Books
The Enigma of Islamist Violence
Amélie Bloom. Laetitia Bucaille. Luis Martinez
Islamic Violence can be traced all the way back to the Koran, with the Jihad. But since the 9/11 attacks, it has become a real concern. Why have Muslim societies produced terrorist violence these past 30 years? Is the violent protagonist a pathological or a sophisticated strategist?
These are the kind of questions that a number of specialists such as Amelie Bloom, Laetitia Bucaille, Luis Martinez, Jan Eric Lane and others, have decided to tackle in this book called: The enigma of Islamist violence.
Many explanations have tried to elucidate this concern, amongst them that of the poverty driven Arab States fomenting social instability leading to violence; or the inherent weakness of the Islamic nation who has been invaded by the Mongols, the Turks, the Crusaders and who now see the West as their new enemy. On a micro analysis, some talk of peer pressure forcing young Muslims to commit terrorist attacks, or the importance of social bonds and networks.
What our specialists try to tell us in this book, is that it is impossible to study Islamist Violence as a whole. No explanation can cover the totality of terrorist attacks happening in different countries. Instead we are facing different types of Islamist Violence, and each must be studied by itself. Speaking of Islamist Violence as such is a cliché, and the above mentioned explanations are helpful but they are not enough.
Thus we are shown for example that the Palestinian Martyrs vary greatly from the Pakistani Fedayeen. The indifference in the world towards Palestinian deaths has made them also indifferent to life. The old notion was of the Martyr who threw rocks at the Israeli army and was killed by them. He died for the cause (or myth ) of national unity. But the Islamists have created new martyrs, who proudly seek death . For them, the fact that Palestinians do not fear death, whereas Israelis do, shows their moral superiority. This fear of death is Israel’s weak spot and must be attacked. Hence the suicide attacks at civilians. And the Martyr changes from victim to glorious hero.
In Kashmir, the situation is completely different. The Pakistani State encourages and even funds irregular armies with ideological motivations, on its territory. The growing efficiency of the Indian Counter Insurrection drives the jihadists to martyrdom as a motivation force, not just combat rhetoric; it is aimed at confronting the Indian army. The Fedayeen is the one who sacrifices himself for a cause, yet suicide is seen as shameful for them, as it is contrary to the teachings of Islam. Their justification is that Fedayeen are not walking to a certain death, they have a 70% survival rate which is true. Those who do die, depart from this world as combatants, killed by the Indian forces. Death is a means not an aim.
And so this book continues to enlighten us in a chilling manner on the Chechen Terrorists, the Kurdish nationalistic violence, Islamist Violence in Algeria and Violence in Yemen. The authors of each essay study these phenomena in a scientific and detached manner. The results, while extremely interesting are nevertheless quite disconcerting. Frankly for those wanting to negotiate peace with these militants, this book can be quite discouraging.
Ines Ward
Research Assistant Trainee at CERMAM
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- Origin CERMAM
- http://www.cermam.org/en/logs/book/the_enigma_of_islamist_violenc/
- Publié le 16 October 2007