Suicide Bombing

Is suicide bombing justifiable? Like most questions this too cannot be answered by a simple “yes” or “no”. Answer cannot be in black or white, as many shades of grey are involved.  Context is crucial. Blowing themselves up in crowded markets killing innocent civilians cannot be justified in any way. Those who are behind these acts of crime are enemies of humanity, period. No matter what their grouse is, such acts are outright terrorism and the civil society needs to take precautions against the cowardly perpetrators of such grotesque deeds.  And this is true no matter where it happens or who it does. Thus suicide bombings that happen in public places killing innocent civilians in Tel Aviv, Bagdad, Karachi, Kabul and Mumbai are wrong.

 

But what about suicide bombing against an enemy military force waging war against you? Here the answer has to be “yes” as the person involved acquires the high position of Martyr. And Martyrdom is a noble deed. That is the reason why we still hold in high esteem people who gave their lives for the sake of their nation or for a noble cause. That is why we give the highest military honor posthumously. So for example a Palestinian blowing himself up against the Israeli Defense forces when no cease fire is in force cannot be faulted but admired. He is fighting an enemy who has usurped his land, exiled hundreds of thousands of his fellow Palestinians, humiliates his brothers and sisters on a daily basis and Kills without remorse even kids. As far as he is concerned suicide bombing is his last line of defense. But here too care should be taken to spare innocent civilians. Also it should be resorted to only in a state of war and not when a cease fire is in force.

Intention here is not to hail suicide bombing, a world where in such acts needn’t be resorted to is every civilized person’s dream. But to make the point that unfortunately even today in certain parts of the world state of affairs warrants the justification of suicide bombing.