What makes suicide bombers tick?

By John Cheeran
What makes suicide bombers tick?
The question attains significance in the backdrop another mid-air massacre scare.
Immediate answer is that religious fanaticism. But dissenting voices, especially the Left, point out that Islamist fascism (the Left is afraid to call Islamist fascism by its name) is a response to the West’s interference in the Islamic empire. Left argues that suicide bombers have political grievance against the West or more bluntly put, the United States of America.
The really interesting point is that Osama Bin Laden and Communists have a common enemy now, USA and George Bush.
Robert Pape of Chicago University has come up the thesis that Islamic suicide bombers are not driven by an intolerant religious ideology but by their political grievances against the West. Pape says the American military presence in a few of the Muslim countries is the reason for the global jihad.
Pape’s argument is built on an inadequate worldview.
Why, then, have Islamic terrorists targeted India and Indians? Has Indian army been deployed in any of the Islamic countries?
So it is not any political grievance that is the issue but religious hatred.
Also what keeps the animosity alive between India and Pakistan? It is not border dispute; it is not Kashmiri nationalism but the difference between two predominant religions in the sub-continent. Even an illustrious Indian editor, MJ Akbar has written in his book, Under the Shade of Sword, that Islam guarantees the martyr (read suicide bomber) who annihilates the kafir (enemy) paradise.
Suicide bombers are recruited to the Global Jihad Inc. by offering stock options in paradise and unlimited mating opportunities with vestal virgins for sacrificing a ‘miserable’ life on this earth.
To the great credit of the majority of Muslims, they haven’t bought this theory.
But it remains that Jihadis are spurred by religious glory.
To deny that would be being blind to reality.
It is not poverty and poor living conditions that supply suicide bombers for terrorist outfits such as Al Qaeda, Hamas, Hizbollah and Lashkar-e-Toeiba. It is the hatred of the Other.
The poorest of poor in Africa and India do not transform themselves into suicide bombers; they lead their lives in quite but dignified ways.
But cash-rich Palestines (well oiled by a generous Middle East) and Lebanese are ready to book their dates with vestal virgins up there.
It is true that Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) pioneered the terrifying concept of suicide bombers.
LTTE is still fighting their battle with Sri Lanka. But even they have ceased from carrying out such despicable attacks.
Let’s be honest. Let’s look facts in their face.
Let’s separate terrorists from human beings.