International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 3, 2012 25
Psychological Makeup of a Pakistani Muslim Suicide Bomber: An
Observation-Based Perspective
Aftab Khan
Department of Psychiatry, Penn State Hershey Medical Center
Abstract
This article attempts to give a psychodynamic
explanation of the otherwise puzzling act of
suicide bombing. The author theorizes that
having experienced abandonment by one’s
family at a young age, having had a deranged
experience of puberty, having experienced cruel
and physically abusive disciplining, and having
an inability to reconcile with mortality can lead
to the development of maladaptive personality
traits. Such individuals may harbor
unconscious murderous rage toward authority,
have identity foreclosure, suffer from guilt and
low self-esteem, and have the potential to
develop mirroring and idealizing transference.
The article further describes the circumstances
in Pakistan, particularly in the context of Islam,
Jihad, terrorism, and the US war on terror, that
allow extremist leaders to exploit the murderous
rage toward authority within these vulnerable
individuals, which ultimately leads them to
commit suicide bombings.
Introduction
The phenomenon of suicide bombing by
Muslims has become common in many parts of
the world, particularly in the past 10 years. The
psychodynamic process that leads to suicide
bombing is complex nevertheless, given a basic
premise of all psychodynamic theories, psychic
determinism, most will agree that the act is not a
random one. Muslim terrorist group leaders
such as Osama Bin Laden are not suicide
bombers and are not the focus of this article.
Instead, this piece is an attempt to understand
the personality of these mostly young men who
are used as a weapon by their leaders and give
up their life, and to look at the associated
psychodynamic processes. More specifically,
my purpose is to speculate on the psychological
developmental trajectories of a child in the
context of family environment, religious
schooling, and culture that can contribute to the
making of a suicide bomber.
As a psychiatrist and a psychodynamic
psychotherapist who has lived and practiced in
Pakistan, I have had the opportunity to observe
extremist Muslims and their psychological
makeup. Observing interviews in the media of
some unsuccessful suicide bombers who were
arrested sheds no light on this process because,
as Bloom (2009) and Hafez (2006) describe,
there is significant similarity between suicide
bombers’ reasons for their actions. They say
only what they are consciously aware of. Their
justifications include various reasons that fall
under the general categories of religion,
nationalism, and revenge. These influences
certainly play a role but from a psychodynamic
perspective, the first question becomes “What is
unique about these individuals’ personalities,
compared to the rest of the population, that they
believe in the cause to the extent that they are
willing to kill themselves and others?” The
second question is “Do they really believe in the
cause, or is this rationalization a defense
mechanism that allows them to act on other
unconscious drives/motives?” The only way I
know of that one might have a better
understanding of the phenomenon than what I
attempt in this article is to have many “suicide
bombers-to-be” in psychoanalytic therapy as
willing participants. Given that that option is
highly unlikely, I make an attempt here to put
together indirect evidence to develop a theory.
It is important to emphasize that the dynamics I
describe apply to tens of thousands of children
who grow up under such circumstances, but only
a small fraction of them will commit the act.
Psychological Makeup of a Pakistani Muslim Suicide Bomber: An
Observation-Based Perspective
Aftab Khan
Department of Psychiatry, Penn State Hershey Medical Center
Abstract
This article attempts to give a psychodynamic
explanation of the otherwise puzzling act of
suicide bombing. The author theorizes that
having experienced abandonment by one’s
family at a young age, having had a deranged
experience of puberty, having experienced cruel
and physically abusive disciplining, and having
an inability to reconcile with mortality can lead
to the development of maladaptive personality
traits. Such individuals may harbor
unconscious murderous rage toward authority,
have identity foreclosure, suffer from guilt and
low self-esteem, and have the potential to
develop mirroring and idealizing transference.
The article further describes the circumstances
in Pakistan, particularly in the context of Islam,
Jihad, terrorism, and the US war on terror, that
allow extremist leaders to exploit the murderous
rage toward authority within these vulnerable
individuals, which ultimately leads them to
commit suicide bombings.
Introduction
The phenomenon of suicide bombing by
Muslims has become common in many parts of
the world, particularly in the past 10 years. The
psychodynamic process that leads to suicide
bombing is complex nevertheless, given a basic
premise of all psychodynamic theories, psychic
determinism, most will agree that the act is not a
random one. Muslim terrorist group leaders
such as Osama Bin Laden are not suicide
bombers and are not the focus of this article.
Instead, this piece is an attempt to understand
the personality of these mostly young men who
are used as a weapon by their leaders and give
up their life, and to look at the associated
psychodynamic processes. More specifically,
my purpose is to speculate on the psychological
developmental trajectories of a child in the
context of family environment, religious
schooling, and culture that can contribute to the
making of a suicide bomber.
As a psychiatrist and a psychodynamic
psychotherapist who has lived and practiced in
Pakistan, I have had the opportunity to observe
extremist Muslims and their psychological
makeup. Observing interviews in the media of
some unsuccessful suicide bombers who were
arrested sheds no light on this process because,
as Bloom (2009) and Hafez (2006) describe,
there is significant similarity between suicide
bombers’ reasons for their actions. They say
only what they are consciously aware of. Their
justifications include various reasons that fall
under the general categories of religion,
nationalism, and revenge. These influences
certainly play a role but from a psychodynamic
perspective, the first question becomes “What is
unique about these individuals’ personalities,
compared to the rest of the population, that they
believe in the cause to the extent that they are
willing to kill themselves and others?” The
second question is “Do they really believe in the
cause, or is this rationalization a defense
mechanism that allows them to act on other
unconscious drives/motives?” The only way I
know of that one might have a better
understanding of the phenomenon than what I
attempt in this article is to have many “suicide
bombers-to-be” in psychoanalytic therapy as
willing participants. Given that that option is
highly unlikely, I make an attempt here to put
together indirect evidence to develop a theory.
It is important to emphasize that the dynamics I
describe apply to tens of thousands of children
who grow up under such circumstances, but only
a small fraction of them will commit the act.
