Psychopathology of Suicide Bombers

"While nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer, nothing is more difficult than to understand him." - Fyodor Dostoevsky

Suicide bombing---‘a deliberate attack on a military or civilian target for political, military, religious or other reasons, in which an attacker intends to kill others, and knows that they will either certainly or most likely die in the process’-(Wikepedia: Suicide Attack 2007), one of the scourges of modern times, has been on the rise as we step in to 21^st century, plaguing nations, countries and people across the globe. Like there is no single universally accepted definition of terrorism, it is also hard to give a universally accepted definition of suicide bombers as there are many political, cultural, religious perspectives---and as the popular cliché goes ‘one man’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter’. (Sawyer, D. ABC News Network. 2004)

Israel, Palestine, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan, Afghanistan, India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Somalia, United states, United Kingdom, Spain, Russia, Chechnya and the list go on, all have suffered heavily, and threats of future suicide attacks does not seem abating. Deadly as it was throughout the annals, alarmingly the ferocity, fatality, and frequency all have increased manifold in recent decades.

Historically, suicidal destruction of a Philistine temple (as recounted in the Book of Judges), the legendary Swiss hero Arnold von Winkelried, Hashshashins or Assassins (also known as Ismailis-Nazarins) from 1067-1275 CE (Lewis, B 1987), Muslim communities struggle against European colonization on the coasts of Malabar, Sumatra and Philippines, the Irgun Zvai Le'umi (the National Military Organization), known in Hebrew by its acronym Etzel, and in English as the Irgun or IZL and the Haganah, and the Kamikaze Japanese pilots of the Second World War, amongst many, are all examples when people took others’ lives by giving theirs for professed national, political, religious or any other ‘Cause’. In post-World War II era, the suicide bombing has been carried out by secular (Sri Lanka’s Tamil Tigers LTTE), political and religious groups (Turkish Kurdish workers Part PKK, Irish Republic Army IRA (terrorist bombings), Palestine Liberation Army-PLO, Al Fatah affiliated Al Aqsa Martyr Brigade, Islamic Jihad, Hamas and lately Al Qaeda etc.

A universal phenomenon, most recently suicide bombing has been attributed more to certain extremist fundamentalist Islamic groups. While terrorism by suicide bombers is the byproduct of ongoing military conflicts between various groups, nations, countries and regions i.e., Palestine, Israel, Iraq, Chechnya, Sri Lanka etc., this phenomenon has also started to develop in certain rather quiescent countries or those at the brink of a conflict like Pakistan.

The words Jihad and Mujahid (From Arabic Jihad ‘to strive or to struggle’ and Mujahid who practices Jihad) are used by the Islamic terrorist organizations and they believe their acts are a holy war against the enemy of their religion, Islam. The concept of martyrdom and life after death is central to Jihad and a higher life in heaven after death is the ultimate goal. These Islamist organizations have an ideology of a ‘Cause’ and endeavour to achieve that cause by any means political, social or military if needed. The Martyrdom Operations and the consequent deaths of civilians while forbidden otherwise, is considered to be justified, placing the emphasis on the cause rather the means of this ‘holy war’ (Malka, H. 2003).

Following variety of jingoistic rants and rationales; ever since late 1970’s Pakistan has become the fore front of a great game played by the then two superpowers, USA and USSR, and the theatre chosen was, Afghanistan, a country northwest of Pakistan. A calculated, deliberate and considered campaign of militarizing the Muslim youth from all over the world was orchestrated by America and the West, spearheaded by Pakistan, to score a lethal blow to the USSR, ending in its withdrawal from Afghanistan. The religious extremism was allowed to thrive in the Muslim world and military, political, financial and other supports were made available for Islamic organizations. During that period, amongst else, about 4 million Islamic militant books were sent by the USA as a vital aid in turning the Islamic fervour to fight communism (Stephens, J and Ottaway.D.B Washington Post, 23 March 2002).

