The spate of suicide bombings is perpetually worsening already volatile law and order situation in certain regions of the world. Blowing one up is an extreme form of terrorism because the brainwashed mobile human bombs not only kill other people but are bound to destroy themselves for complete accomplishment of their terrible missions. The dying to destroy operations are the worst forms of violence because the attackers blow to pieces to cause maximum damage to their targets, more easily attack their adversaries as compare to planted bombs and leave little traces for investigation because of the assaulters' self-destruction. Therefore, to bulwark suicide bombing is a hard nut to crack. Extremism and terrorism neither breed in a day nor can they be stamped out overnight. Exposure of immature minds to torrents of bigoted ideas during their formative phase of life is the major cause of fanaticism. Due to perpetual exposure to fierce speeches and violence generating print and electronic media the exposed individuals develop hardheaded outlook. After incorporation of fanatic ideas they do not change them throughout their lives. These live balls of fire can be misused by nefarious elements for materialization of their personal agendas. Extremism and exorbitant kind of terrorism can be rooted out through rejuvenation of vibrant social institutions because their full-fledged and active participation to socialize human beings is mandatory to groom them on moderate and modern lines to make them viable members of society.
Unprecedented extremism and outrageous terrorist activities in the contemporary world are direct or indirect repercussions of degradation of consanguine families to nuclear families. This individualism in the society provides fertile breeding ground for torrent of immoderate emotions to mushroom. The presence of a cracked education system has augmented menaces of belligerence and brutality manifolds because it teaches means of churning out money without providing guidance for character building or indoctrination of tolerance, ethical values and moral principles. The existence of a capitalist economic system that is based on exploitation has developed sense of deprivation in the people scrapping the bottom of the barrel. They resort to violent means to settle their scores with the loaded on-velvet class whom they consider responsible for their dismal state of affairs. Deliberate distortion of religious instructions by the vested interests to inculcate extremism instead of instilling grains of forbearance and fraternity through actual religious teachings has resulted in several incidents of bloodshed. Corollary of delivering fierce speeches that instill violence and propaganda of wheeler-dealer and paranoid mass media to spread such loath-laden print and telecast materials adds fuel to the fire. Unbridled freedom of expression that ignites and insult sentiments of others incites people to fiercely retaliate in the name of protecting their faiths and ideologies. In the contemporary world man has made progress in the scientific arena with gigantic strides. But, sarcastically, with each passing day he is becoming more indifferent and brutal because of unchecked burgeoning and misuse of scientific technology that have thrown gleams of anticipation to found global harmony and peaceful co-existence to the back burner. He has prepared deadly weapons of mass destruction that can steamroll the whole human race in case of eruption of a global warfare. Therefore, all his progress in this context is counterproductive.
Waging of unjust wars by the power intoxicated crocodiles having hegemonic designs on the weak nation states are palpable testimonies of prevalence of gross social injustice at international level. Suppression of freedom and secessionist movements by the potent sovereign states and abuse of giants' strength by the states sponsoring terrorism have generated vengeance in the oppressed community against their oppressors. The power drunk global fat cats are politically subjugating and economically exploiting those already skating on their uppers all over the world. The powerful countries adopt double standards to fix intricate international issues. The only global organization UN is a toothless lion that has been hijacked by those power inebriated countries who conceived it to legitimize their illegitimate actions. Therefore, it has badly botched to resolve intricate regional and global issues on just basis. The sufferer regions facing unresolved predicaments have become thriving breeding lands of miscreants. Decay of state institutions, occurrence of despotism and pervasiveness of poverty-stricken, illiterate and unemployed teeming millions especially in the developing countries have shattered trust of their publics in their nation states. Such suffocating ambiance provides fertile grounds for extremism and terrorism to rapidly flourish.
There is great diversity of reasons that induce suicide bombers to tear down themselves. Generally speaking suicide bombers wreak havoc due to certain ideological missions or the sufferers use self-immolation operations to inflict vengeance on their adversarial aggressors to settle scores. The Kamikazes used suicide air strikes because they followed ritual of altruistic suicide (Hara-kiri).The Japanese hailed those suicide pilots national heroes because they sacrificed their lives in hour of need to safeguard their national cause. The PKK fighters and Tamil Tigers of the LTTE engaged in secessionist missions are following their ethnic ideologies. Natives of Lebanon , Palestine , Afghanistan and Iraq used suicide operations against their oppressors and foreign invaders to get rid of them so that their upcoming generations can breathe in an alive and kicking ambiance of liberty. Although, these regions have become breeding grounds of extremist elements but on any international criteria the violence of the natives fighting for freedom from the clutches foreign intruders is totally justified. Suicides bombing incidents in Pakistan are direct or indirect repercussions of Pakistan 's support in American War on Terrorism. Foreign intelligence agencies are also sponsoring these horrendous attacks to create instability in Pakistan to dismember and denuclearize it.
Suicide bombings ensuing due to revenge are prevalent in certain regions where sanguinary conflicts among various ethnic, religious and interest groups are ubiquitous. Kith and kin or sympathizers that share common affiliations with sufferers' tribe, sect or religious group become bloodthirsty enemies of the perpetrators, supporters and sponsors of martial actions. Suicide bombers follow different religions that reveal absurdity of the western claim that Islamic fundamentalists are involved in wreaking martyrdom operations to kill others. The Kamikazes were followers of Shintoism, the Tamil Tigers tread in the steps of Hinduism while the PKK fighters were the followers of Marxist-Leninist ideology before dismemberment of the Soviet Union . Even now their struggle is for ethnic purpose rather than for any religious ideology. In Lebanon and Palestine suicide bombing is a poor man's weapon against the latest technology possessing military powers. In Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan suicide operations are repercussions of rabid American policies in the past and the so-called War against Terrorism that is actually war on resources because blood-spattered repercussions of 9/11 tragedy speak volumes that it was carried out to crush Muslims and to suck resources of the Islamic world.
