THE PRIZE OF DEATH
Understanding the Phenomenon of ‘Suicide Attacks’ or ‘Martyrdom Operations’ in Modern Radical Islam
Keywords:
Islam, Islamism, Jihad, Martyrdom, Radical, Suicide, Suicide BombingAbstract
The increasingly prevalent phenomenon of suicide attacks by radical Islamists in Europe and elsewhere has led to confusion and uncertainty among the non-Muslim and Muslim population regarding the cause and legitimacy of such actions within Islam. While the practice is condemned by Muslims and others, many are left perplexed as to the root cause of the practice and why it seems to be more common in Islam than in other religions. The aims of this article are to try and understand the genesis and development of the phenomenon, and to elucidate the arguments in support of suicide attacks. In order to do so there will be a diachronic study of Islamic martyrologies from the time of the life of Muhammed and more modern conceptions. There will also be an examination of the manner in which theologies of Jihad inform attitudes to martyrdom. In an era of increased religious polarisation a greater understanding of the factors influencing both ourselves and the religious other are of increasing importance.
References
John Bowker, The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997.
Samir-Khalil Samir, The Centrality of Martyrdom in Contemporary Islam, http://www.oasiscenter.eu/articles/interreligious-dialogue/2008/05/01/thecentrality-of-martyrdom-in-contemporary-islam [accessed May 25, 2017].
David Cook, Martyrdom in Islam, Themes in Islamic History, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Paul Middleton, Martyrdom: A Guide for the Perplexed, Guides for the Perplexed, London: Clark, 2011.
Muhammad Ibn Ismā'īl Al-Buhārī, The Translation of the Meanings of Sahih AlBukhari, 4th Rev. ed., Chicago: Kazi, 1979.
Reuven Firestone, Martyrdom in Islam in Rona M Fields, eds. Martyrdom: The Psychology, Theology, and Theology of Self-sacrifice, Contemporary Psychology Westport: Praeger, 2004.
Reuven Firestone, Jihād: The Origin of Holy War in Islam, New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Asma Afsaruddin, Striving in the Path of God: Jihad and Martyrdom in Islamic Thought, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013.
Sayyid Abū Al- Aʿlā Mawdūdī, Jihad in Islam, Beirut: Holy Koran Publishing House, 1980.
Sayyid Qutb, Milestones, Birmingham: Maktabah Booksellers and Publishers, 2006.
Afsaruddin, Striving, 213; David Cook, “Suicide Attacks or ‘Martyrdom Operations’ in Contemporary Jihad Literature,” Nova Religio: The Journal of Alternative and Emergent Religions 6, 1 (2002).
Abdallah ‘Azzam, Martyrs: The Building Blocks of Nations, at http://english.religion.info/2002/02/01/document-martyrs-the-building-blocks-ofnations/ [accessed May 25, 2017].
Cindy Ness, “The Rise in Female Violence,” Daedalus 136, 1 (2007).