What was not thought of was the result of years of assembling Muslim youth in the name of a particular brand of Islam to organize long guerilla warfare against the communist USSR. This long and arduous operation not only changed the political landscape but also the very psyche of the Muslims. Mere pawns in this game, the Muslim youth was recruited for and from special religious schools called Madrassas (religious schools) in Pakistan and other countries. These religious schools flourished and were strengthened especially in the Northwest region of Pakistan to prepare a crop of religious students to fight the holy war. The USSR ‘defeat’ and withdrawal of her troops from Afghanistan witnessed years of civil war between and amongst rivals, once co warrior, factions leading ultimate to the emergence of ‘Taliban’ (meaning religious students) as a force to reckon and they were the ultimate victor to the throne of Kabul, Afghanistan. The USSR eventually was defeated but the cauldron of religious zeal and triumph, fundamentalism and fanaticism boiled into frank extremism in the Muslim world in general, and in Afghanistan and Pakistan in particular. Intolerance abounded and a culture to solve each and every problem by force and destruction was cultivated. Decades of warfare brought religious orthodoxy, dictatorship, poverty and economic free fall, the casualties amongst others were Afghanistan and Pakistan, in that order of severity.

Six-foot-seven inch Osama Bin Laden-with his al-Qaeda and Salafi (from Salaf, “ancient ones” or “predecessors” in Arabic) brand of Jihad enters the scene around 1990’s; once a necessary ally of CIA & USA and a terrorist in gestation, he is now considered the full blown and most wanted terrorist who is out there waging a holy war against America and the West. The new battle lines are drawn; friends of yesteryears suddenly metamorphose into enemies of today. Pakistan supporting Jihadi groups and Taliban in the past is a formidable enemy of today standing with and helping the even bigger enemy, the USA. Amongst many tactics used by Al Qaeda in this war, suicide bombing has become its preferred weapons for its  deadliness, difficulty in pre-empting and being inexpensive. In this form of war, Al Qaeda seems to have no shortage of human fodder. Suicide bombing has been a tactic which has a great impact on the psyche of the individuals and the society. It causes terror and havoc, slows economic and social reforms, and hampers democracy breeding hatred and deep-seated animosity. But above all it also gathers its momentum especially of sympathizers amongst the economically distraught and the oppressed ones. Successful suicide attacks augur well in recruiting more suicide bombers in a misplaced religious lore and lure of gaining Shahadat and ‘fame’ respectively.

Pakistan is a country of 165 million people, of whom approximately 97% are Muslims. Pakistan the literal meaning of which is ‘the land of pure people’, ironically, is increasingly gaining the notoriety of having become a safe haven for terrorists, a nursery for new recruits and a font of an ever-growing army of suicide bombers.  Unheard before 2001, despite series of terrorist bomb attacks during General Zia’s dictatorship in 1980’s, suicide attacks were not the weaponry generally used by the then dissenting political, religious or terrorist organizations.

Questions are omnipresent; why do people become suicide bombers? Are these people ‘mentally deranged’ or do they have some mental vulnerability which is exposed and triggered at some point? Are there any psychopathological clues or even more any neurobiological markers? Do certain personality characteristics are more prone to such acts? Does it run in the families?

Scientists believe that the brain chemistry of infatuation is akin to mental illness. A paradoxical analogy-Dr. Helen Fisher finds using neuron-imaging techniques that certain areas of brain, Cortex, Ventral Tegmental Area VTA and Caudate, become activated while thinking about the loved ones. Caudate is also associated with the reward mechanism, addiction, elation and goal driven behavior and Dopamine serves as one of the neurotransmitters.( Dr. Fisher, H 1994). But then Caudate is also associated with aggression. Matthew J. Hoptman et al in their research paper on ‘Aggression and Quantitative MRI Measures of Caudate in Patients with Chronic Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder’, find larger caudate volume in patients with Chronic Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective disorder (Matthew. J et al 2006). No such study has been done on normal people yet. Is it also possible that suicide bombing behavior could be associated with basal ganglia and other brain structures and could be traced and imaged? Long term exposure to trauma, shame and insult are also thought to cause increased levels of Cortisol in the body, amongst other causing PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and depressive symptoms. If the exposure is long enough it can cause altered level of Catecholamines and CRF, stress hormones, that interfere with thought process, making some people irritable, angry, impulsive and violent. Do suicide bombers go through some earlier trauma? Yes, it is documented that they do in some cases when they feel they or their kin have been shamed, insulted and dishonoured, physically and psychologically. Whether such exposure and alteration in inner stress hormones levels work in triggering the suicide bombing behavior in some people; it is yet to be investigated.

