34 International Journal of Cultic Studies ■ Vol. 3, 2012
Even though this paper is not focused on
Palestinian suicide bombers, who are generally
glorified by their society, it can be argued that
some of these factors still might apply to them.
Despite the Palestinians’ general approval of
such acts, it is still a very small fraction of the
society that carries them out. The Palestinian
population in 2004 was 5.3 million (US State
Department). At the peak of the suicide
bombings by Palestinians between September
2000 and August 2005, there were 151 suicide
bombings (Benmelech &Berrebi), which is
equivalent to one suicide bomber per year per
175,000 Palestinians during that period. From a
psychodynamic perspective, it is difficult to
imagine that someone who has grown up in a
loving and caring Palestinian family would
become a suicide bomber. These individuals are
more likely to become educated and find other
productive ways to serve the Palestinian cause.
On a related note, in other parts of the world
where people don’t resort to suicide bombing,
we still see many people who have grown up
with abandonment, violence, and sexual abuse
experiences who also become violent as adults.
Because Islam as a cause does not exist as an
excuse for them, they find other ways to
discharge their rage. In the United States of
America, post office shootings, school or college
shootings, the Gabby Gifford shooting incident,
and gang violence are only a few examples of
such violent acts.
References
Benmelech, Efraim, &Berrebi, Claude. (Summer 2007). Human
capital and the productivity of suicide bombers. Journal of Economic
Perspectives, 21(3), 223–238.
Bloom, M. (2009). Chasing butterflies and rainbows: A critique of
Kruglanski et al.’s “Fully committed: Suicide bombers’ motivation and
the quest for personal significance.” Political Psychology, 30(3), 387–
395.
Bush, George W. (September 20, 2001). “Address to a Joint Session of
Congress following 9/11 attacks” (par. 6). Retrieved online at
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/gwbush911jointsessionspe
ech.htm
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York, NY:
Norton.
Freud, S. (1953–1974). The standard edition of the complete
psychological works of Sigmund Freud. (24 Vols. ).London: Hogarth
Press.
GeoNews. (December 13, 2011). Geo report -chained
students freed -13 Dec 2011. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWmDH0ZrPLI&feature=related
Hafez, M. M. (2006). Rationality, culture, and structure in the making
of suicide bombers: A preliminary theoretical synthesis and illustrative
case study. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 29(2), 165–185.
Kohut, H. S. (1971). The analysis of the self. New York: International
Universities Press.
Lawson, Alastair. (July 14, 2005). Pakistan’s Islamic schools in the
spotlight (BBC News online, South Asia desk). Retrieved from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4683073.stm
Lewis, Mark Edward. (2007). The early Chinese empires: Qin and
Han. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Piaget, J., &Inhelder, B. (2000). The psychology of the child. New
York, NY: Basic Books Inc.
WatchPakistani. (December 12, 2011). 70 Pakistani madrassa boys
found chained in Karachi. Retrieved from
http://www.watchpakistani.com/latest-news/item/846-70-pakistani-
madrassa-boys-found-chained-in-karachi.html
72 virgins in paradise? [online article] The American Muslim.
Retrieved from
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/72_virgins_in_
paradise
Speece, Mark, &Brent, Sandor. (1984). Children’s understanding of
death: A review of three components of a death concept. Child
Development, 55, 1671–1686.
U.S. Department of State. (February 28, 2005). Israel and the occupied
territories (annual Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
country report, 2004). Retrieved from
http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41723.htm
VJ Movement journalists. (May 5, 2011). Poverty and faith fill
Pakistan’s madrassas. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sltjEC1WmqU
WatchPakistani. 70 Pakistani Madrassa Boys Found Chained in
Karachi. (December 12, 2011). Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZPQKRns1xE&feature=related
About the Author
Aftab Khan, MD, is a psychiatrist and
psychotherapist. He is currently Director of
Residency Training and Vice Chair for
Education at the Department of Psychiatry, Penn
State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey,
Pennsylvania. He was born and raised in
Pakistan, where after medical school he
completed 2 years of training in psychiatry
before moving to the United States for further
training. He completed his residency training in
psychiatry and a fellowship in psychotherapy at
Harvard Medical School and Harvard University
(Boston), respectively. He returned to
Islamabad, Pakistan in 1997 and lived, practiced,
and taught there till 2008, after which he
relocated to the United States to his current
position.
