While in recent years suicide terrorism proved itself as one of the fastest growing threats to peace and security and a preferred weapon of choice of terrorists, there is a profound confusion as to why. Although suicide attacks have occurred during the course of history, they were often part of states’ military campaigns rather than the preferred modus operandi of violent non-state groups which during the period between 1982 and 2015 became responsible for 4,814 attacks in over 40 countries.
As recently illustrated by the atrocities in Istanbul’s Sultanahmet district, Morocco’s coastal city of Casablanca, and Cameroon’s far north village of Bodo, the problem of suicide terrorism is gaining momentum and the insufficient knowledge that we have about the root causes of the phenomenon made it extremely difficult for policymakers to design effective counter-terrorist measures and adequately allocate attention and resources.
Therefore, this study would try to shed light on this issue by arguing that suicide terrorism is motivated by the interaction between (1) psychologically traumatized individuals who are determined that death is the only salvation and desire to contribute to the fight against the injustice that generated their agony in the first place and (2) terrorist organizations which offer an outlet for these emotions and exploit personal emotional vulnerabilities in order to push through their political and/or religious ideological propaganda and advance their objectives. Nonetheless, what makes suicide terrorism resonant on both levels is arguably an enabling socio-political context which generates profound personal and communal grievances and provides suicide terrorism with a fertile ground to breed and expand.
To support its argument, this study will firstly put the topic in its empirical context and briefly emphasize on the nature of suicide terrorism. Consequently, it will critically evaluate what drives individuals and terrorist organizations to engage in suicide terrorism and specifically focus on their ‘explosive’ interaction. Finally, this study will make its conclusions and identify areas for further research.
Table of Contents
I. The Nature of Suicide Terror
II. The Interaction between Individual and Organizational motivating factors
III. Conclusion
Objectives & Core Themes
This work explores the root causes of suicide terrorism by analyzing the interplay between individual psychological trauma and the ideological exploitation by terrorist organizations. It seeks to understand why, despite different socio-political backgrounds, individuals are driven to self-sacrifice and how organizations channel personal grievances into political and religious objectives.
- The role of individual psychological trauma and psychic pain in radicalization.
- The interaction between personal grievances and organizational ideological propaganda.
- The distinction between the strategic goals of terrorist groups and the personal motivations of bombers.
- The influence of socio-political context and military occupation on the prevalence of suicide attacks.
Excerpt from the Book
II. The Interaction between Individual and Organizational motivating factors
Due to the great variety of perpetrators and the fact that suicide terrorism have employed men and women of different age, education, marital status, and family background, the creation of a universal psychological profile of the suicide bomber continues to be problematic. Nonetheless, while some scholars believe that individuals who turn into self-sacrificial mode are ‘not depressed, impulsive, lonely, or helpless with a continuous history of being in situations of personal difficulty’5, this study is going to argue that personal psychological traumatization is at the heart of one’s determination to follow such a self-destructive path and resonate to the ideological propaganda of terrorist organizations. Regardless of the fact that some depicted suicide bombers as not necessarily irrational6, it is must be understood that the lack of underlying psychopathology does not directly imply for the lack of some psychic pain7 capable of generating suicidal tendencies in behavior.8
As a number of empirical studies have demonstrated, the role of personal causes such as psychological hardships, despair, feelings of humiliation, and aspirations for restored identity, familial honor, and revenge could be considered as key stimuli for individual engagement in suicide attacks.9 In this sense, as opposed to the ideological statements of bombers serving as post hoc justifications, the motivation for suicide terrorists is in its essence frequently neither religious nor political, but rather psychological and personal.10 For instance, if we think about 9/11 that had an enormous impact on our understandings of the problem of suicide terrorism, we can see that one of the perpetrators, Mohamed Ata, suffered from depression, social isolation, and hopelessness which more than everything determined the course of his behavior.
Summary of Chapters
I. The Nature of Suicide Terror: This chapter defines suicide terrorism, moving beyond broad definitions to emphasize the intentional, deliberate nature of the act as a violent, politically or religiously motivated tactic.
II. The Interaction between Individual and Organizational motivating factors: This section explores how personal psychological trauma, rather than just political or religious zeal, drives individuals, while terrorist organizations exploit these vulnerabilities through specific ideological propaganda.
III. Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the evidence, arguing that suicide terrorism is a multifaceted phenomenon where the synergy between individual suffering and organizational agendas creates a breeding ground for these attacks.
Keywords
Suicide Terrorism, Psychological Trauma, Radicalization, Terrorist Organizations, Ideological Propaganda, Martyrdom, Psychic Pain, Grievances, Socio-political Context, Political Violence, Religion, Self-sacrifice, Mohamed Ata, Al-Qaeda, LTTE
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work examines the underlying motivations for suicide terrorism, focusing on the synergy between individual psychological trauma and the strategic exploitation of that trauma by terrorist organizations.
What are the primary themes discussed?
The research explores the psychological drivers of suicide bombers, the role of terrorist organizational propaganda, the impact of political and religious ideologies, and how socio-political instability fosters these acts.
What is the central research question?
The study aims to clarify why individuals turn to suicide terrorism by arguing that it results from the interaction between psychologically traumatized individuals and organizations that provide an outlet for their grievances.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
The study utilizes a qualitative literature review and synthesis of empirical case studies, psychological research, and data on suicide attack patterns from 1982 to 2015.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body evaluates the definition of suicide terrorism, analyzes the psychological profiles of bombers, examines the "explosive" interaction between bombers and organizations, and assesses the role of religious versus secular political goals.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
Key terms include suicide terrorism, psychological trauma, radicalization, ideological propaganda, martyrdom, organizational strategy, and socio-political grievances.
Does the author suggest that religion is the primary cause of suicide terrorism?
No, the author argues that while religion is often used for recruitment and to provide meaning to an act of suicide, it is rarely the root cause, which is often found in political or personal psychological factors.
What role does psychological trauma play in the recruitment process?
Trauma makes individuals vulnerable, and organizations exploit this vulnerability by offering "first aid" and a "meaningful" purpose, essentially turning personal agony into political or religious martyrdom.
What distinguishes this study's view on suicide bombing from other perspectives?
The study emphasizes that suicide terrorism must be viewed as an interplay between the individual's psychological state and the organization's agenda, rather than viewing either the individual or the organization in isolation.
What does the author propose for future research?
The author suggests that further research should focus on identifying the specific sources of societal grievances to assist policymakers in addressing the root causes of the phenomenon rather than just the symptoms.
- Quote paper
- Mariya Grozdanova (Author), 2016, What motivates suicide terrorism?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/324117