Contrary to general belief that suicide bombers are mentally deranged and are just crazy killers, it now appears that they are reasonably intelligent people, adept at calculated planning, intricate organization and capable of total control of their behaviors until the time of the attack. Psychiatrists, psychologists and sociologists do not believe that the suicide bombers have any illness per se that explains their suicide bombing behavior. The available multi-disciplinary analyses show several factors underlying terrorism, such as economic, political, religious, sociological and possibly at all psychological. Intriguingly, the question coming up in the analysis of terrorism does neither regard the psychological profile of the terrorist nor the paranoid mental dynamics of terrorist groups. Rather they touch upon the sociopolitical dynamics favouring the phenomenon, the political impact of the terrorist’s action and its role in a particular conflict. It is suggested that the phenomenon of terrorism can neither be understood nor explained by psychological or behavioral determinants (Meneguz Psicoterrapiae Scienze Umane 2005 2).

Marc Sagemen, a former CIA case officer and now a practicing forensic psychiatrist concludes from his perhaps the first evidence-based research on terrorists (following 9/11 trial and terrorist leaks) that he was looking for any characteristics common to these men. But only four of the 400 men had any hint of a disorder [mental]. This is below the worldwide base rate for thought disorders. So, they are as healthy as the general population. He further says he didn’t find many personality disorders, which makes sense in that people who are antisocial usually don’t cooperate well enough with others to join groups. Sagemen, M 2004.

Psychological analysis of suicide bomb attacks is necessary to face the present day threats connected to religious pretexts. The personality of these suicide bombers cannot be compared to suicidal pathology. It is preferable that the link be made with sects; it is wiser to compare their behaviour with that of an adolescent in search of his identity. Paradoxically this behaviour corresponds to the rite of passage from adolescents into an idealized adult by a quasi-romantic vision of their place and position in the society to which they want to belong. (Gatherias, F. Revue Francophone Du Stress et du Trauma 2006). It is hard to generalize this hypothesis since several suicide bombers are from stable family backgrounds, are from working class, intelligent and professional, are productive member of the society and have not shown any distress or other psychopathology before these attacks (Sagemen, M 2004).

Freud noted in Civilization and Its Discontents that the "greatest threat to civilization" was "the constitutional inclination of human beings to be aggressive towards one another". He continues (using his psychodynamic constructs) that most of us traditionally internalize our sense of aggression against ourselves by using our superego to hold the ego in check. While we all struggle with many forms of aggression, including anger at ourselves and amongst ourselves, few of us are ever likely to become violent. Mild bickering (and other tempests in tea pots) is the usual expressions of our anger. However, we all learn hatred even if we never externalize it outwardly. (Freud, S, 1929). Does the suicide bombers behaviour reflect inner psychic conflicts and innate aggressions contained in every individual, waiting to unleash as the time ripens? Suicide bombing is extreme aggression, a form of Id energy that is unleashed when there is a conflict between superego and Id, and ego is unable to broker peace between the two as is its customary role-Thanaots taking over Eros. The ego of the suicide bomber is both hurt by the individual factors and inflated by the skillful work of the organizational structure, peer pressure of the group, and perhaps the terror organizations nominating the person in advance and thus leaving no room for retreat for him/her as personal honour and integrity are at stake.

Sociologically, data shows that suicide bombers are more likely to be unmarried, unemployed, and mostly from poor background. They may or may not be very religious but towards the end of their lives, there are reports they turn towards religion. According to Ganor, the suicide terrorists are typically aged 18-27, unmarried, relatively uneducated, and highly susceptible to suggestions (Ganor, B 2001). Other reports suggest they are also from relatively socially disadvantaged classes.  The anomaly in this model is the 9/11 attackers, Mohammed Atta and his accomplices, most were around their 30’s, been highly educated and were from financially sound backgrounds. Of late, middle aged, married with children, and female suicide bombers (in Palestine and Chechnya) contradict this hypothesis.

The military experts and strategist believe that three important components are usually required to create a milieu suitably conducive to suicide bombings.

1. Individual motivation
2. A Cause (religious, political or other)
3. An organization structure

Amongst many factors contributing to individual motivation, sense of humiliation or of injustice serves as a powerful emotion that leads people to become suicide bombers (The New York Times International 2002). Muslims all over the world generally feel that the West with its vanguard America is bent upon destroying Islam and the Muslims (Chomsky, N 2003). Muslims believe that America is favoring Israel to unleash its terror on Palestinians and is doing everything possible to stop any condemnation of Israeli acts. William Blum lists 150 incidences, between 1984 to 1887, when the US cast the solitary ‘No’ vote against General Assembly resolutions (resolutions condemning Israel). William Blum, Rogue State (London: Zed Books 2001, 2001, pp. 185-97) But then there is a historic background to it as well.

