Renowned Political Scientist Robert Pape of Chicago University, in his book “Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism“ has done analysis of suicide terrorism from a strategic, social, and psychological point of view. His is the first complete analysis of suicide based on data from 315 suicide terrorism campaigns around the world from 1980 and 462 individual suicide terrorists. The data show that there is little connection between suicide terrorism and Islamic fundamentalism, or any one of the world’s religions. Rather, what nearly all suicide terrorist attacks have in common is a specific secular and strategic goal: to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from territory that the terrorists consider to be their homeland” It is important that Americans understand this growing phenomenon. Patterns of timings, nationalist goals and the targeting of democracies reveal its logical, not irrational, nature. The targets selected by suicide terrorists suggest nationalist, not religious, aims. While describing about the profile of suicide bombers, he says “In general, suicide attackers are rarely socially isolated, clinically insane, or economically destitute individuals, but are most often educated, socially integrated, and highly capable people who could be expected to have a good future”. He establishes 462 individuals in his “universe” of suicide terrorists available for analytical purposes in the period 1982-1986 were 71% Communists/Socialists, 21% Islamists, 8% Christians. He also mentioned in his book that the notion that Islamic fundamentalism is bent on world domination is “pure fantasy.” Islam on Suicide Missions Islam clearly prohibits both suicide and killing of innocents. O ye who believe!... [do not] kill yourselves, for truly Allah has been to you Most Merciful. If any do that in rancour and injustice, soon shall We cast him into the Fire... (Quran 4:29-30). And fight in the way of God against those who fight you. But do not transgress the limits. Truly God does not love transgressors. (Surah 2:190) “And do not spread discord on the (face of the) earth”(Surah alBaqarah V. 60) The Quran clearly states that the killing of (even) one innocent person is equivalent to massacre of all humankind because it is like opening the floodgates that creates a situation beyond anyone’s control; while saving one life is equivalent to the rescue of all humankind. Prophet Mohammad (PUBH) has said that Allah takes mercy upon those who take mercy upon fellow human beings. You treat the inhabitants of earth with compassion and the inhabitant of Heaven (Allah) shall show compassion towards you (Tirmizi, Abu Dawood). Hazrat Abu Bakr, the first leader of Islam after Prophet Muhammad, gave these commandments prior to dispatching army to Syria in battle against Roman Empire. This also established the conduct of war for later Muslim generations: Stop, O people, that I may give you ten rules to keep by heart: Do not commit treachery, nor depart from the right path. You must not mutilate, neither kill a child or aged man or woman. Do not destroy a palm tree, nor burn it with fire and do not cut any fruitful tree. You must not slay any of the flock or herds or the camels, save for your subsistence. You are likely to pass by people who have devoted their lives to monastic services; leave them to that to which they have devoted their lives. You are likely, likewise, to find people who will present to you meals of many kinds. You may eat; but do no forget to mention the name of God.
Posted on: Fri, 24 Jan 2014 04:00:44 +0000
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