The Death of Common Sense
For me, I've never understood the rationale behind suicide bombing. Here is a story that happened back in the third grade, with my Arabic teacher.
Teacher: so, as you can see, the Egyptian soldiers in 1973 were very brave. A soldier would put explosives all around him, and jump on a tank and blow it away. This way he becomes a martyr...
Me: (interrupting) miss, miss...but why does he have to kill himself? Couldn't he just throw the bomb at them, and run?
Teacher: (wide-eyed, puzzled) what are you saying? He is a martyr! He sacrificed himself to liberate his land..
Me: (coolly--obviously this had roots in me!) yeah I get you, but he could've thrown the bomb, destructed the tank and moved on to other tanks...
Teacher: (trying to control her outrage and be kind) listen, if somebody comes to your home and kicks you out of it...won't you try to get him out?
Me: (shrugging) yeah!
Teacher: (triumphant) that's just what they were doing!
Me: no...actually you're missing the point...see...
Teacher: (firmly) end of discussion!
Me: (frustrated, I talk to the guy next to me) don't you agree that they would be better off throwing the bomb at distance....
Teacher: (crazy) TB!! Out!!!!
I really think what the Egyptian army did in 1973 was brave. I also know that soldiers on the field aren't thinking in the romantic fashion we do sitting in air-conditioned homes. They're more practical, and would probably put something like that as the last option. In fact, from a military point of view, killing yourself is considered treason because you're denying your side numeral advantage. But the problem is that we're failing to appreciate the value of life, any life. Probably, because ours is not that appreciated anyhow. That's why we endorse such foolish acts as suicide bombing so blindly.
That's why I was kicked out of class!!
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posted by TB at
12:18 PM
2 Comments:
Tomanbay,
Have you thought of the possibility that maybe you can't deliver enough explosive power to disable/destroy a tank unless you carry it yourself to it? (i.e. not small enough to "lob")?
You and BP need to turn off the air conditioner and wake up and smell the coffee. The world out there is ugly and for a Palestinian kid, life absolutely has no value because his life was never of value to anyone he knew.
I'm not condoning suicide bombings, they are a crime by all means; but sometimes a criminal is made into one (which is insufficient grounds for acquittal of course) but in legal terms its called a motive, and simplifying things to the extent you and BP do is just plain wrong.
If you really want to have an informed opinion you need to look at the topic from every angle. I invite you to watch the video I posted here, at least you will give yourself a chance to think in a different way.
AGAIN, I STRESS VERY MUCH, THAT I DO NOT CONDONE SUICIDE BOMBINGS AND THE KILLING OF INNOCENT PEOPLE.
I just think its only fair to think at least for a moment at what drives people to do what they do. Only then I could claim to have an informed opinion.
Cheers,
AT
By
Anonymous, at
February 28, 2006 7:05 PM
listen...there is no need to get all preachy about it...and dont talk about air conditioned please, because I know that I have been around guns, and bombs more than you have seen in movies...so please step off the soap box..
now, your point about explosive power is simply ridiculous, so no reply here....for the simple fact that the other option have been done a lot...and the egyptian soldier who destroyed most israeli tanks in 73 did, ironicaly enough, survive the war. so, plz...
If you managed to read the post, I wasn't actually against suicide bombings, or with it...what I was saying is that we (ppl sitting in front of their tv sets) are romantic...we dont think about what forces somebody to do this (as a last resort)..we assume that this is his first option, and that he is glad to do it....and believe me nobody would be glad to die, or at least shouldn' be. Even if you talk about great muslims; Omar Ibn El-Khattab used to weep everytime he remembered death...that is not to say that he would run away in battle...but remember; their slogan was (victory, or matrydom)...so trying to be victorious is the first option...and to do that there have to be a lot of actual thinking...not just throwing yourself in the battle to be killed...so we (better still, you) tend to think that being a suicide bomber is "roamntic" (whatever ur pretenses for this: religious, national, etc...) without regard to the actual motive which will force somebody to do such unthinkable thing, and in effect establish it in the mindset of younger generations that it is "cool" to kill urself and a couple of foreigners along (no matter whom they r at all)....
in glorifying death, you're killing any hope in life...think about it
(AND DONT CAP ME AGAIN!! :))
ah..and read the comment i left on ur blog on the egyptian bloggers issue. maybe next time you won't chunck ppl together!
By
TB, at
February 28, 2006 7:33 PM
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