In last five centuries the Muslim countries slowly lost struggle of survival against the European powers. On the spur of famous European Miracle from fifteenth century onward, European powers benefited greatly from, amongst many, the economic lasses-faire, better tax and credit systems, industrial revolution and steam engine power, intellectual liberty, political and military pluralism, organization in civil and military ranks and civic society and advent of gunpowder etc. In the year 1800, Europeans occupied or controlled 35 per cent of the land surface of the world; by1878 this figure had risen to 67 per cent and by 1914 over 84 percent (Kennedy, P. 1995). This advancement was at the cost and eclipse of non-European powers, mostly Islamic. By 1919, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iran and Hejaz (current Saudi Arabia) remained the only four non slave non occupied independent Muslim countries. On economic front, once producing 24.5 per cent of the world manufacturing output in 1750 to 23.2 that of Europe as a whole, India (then a great Muslim power) declined to 1.7 per cent in 1900 (Bairoch, P. 1993)

As 20^th century heralded as a time of global decolonization, it marshaled in a period of social and political unrest for most Muslim countries, marred by dictatorship and monarchies, civil uproar and civil wars, corruption and bad governance and political intolerance and religious extremism. Following the Balfour Declaration of 1926, the division of Palestine and creation of Israel in 1948 started an ongoing war in Palestine, in which, most Muslim think the West is siding with the occupying forces, Israel in this case. The Palestinian issue started a wave of pan Islamism and Jihad amongst the Muslims all over the world and especially amongst Arab and Palestinians. A war, echo of which, reverberated in the bowels of Europe as well. The next big Jihad wave came during the Afghan War against the USSR 1979-1989 when ‘Holy Warriors or Mujahideens’ were presented as hero in the western media (coming on front pages of Time and Newsweek) and were romanticized as stalwart against communism. From Morocco to Somalia, from Turkey to Indonesia, and from UK to Chechnya a giant wave of extremism was created, Jihad became the way of life and Shahadat (Martyrdom) the ultimate goal.

The very concept of Shahadat (Martyrdom) plays a central role motivating people join terror organisations. In almost all religions and cultures, martyrdom is a cherished and romanced idea and is very much encouraged to great extent to defend territory, country or faith, especially when there is disparity of military strengths between the warring factions. The news of a successful suicide operation and the subsequent eulogizing of the bravery of suicide bombers in the Islamic circles perpetuate the legend, exciting more to join such extreme organisations. Martyrdom and Jihad play central role for Muslims who feel that the West and USA have been unfair to them. The geopolitical dimensions of War on Terror and the subsequent escalation in the state powers (abolition of Haebus Corpus, the heart and soul of Western democracy in the USA) and in other countries have mostly been used against Muslims. Well known Hollywood movies, The Siege, Delta Force and The Harem where Muslims were associated with terrorism perpetuate the hatred and bias towards Islam and the same movies are discussed and referred by the Islamic extremist forces as a proof of West’s hatred to their religion and them.  After 9/11 Ann Coulter, contributing editor to National Review, writes under the headline ‘This is War’: We should invade their countries, kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity. We carpet bombed German cities, killed civilians. That’s war. And this is war. (Davies, M.W. and Sardar, Z. 2003). In ‘Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order’, Samuel P. Huntington claims that the future conflicts between and amongst nations will be on cultural and religious differences. (Huntington, S.P 1996). Andrew Wheatcroft in ‘Infidel’ sates that events like the storming of Jerusalem 1099, the capture of Constantinople in 1453, the obliteration of Twin tower in 2001 have visible consequences (Wheatcroft, A 2004). Since the Iran-Iraq war of the 80’s and early 90’s, Islam has been demonized as a satanic terrorist cult that encourages suicide attacks-contrary, it should be noted, to the Islamic religion (Gore, V 2002). UK poles suggest that a sizeable number of Muslims believe that the current ‘War on Terror’ is being used as a mean to attack Islam.  The Prime Minister Gordon Brown has recently banned his ministers from using the word “Muslim” in connection with the terrorism crisis. The Prime Minister has also instructed his team – including new Home Secretary Jacqui Smith – that the phrase “war on terror” is to be dropped. There has been historic conflict between Islam and Christianity, spanning centuries, of warfare in the name of religion-, , Crescent versus Cross, Infidel versus Kafir, Crusades versus Jihad and any fresh notion of conflict  between two religions simply rips the scab off the old wound, bleeding hate and violence again. Every action has its reaction, and every mirror has its mirror image. In the Islamic world, the right-wing hawks use these hyperbole and inflammatory statements, emanating from the West to their own ends, and mirror imaging does the West. Artfully woven tapestry of hate lore creates a psyche that is difficult to negate or to argue with.

