Suicide bombers: A response to the desecraters

Some of the more intelligent of the generally benighted claimants of “expertise” in terrorism have discovered that the SB are not necessarily poor, not necessarily “direct victims” of imperial invasions, and are not necessarily Islamic fundamentalists. Most of them resort to psychobabble, citing “alienation”, “generational conflict”, and other behavioral pathologies. These Anglo-American and pro-Israeli “experts”, who pathologically ignore the monstrous crimes committed against the essential values and beliefs of the oppressed, see themselves, with all solemnity, as fit to diagnose the ills of others. A handful of the “experts” claim that the terrorists, the SB, are political people and that these acts are “political” – a response to the Anglo-American war, invasion and conquest. Closer to the truth, but still inadequate, some add the “humiliation of a conquered people”.

What drives the SB is an effort to redeem the Sacred from the Desecraters. The “Sacred” includes, but goes beyond, the material destruction inflicted by the Anglo-American invaders and Israeli colonists. Degradation and defilement of the sacred texts, the deep inner values and the disciplined customs produces a class of individuals who sense the bonds of humanity have been irrevocably broken.

The SB believes that spiritual wrath can counter the desecraters of the sacred. For the future SB, resistance, marches, protests, strikes, civil disobedience, even resistance in the homeland does not restore the “Sacred”. The conflict rages in their neighborhoods, their houses; markets and transport are destroyed. The SB believes that only by reversing the violence, bringing it “home” to the invaders will they redeem themselves, and respond in kind to the “total war” advocates, apologists and innocent victims. Recognition of the licensed defilement of the sacred is now out of the box – whether it continues in one form or another, videoed or hidden in military archives, it is now embedded in the minds of tens of millions – it is their very cultural – psychological – moral existence. Everyday life has been put to the test.

Conclusion

From the “Shock and Awe” bombing of cities, to the killing, maiming and destruction of millions, to the torture and profanation of the sacred, the orders have come from distant, faceless Generals, Presidents, Secretaries of War and have been executed, face to face, by average people, workers, employees, clerks…who “elected” these leaders. The many faces of the enemy in the eyes of the SB are concentrated in the faces and acts of those who degrade the sacred and attempt to destroy what gives meaning to their everyday life.

To the SB, “the face of the enemy” is the face of “the people” – rich and poor, powerful and powerless, General and foot soldier. Hence the suicide bomber, whose bonds with the sacred and moral have been broken by systematic degradation, feels no compunction in attacking ordinary people, going about their everyday tasks in office buildings or subways.

Our analysis suggests a close relation between the Anglo-American practice of “total war” and its derivative policies of systematic degradation and the emergence of “suicide bombers” – one of the forms of rejection. If this analysis is correct, the demise of suicide bombers is most likely to occur when the practice of “total war” is ended. This can only come about through a defeat of the “colonial revivalist” strand of imperialism in both its US, European and Israeli variants. The question is how long it will take for domestic and external political discontent to coalesce a political alternative capable of formulating a strategy of military withdrawal and abiding by international law.

Reconciliation between the Anglo-American and Islamic and Arab people can be achieved through a war crimes tribunal, similar to the Nuremburg Trials after the Second World War. The practitioners and proponents of crimes against humanity beginning with the President of the United States and the Prime Minister of Great Britain should be brought to trial and accorded exemplary punishment to prevent recidivism. Peace and reconciliation is only possible if justice is meted to the architects and practitioners of total war and human degradation. Posted by (Bulatlat.com)

August 15, 2005

 Save as PDF