through Muhammad.

Islam: The religion of the universe. Obedience to any man-made government = Jahiliyyah Due to the dominance of this evil (Jahili), Qutb believes

that Islam must dismantle the West. THE WAY: That every true Muslim must be a willing

martyr to the victory of Islam.

What does martydom offer?

A promise of an eternal heavenly paradise.

Fear of going to Hell (Pit of Fire) for not serving God to the fullest extent.

Glorious death (that through death he triumphs and realises his hope in God)

Ultimate expression of their submission to Allah and Allah’s cause.

Are suicide bombers only Muslim?

Robert Pape’s book Dying to Win investigated 315 suicide attacks from 1980 to 2003.

Tamil Tigers: Hindu extremists, said to have invented the suicide jacket.

Hezbollah's campaign: only eight of 38 suicide terrorists he studied were Islamic fundamentalists. Most were from leftist political groups and three were Christian.

Japanese Kamikaze: used suicide bombing as a way of winning the war against the US in 1945.

Christian Crusaders: first suicide bombers.

What part does the media play?

The propaganda machine is sophisticated and Al Qaida itself says that 50% of its war is conducted through the media. In Iraq, attacks are regularly videoed and the footage downloaded onto the Internet within 30 minutes

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/

output/the-international-

terrorist-threat-to-the-uk-1

.html

Media is used to promote fear,

which gives terrorists more publicity

Conclusion

Most Muslims are not Islamic terrorists. Rather, most Muslims are against the actions taken by these groups.

The religious motivations are varied. Personally Spiritually Politically Intellectually Emotionally

Overcoming the modern day terrorist.

Sources

ABC. (2005). US 'misread motivation' of suicide bombers. 7.30 Report. http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2005/s1418817.htm . Accessed August 5 2010.

Ali, Y. (2010). Are Jehad & Terrorism synonymous?. http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=41519. Accessed August 5 2010.

Bell, D. (January 2002). The World of Islam. National Geography. Australia

Berman, P. (October 11 2003). The Terrorists Philosopher. Good Weekend. Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney.

CBC News Online. (September 11, 2007). http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/sep11/ . Accessed August 5 2010.

Dial, N. (2010) Terrorism: Media and fundinghttp://circlethewagons.net/category/get-dialed-in-with-nick-dial/ . Accessed August 5 2010.

Sources

Laboda, L. (2004). The thought of Sayyid Qutb. http://www.ashbrook.org/publicat/thesis/loboda/home.html.

McGregor, A. (May 5 2005). Al-Qaeda's Egyptian Prophet: Sayyid Qutb and the War On Jahiliya. The Jamestown Foundation. http://www.jamestown.org/single/?no_cache=1&tx_ttnews[tt_news]=449. Accessed August 5 2010.

Pape, R. (2005). Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism. Random House. New York.

WRF Publishing. (2010). Islamic Culture, Traditions and Terminology. http://www.majorreligionsoftheworld.com/islamic_culture_and_terminology_pg2.php . Accessed August 5 2010.