Also, in the Muslim world there are additional factors contributing to hate spiral i.e., shame and insult of having been invaded/defeated by ‘infidel armies’, humiliation of centuries of enslavement and poverty, illiteracy and economical inferiority, religious extremism and dictatorships etc. These factors provide a perfect medium where extreme sentiments thrive and interaction with the ‘Cause’ and the ‘Organization” completes the unholy triumvirate.

Pakistan is one example where all the factors mentioned above have and are continually contributing to escalation of suicide bomb attacks in what now looks like a mutiny in the Northwest region of Pakistan, the traditional stronghold of Islamists and the very den of Taliban. There were no suicide attacks in Pakistan before 9/11 and the subsequent invasion of Afghanistan. But in last few years these attacks have increased both in frequency as well as the deadliness; killing recently over 150 people in an attack, and over 30 including a former prime minister, in another. It is reported that there were more than 16 suicide attacks in 2007 alone comparing to mere 2 in 2002 and almost none before 2001.

Following is the excerpt of an interview with the 19 years old brother of a possible suicide bomber. The suicide bombing took place in early 2002 in Rawalpindi, a twin city with the capital of Pakistan, Islamabad. 17 people were killed and scores were injured in this blast. Almost unrecognizable head and charred body parts of a young man were found near the blast. The police later arrested the younger brother (Musa Khan*) and a friend of the possible suicide bomber who was named as Isa Khan*. Investigated for few weeks, Police then released these two afterwards with out pressing any charges.

Interview with the brother of a ‘suicide bomber’

1. Assalam Olaikum A. Walaikum Wassalam
2. How are you?
3. I am fine.
4. What is your name?
5. Musa Khan
6. It must have been tough.
7. Thanks God. Now we are released, we did not do anything but police beat us for several days and kept us hungry, did not let us sleep. (Starts crying) Q. What happened?
8. By God I do not know anything, I am innocent.
9. Do you know your brother was involved in this attack?
10. I do not believe it at all. He was a simple boy.
11. Why was he here at the place of the attack?
12. He told us he was going to see a friend in Peshawar (a northern city). We did not know he would be here in Rawalpindi. Q. Did you recognize his body?
13. It looks like him, but I am not sure.
14. How did you know he is here?
15. One of our village friends saw him about an hour before the blast at the bus station. He recognized him and told us later. Then the police came to our village and arrested me, our friend and my mother. I am innocent. Q. Tell me about your brother?
16. He was educated. He went to local Madrassa. He was learning to become Hafiz Quran (one who is memorizing Quran by heart). He was religious. Q. Why do you think he did it?
17. We do not believe he do it. He had become very religious lately. He would recite Quran most of the time even late at night. After Kafirs came to Afghanistan he was very upset and angry. Q. Was he working?
18. He was working as labour at a local wood shop, but he stopped working for last 2-3 months. He was had working and honest man. Q. Was he married?
19. No he was not married.
20. Was he into politics?
21. No he was not in politics. He was a simple boy. He was very sad when so many Pathans (Pashtuns or Pukhtuns- collection of various ethnic tribes living in Southeastern Afghanistan and in Northwest and Baluchistan provinces of Pakistan. they speak Pushtu/Pukhtu language and are known for their particular code of conduct and honour) were killed in American bombings in Afghanistan. Two of our cousins got killed and one of them was a very close friend of my brother.
22. How were your cousins died?
23. There was bomb attack by the airplanes near our village which is near the border with Afghanistan. Our cousins were young boys and were not Taliban. Q. Did he ever take part in the Afghan war with Taliban?
24. Silence.
25. Did he ever mention he would kill himself?
26. No but for last few months he asked me few times to look after the family after him. I did not understand what he meant then. Q. What are you going to do now?
27. Nothing, we will take his body back to our village for funeral. This was in his fate. What can we do?

