Mishandling suicide terrorism

Suicide Terrorism: Is Religion the Critical Factor?

“…In this regard, Scott Atran (2004) proposes that a thorough understanding of the root causes of suicide terrorism must also include the investigation of the structure of the terrorist organization, their propaganda techniques and ideological appeal, as well as the sources of societal direct or indirect support for terrorist groups. 1 Haydar (1997) also suggests that the growth of Islamic radicalism and terrorism are a by-product of the prevailing political and socioeconomic conditions in the Middle East, including the pervasiveness of authoritarianism, poverty, rising unemployment among the educated and the young, and the weakness of academic curricula and institutions.…”

“…Helping policymakers gain a better understanding of the phenomenon of suicide terrorism and its root causes will hopefully point them in the right direction in their efforts to remedy the illness of terrorism and to fi nd an effective solution to the problems it creates. In this context, Atran (2004) and Danner (2005) caution American policymakers and media that it is an oversimplifi cation to solely attribute the underlying causes of suicide bombing to the terrorist hatred of American freedoms, democratic institutions, and cultural values or to think that the terrorists are simply evil killers who are driven mainly by religious zeal and heavenly promises. In their view, the rise of Islamic radicalism and the growing popular resentment of the United States in the Middle East are in part a by-product of the pervasiveness of authoritarianism, the absence of civil liberties and freedoms, and American military presence in Saudi Arabia after the 1991 Gulf War as well as its continued support to the Middle Eastern repressive regimes.…”

“…In his study of the profi les of more than 50 suicide bombers, Merari (2004) concludes that suicide bombing ' s " neither an Islamic phenomenon nor a religious phenomenon: religion is just one more element in the persuasion, but it is neither necessary nor suffi cient. " Likewise, Scott Atran (2004) does not believe that Muslims who support suicide attacks automatically abhor democratic norms and freedoms and Western culture, although many of them detest American policy in the Middle East. He maintains that the failure of Middle Eastern governments to guarantee basic civil liberties and political rights for their citizens explains to a large degree their support for suicide terrorism.…”

Parochial Altruists or Ideologues? An Agent Based Model of Commitment to Self Sacrifice

“…Terrorist recruitment may be more "ideologically driven than grievance-driven" (Atran, 2004). The significance of ideological motivations is highlighted in Kruglanski et al (2009) analysis of seven farewell videos of suicide terrorists from MEMRI (Middle East Media Research Institute), which found that 5/6 of the terrorists mention religion, 4/6 reaching paradise, and only 2/6 name nationalism (liberation) as their main motivation.…”

Lebanese and Palestinian Perspectives on Suicide Bombings

“…While scholarly analysis is mostly focused either on the perpetrators of violence and the leadership of terrorist organizations or the social and political conditions that have allowed the phenomenon of suicide terrorism to take root in different countries (Atran 2004;Berrebi 2003;Krueger and Maleckova 2002;Merari 2000;Moghadam 2003;Pape 2003;Sprinzak 2000), there is little research dealing with public perception of these atrocious acts of self-sacrificial Stage 1 is pertinent and clearly exemplifies the significance of public attitudes towards suicide terrorism.…”