Even though this paper is not focused on
Palestinian suicide bombers, who are generally
glorified by their society, it can be argued that
some of these factors still might apply to them.
Despite the Palestinians’ general approval of
such acts, it is still a very small fraction of the
society that carries them out. The Palestinian
population in 2004 was 5.3 million (US State
Department). At the peak of the suicide
bombings by Palestinians between September
2000 and August 2005, there were 151 suicide
bombings (Benmelech &Berrebi), which is
equivalent to one suicide bomber per year per
175,000 Palestinians during that period. From a
psychodynamic perspective, it is difficult to
imagine that someone who has grown up in a
loving and caring Palestinian family would
become a suicide bomber. These individuals are
more likely to become educated and find other
productive ways to serve the Palestinian cause.
On a related note, in other parts of the world
where people don’t resort to suicide bombing,
we still see many people who have grown up
with abandonment, violence, and sexual abuse
experiences who also become violent as adults.
Because Islam as a cause does not exist as an
excuse for them, they find other ways to
discharge their rage. In the United States of
America, post office shootings, school or college
shootings, the Gabby Gifford shooting incident,
and gang violence are only a few examples of
such violent acts.
References
Benmelech, Efraim, &Berrebi, Claude. (Summer 2007). Human
capital and the productivity of suicide bombers. Journal of Economic
Perspectives, 21(3), 223–238.
Bloom, M. (2009). Chasing butterflies and rainbows: A critique of
Kruglanski et al.’s “Fully committed: Suicide bombers’ motivation and
the quest for personal significance.” Political Psychology, 30(3), 387–
395.
Bush, George W. (September 20, 2001). “Address to a Joint Session of
Congress following 9/11 attacks” (par. 6). Retrieved online at
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/gwbush911jointsessionspe
ech.htm
Erikson, E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis. New York, NY:
Norton.
Freud, S. (1953–1974). The standard edition of the complete
psychological works of Sigmund Freud. (24 Vols. ).London: Hogarth
Press.
GeoNews. (December 13, 2011). Geo report -chained
students freed -13 Dec 2011. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWmDH0ZrPLI&feature=related
Hafez, M. M. (2006). Rationality, culture, and structure in the making
of suicide bombers: A preliminary theoretical synthesis and illustrative
case study. Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, 29(2), 165–185.
Kohut, H. S. (1971). The analysis of the self. New York: International
Universities Press.
Lawson, Alastair. (July 14, 2005). Pakistan’s Islamic schools in the
spotlight (BBC News online, South Asia desk). Retrieved from
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4683073.stm
Lewis, Mark Edward. (2007). The early Chinese empires: Qin and
Han. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Piaget, J., &Inhelder, B. (2000). The psychology of the child. New
York, NY: Basic Books Inc.
WatchPakistani. (December 12, 2011). 70 Pakistani madrassa boys
found chained in Karachi. Retrieved from
http://www.watchpakistani.com/latest-news/item/846-70-pakistani-
madrassa-boys-found-chained-in-karachi.html
72 virgins in paradise? [online article] The American Muslim.
Retrieved from
http://theamericanmuslim.org/tam.php/features/articles/72_virgins_in_
paradise
Speece, Mark, &Brent, Sandor. (1984). Children’s understanding of
death: A review of three components of a death concept. Child
Development, 55, 1671–1686.
U.S. Department of State. (February 28, 2005). Israel and the occupied
territories (annual Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
country report, 2004). Retrieved from
http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/hrrpt/2004/41723.htm
VJ Movement journalists. (May 5, 2011). Poverty and faith fill
Pakistan’s madrassas. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sltjEC1WmqU
WatchPakistani. 70 Pakistani Madrassa Boys Found Chained in
Karachi. (December 12, 2011). Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZPQKRns1xE&feature=related
About the Author
Aftab Khan, MD, is a psychiatrist and
psychotherapist. He is currently Director of
Residency Training and Vice Chair for
Education at the Department of Psychiatry, Penn
State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey,
Pennsylvania. He was born and raised in
Pakistan, where after medical school he
completed 2 years of training in psychiatry
before moving to the United States for further
training. He completed his residency training in
psychiatry and a fellowship in psychotherapy at
Harvard Medical School and Harvard University
(Boston), respectively. He returned to
Islamabad, Pakistan in 1997 and lived, practiced,
and taught there till 2008, after which he
relocated to the United States to his current
position.