It appears that Isa Khan has been studying in a local Madrassa and perhaps was involved with Taliban. He was very upset and sad that America, the infidel, has invaded Afghanistan. He was also angry that his fellow Pathans were killed including his two cousins. He had become very religious before the suicide attack and even mentioned to his brother of taking care of their mother after his death, which his brother did not understand at that time.

The mental thought process and behavior of the suicidal bomber in this case can be compared with that of Timothy McVeigh, the bronze starred veteran of Vietnam War who masterminded the bombing of Alfred Murrah Federal building in Oklahoma City in 1995, as a reprisal revenge act against the US governments and the ‘Feds’, Federal Bureau of Investigations for their attack on the Seventh-Day Adventist cult, Branch Dravidians of Christian religious leader, David Koresh in 1993 at Waco Texas, in the FBI operation ‘Show Time’. The Oklahoma bombing took place on the second anniversary of Waco incident. It was said that Timothy McVeigh masterminded the bombing to revenge the innocent lives killed at Waco Texas. Timothy McVeigh’s psychiatrist Dr John Smith later said that Timothy McVeigh was not deranged and had no major mental illness and that he committed the act mostly out of revenge because of Waco assault and it was a conscious choice; not because he was deranged, because he was serious. (Michelin, L and Herbeck, D 2001).

In the Northwest frontier province of Pakistan and Afghanistan, there is a strong culture of revenge for personal and family honour, entwined with fundamentalist brand of Islam. The life is Spartan, feudal system reigns, illiteracy and poverty creates a psyche which is very difficult for people in the West to understand. It is not very difficult for the people from Pakistan and Afghanistan to decipher why people are becoming suicide bombers; as they know and understand the psychic, social, cultural and religious under currents and wrongly though a good number will sympathise with them. To understand the psychopathology of suicide bomber it is very important to understand the psychology of the suicide bomber first. The psychic make up of a person is not an entity on its own and is rather a product of genetics, social, religious, economic, cultural and social factors interacting in a unique way with the constitutional factors.

Conclusion

The phenomenon of suicide bombing is universal and transcends cultures, religions and nations. It has been an axiomatic truth that there has always been a reaction to oppression and injustice. Dictatorial or oppressor societies where channels of normal cathartic and emotive processes are not provided inevitably then these emotions make their way through destructive passages. The researchers agree that there are no known signs or symptoms indicative of any psychological pathology in the suicide bombers, according to the current psychological and medical parameters, but there certainly appear a number of social, political and religious factors that can easily lead people, groups and nations to adopt extreme form of militancy when their basic roles and rights are threatened. Suicide bombing by Muslim youths has been carried out almost routinely as a mean and instrument of revenge in the Middle East, Afghanistan and other Islamic conflicts. These acts are done mainly to avenge their oppression, occupation, loss of freedom and the dishonour they have been experiencing. It is carried out by the youth who are experiencing extreme of hopelessness and helplessness and are feeling worthless and do not see any ray of hope to a peaceful settlement as they witness their families, loved ones, neighbours, and the innocents die or tortured at the hand of occupying forces. Despite these intolerable situations no permission can be found in Islam to avenge by suicide bombing or by targeting the innocent civilians.  These young desperate Muslim youth have been taught what is NOT in the Quran, and what was never promised by God in the Holy book.

Renowned Islamic scholars and all Muslim governments have condemned any form of terrorist activity but while oppression, injustice, inequality, violence and disparity remain a vogue there would be millions affected by the propaganda of extreme forces and would be ready to give their lives for what they think is the most just thing to do-suicide bombing.

Looking at these events through psychological or psychiatric prism may not give the overall vista of the actual issues and a just, fair and evidence-based analyses of the events social, psychological, historic, economic and political both past and present is the need of the time. It also is time to challenge the traditional reasons and to dismantle the conventional and dangerously mistaken theories that an individual turns to terrorism because of poverty, victimization and violence, trauma and mental illness, illiteracy and ignorance and yes there is a dire need of a thorough understanding of why “they do what they do”. A cliché now but they say violence begets violence.

Jesus Christ “For all who draw the sword will die by the sword." Matt. 26:52

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* Names changed for confidentiality