Suicide Bombers

Once again, a suicide bomber has brought death to people who just were shopping, this time in Israel - just read the news on BBC or on your favorite online news site. To me, this is just a horrible reminder of evil in humans. When you use your own death to save people, you are called a martyr. There is no word for what you are when you use your own death to kill others. Some people still call that person a martyr, blinded by their own ideology, ignorance, and stupidity.

If we remain quiet about this, we make ourselves guilty. I am very passionate about this, because I am a German, and the wrath which had been brought to the world by the German Nationalsozialism in the 1930s is still not forgotten anywhere in the world. Wherever I go, as a German the crimes of my country accompany me, and I am determined to fight against a new rising of inhumane ideologies. Many people do not seem to realise the parallels between the situation in the Middle East and the situation in Europe in 1933, except Jewish people: I believe that the Jihad is the predecessor to World War 3. Suicide bombers can be found almost exclusively in the "Islamist" world: in Iraq, in Palestine, in the UK (London subway bombings). I find it appalling when the condemnation of such a suicide bombing done by Palestinians is followed by a "but", pointing to the Israel occupation. Accepting such a "but" relativises the murder and tries to make it "understandable". I am not accusing Islam itself - I know many Muslims among my students, whom I find to be very nice and peaceful people. But it needs to be made clear what is not acceptable, and where it comes from.

How I would deal with suicide bombers: let them have their will, put them onto an open field, and let their bombs go off. They wanted to die anyway, so their wish can be fullfilled (I support the right to individual suicide). But without harm to anyone else. And then, videos of their death should be spread around the world, humiliating them and the community where they came from. It is not acceptable that they are revered by their family and honored as martyrs. Maybe then finally, within the community some resistance would form, realising that these bombings do not advance their cause: they kill people, put them into a bad light in world opinion, and destroy chances for peace. Well, that is exactly what these misguided creatures (and those who are behind the scenes, orchestrating those bombings) want to achieve...

Sorry for being so polarizing here, but I need to speak out. There are always demonstrations in the world when Israel does something wrong (yes, in my view the war in summer 2006 which Israel brought to Lebanon was a crime, done by the Israel state, their leaders, and supporters of this war) there is always an angry mob demonstrating somewhere against Israel. I wish there would be finally some public demonstrations against suicide bombers, to create a worldwide solidarity with the victims of such attacks. I have yet to see this solidarity arising...