Mainstream of the suicide bombers belong to male gender but in certain regions females are substantially participating in inflicting these most violent operations. The Black Widows of Chechnya and the female suicide bombers of the PKK are more in numbers than the males committing such fierce actions. About 30-40 percent of the suicide bombers belonging to Tamil Tigers were females. In case of Iraq , Afghanistan , Pakistan , Lebanon and Palestine the numbers of female suicide bombers pale into insignificance in comparison of their male complements. The female suicide bombers have an edge over the male ones because they look pregnant by wearing explosive belts under their clothes. In the underdeveloped countries all-inclusive searching of females in considered unethical. Therefore, they face little interception and more easily escape from the grip of law enforcement agencies than their male counterparts to target their enemies.
Blood-stained history of dying to kill operations reveals that preponderance of the suicide bombers were of 15-25 years that were brainwashed by the experienced persons for certain mission because it is very easy to convince expressively thrilling young people as compare to double-check aged ones for inflicting terrorism. Veteran leading persons of various regional, religious and ethnic groups engaged in ideological, secessionist or freedom movements prepare suicide bombing squadrons of persuaded and emotionally charged persons to foist vengeance on their enemies. In majority of the cases the suicide bombers belong to ethnic, sectarian or religious minority group who target civilians, security personnel, top leadership, and government installations of their opponents. In perspective of suicide bombers they are being trained for ultimate sacrifice to safeguard their ethnic, regional or ideological concerns. The suicide belts or jackets are the most common weapons. Sometimes the determined violent missionaries blow up explosive-laden vehicles after striking their targets to cause maximum damage to their rivals. Kamikazes used obsolete aircraft to strike American naval vessels during the World War II. In 9/11 attacks passenger planes were used to target the Twin Towers and the Pentagon that were icons of American economic power and military strength respectively.
Suicide bombings have grave implications for social, political and economic fabric of the suffering country by damaging its image in the constellation of nations. Gradually worsening law and order situations in the volatile regions have generated uncertainty and fear in the communities where war and terrorism are ruling the roost. Terrorist incidents have deep psychological impact on injured victims and bystanders especially children. The observers of such incidents remain under influence of apprehensions and trepidations throughout their lives. Frequent exposures to dead and mutilated bodies telecast and printed by the mass media indoctrinate indifference and callous attitude in the viewers. There is massive loss of lives and permanent debilitations of the victims in suicide explosions. The whole family suffers if the earning person is being killed in a terrorist incident. Peaceful atmosphere is mandatory for foreign investment because uncertain security situation discourages investors to invest their moneybags where lives of the people are not safe. A government that fails to provide security of life and property to its own citizens cannot give any guarantee to the foreign investors. Volatile law and order situation also dishearten foreign tourists. Despite of the presence of glistening peaks, towering mountains, sprawling deserts, gushing rivers, historical monuments and archeological sites the tourism industry of Pakistan is in the doldrums because its Tourism Ministry has failed to magnetize foreign sightseers due to uncertain security situation.
Availability of strong justice dispensing institutions at national and international level by ladling out fairness can help in ending unjust military adventures and abuse of giant's strength by the power intoxicated dinosaurs. Establishment and promotion of genuine democracy can lend countenance to resolve various intricate issues through diplomacy instead of bullet operations. There must be responsible use of freedom of expression to avoid insulting sentiments of others because unchecked and irresponsible verbal diarrhea has given birth to several bloodstained repercussions. Media violence and xenophobic distortion should be restrained by framing a code of conduct because evil genius media personnel having bee in their bonnet can twist views of millions by printing and airing various events in unsavory light that can endanger peace in the world. Long nose top cats and worldwide organizations should relinquish double standards to put in place different twiddly affairs. The contemporary socio-economic problems should be resolved by framing sound and viable strategies to make certain that filings of humanity have easy access to means of livelihood and educational institutions. This can trim down ignorance and impoverishment by fixing dilemmas of illiteracy and unemployment that are staring several nation states in the face.
Revivification of consanguinity for proper upbringing of the individuals and reformation of education on moderate and modern line are essential for instilling tolerance in the subjects. Restructuring of economy to bridge the gap between the up-in-the-dough and the offscorings of humanity is the crying need of time that can bring to a halt fleecing of those skating on their uppers by those already wallowing in pelf and plenty. Renaissance of true religious teachings and overhauling of religious seminaries can indoctrinate open-mindedness in the followers of various religions and school of thoughts. Bluenose leading lights of the world should come down from their high horse to work for promotion of interfaith and intersect dialogues to highlight commonalities instead of differences in various ideologies to avert blood-spattered conflicts due to diehard misunderstandings. The leaderships of various nation states should imbibe genuine patriotism in their publics instead of blind nationalism to ward off flaring of any great war on chauvinistic lines. Rejuvenation of energetic intelligence and law enforcement agencies can nab miscreants by tracing their networks and taking prompt steps to take them into custody. The above mentioned chain of steps can be very fruitful to scale down growing menaces of extremism, terrorism and suicide bombing.
Written by
Dr Tanvir Hussain Bhatti
Freelance International Columnist, Poet and Author of the Books "What Plagues Pakistan?" and "Live Balls of Fire"
HOUSE NO.53, GHAZALI FLATS, GOR-IV, N-BLOCK, MODEL TOWN EXTENSION, LAHORE. (Pakistan)
Contact number:+92-03028446455,03008446455