Sometime ago I was really interested in reading and writing about suicide bombers. That's when I wrote this post. It is different from other articles you may have read about terrorists, because this looks at the mindset of a suicide bomber.. Share your views if you read it. Will appreciate it.
Mind of a Suicide Bomber..
From the mind of a suicide bomber, things are very much different than how we perceive them. To understand the state of his mind and motives, it is necessary to view things from his lens by putting ourselves in his shoes, his social life and culture.
One opinion held by many thinkers attributes a terrorist’s extreme behavior to the miseries, poverty and a lack of sense of belonging in his life. The feeling of a lack of identity automatically attracts an impoverished person towards groups that are willing to form close ties with him. Psychological evidence suggests that terrorists are usually ordinary young boys from unremarkable backgrounds who join the radical terrorist comrades in hope of finding an identity, social status and an opportunity for action after a lifetime of rejection and dissatisfaction. In such close-knit groups, they are not only given a sense of belonging but a sense of meaning, connectedness and affiliation which was previously lacking in their lives. These motivating factors subjugate them enough that they will willingly go to any length to abide by the group’s norms, even if the truth projected to them is false.
Take the example of a young gullible boy who is not only deprived of education, especially proper religious education but also lacks an exposure to the outside world, being stuck in some remote northern area of Pakistan for his entire life. With his youth at its prime and a desire for action, he would certainly become the most suitable tool for a suicide attack. When this young boy is taken out of his poverty-stricken home and shown around the big cities of Pakistan; the dazzling lights of advertisements, developed infrastructure and the westernized dressing of the other citizens will inexorably strike this young boy as secular. Suppose within his little comradeship, the prevailing indecency in our local media is used to manifest a blatant rejection of the Qur’anic teachings by the westernized citizens in our society, who are then termed as “Kafirs” in front of him. Moreover, verses from the Holy Qur’an are cited to him that ‘literally’ order the killing of infidels in return for Heaven. This mentally poisoned boy will inevitably jump at carrying out the “sacred task” in search of acquiring the reward of salvation in the life hereafter.
The stark contrast in these two extremes of living, despite being in the same country, is bound to frustrate the weak-minded youth with its injustice and reinforce the feeling of misery in him. In such a state, he is undoubtedly susceptible to being brainwashed at the hands of any opportunists that attempt to exploit this weakness for their interests. Another incentive used may be the funding for his family after his death. In such a traumatic mental state, he will be unhinged enough to want escape from this world and if that can benefit his family with a handsome cash, he will be more than willing to do it. Thus to him, these suicide attacks are justified and noble. His actions stem more from his loyalty to his own group, reward in the hereafter and the religious culture that he is told is threatened and requires protection, than any personal hatred towards us.
His emotional commitment to his cause and his comrades shows he is not psychologically deviant. Therefore I reckon that instead of simply antagonizing these groups, the state should arrange ways of educating these young boys of Pakistan living in such areas so that they are not easily picked by any terrorist group. The total neglect of the government towards the quality of life of these poor citizens and the insecurity in their area is only more conducive to the mission of the terrorist organizations. Pakistan is a dualistic state where the corrupted elite only focus on their own interests; the general public of Pakistan cannot be bothered for their lack of national character. Moreover, the growing propagation of secular ideologies in the capitalist media of today is creating an indifferent and shallow Pakistani youth that only seeks pleasure and leisure. Serious measures need to be taken to do away with their material deprivation in addition to at least a basic religious education from an authentic source. Moreover, being Muslims, every layman of Pakistan, irrespective of class or culture, should acquire a considerable knowledge about the real teachings of Qur’an, in its right context and learn about the life of the Holy Prophet (saw). This will not only help clear their doubts about their religion but also enable them to confront the global issue of “Islam being linked with terrorism”. A certain amount of communication maybe needed to acquaint these young boys with the innocent population of Pakistan that is usually targeted to create political upheaval.
The story of a young terrorist sent on a mission to Wah Cantt is great evidence that supports this argument. One of the three young terrorists, upon seeing the poor laborers of the factory realized he was falsely informed about his fellow citizens and gave up his mission. This is a tangible evidence of the fact that it is the socialization and the wrong information incorporated into their heads that arouses such an attitude in them. Instead of blowing up their innocent families to combat them, the state should not only cut down on the increasing indecency in our media and secularization in our society but also recruit and educate every individual of these areas. State’s attempt at conforming to religion will surely raise second thoughts in the minds of these young terrorists about the credibility of their exploiters.
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