Suicide Bombers Research Paper

Words: 1863
Pages: 8

On September 11, 2001, at 9:59 A.M, the Southern Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed, killing 3,000 innocent people (9/11 Timeline of Events, History). At this time, a wave of fear struck the nation, and even today, September 11 is regarded as one of the darkest days in our country’s history. It may seem difficult to even imagine a reason that would make a person want to take so many innocent lives. Despite this, the problem of terrorism exists and is alive, and terrorist groups are recruiting new members at a faster rate than ever before. With the number of terrorists increasing, we begin to wonder what makes a terrorist want to do what they do. According to Professor Ervin Staub at the University of Massachusetts, there are three main …show more content…
Suicide bombers can be Idealists, Respondents, or Lost Souls, and have the deepest psychological complications. Suicide bombers are the key components in terrorist attacks, taking their own lives and the lives of innocent people. They display the atrocious extremes that terrorists groups are prepared to go to. Suicide bombers are the main weapon of extremist groups, and are essential towards spreading fear and terror throughout the world. In order to kill oneself in order to take the lives of others, suicide bombers have to almost numb their feelings, emotions, and morals with the idea of martyrdom. This means that the terrorists believe that by killing others in the name of their radical teachings of Islam, they are doing what is right. By having what they consider to be an honorable death, they are proving themselves to the group through self sacrifice. It is a dark and twisted ideal, but to accept a suicide mission gives their life meaning. Through studies of suicide bomber’s final words and interviews with their mothers, the main stimulation of suicide bombers is the personal desire to give their life meaning, which they believe can only be achieved through death. (Kershaw