Why are most suicide attacks nearly exclusive to (radical) adherents of Islam?

Question

I read this over the weekend…

According to the Oxford University sociologist Diego Gambetta, editor of Making Sense of Suicide Missions, a comprehensive history of this troubling yet topical phenomenon, while suicide missions are not always religiously motivated, when religion is involved, it is always Muslim. Why is this? Why is Islam the only religion that motivates its followers to commit suicide missions?

What distinguishes Islam from other major religions is that it tolerates polygyny. By allowing some men to monopolize all women and altogether excluding many men from reproductive opportunities, polygyny creates shortages of available women. If 50 percent of men have two wives each, then the other 50 percent don't get any wives at all.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20070622-000002.xml

LabGrrl [LabNinja] - I am sorry but, you are insanely misinformed.

linda w – Please take your lies & misinformation elsewhere. Either site factual stats or reference me to websites to back up your claims or re-structure your answer to reflect facts. Thanks.

Answer 1

Sometimes having even a single wife is enough to give any man a better understanding of suicide than he might have had otherwise. [Humor]

I'd be inclined to dismiss the premise that religion, or multiple wives, carries the water for suicide attacks, now, or in history.

The Vikings, in berserker mode, the Janisaries, the Huks and even the US Marine Corps during WWII have occasionally demonstrated suicide attacks can happen in any culture.

Even the Mutually Assured Destruction scenario of the cold war was a mutual threat of suicide genocide.

I'd offer the opinion that rabid nationalism, profound courage, and single-minded determination are all that's required.

If the US had been occupied by China, or the USSR during the past 50 years I've no doubt Christianity would be blamed for terrorism and suicide attacks that would have certainly happened.

Whatever religion those US terrorists might have embraced.

Answer 2

It has more to do with asynchronous (attack here, attack there -- no confrontation), asymmetric (one power is far greater than the other) warfare. During the end of World War Two, that auspicious dishonor would have gone to the Shinto religion, because Kamikaze pilots were from Japan.

Without a doubt, there are more violent adherents of Islam than any other religion. It's not that I think Islam is bad, it's that I think they're all bad. Go back to 1200 CE, and you'd find that Christians were the most violent bunch.

Answer 3

Sounds like you're tying together their sexual frustration and suicide attacks. I suppose they must be related a bit, since a reward they are promised in their idea of heaven is 72 virgins to molest. LOL But I think it's more their culture than religion. Because there are peaceful Muslims here in America with only one wife and no plans to suicide bomb anyone. That part of the world is still pretty barberic, and should be avoided if not reformed.

Answer 4

hahha.. who ever wrote this is an idiot....

let me give you some real FACTS.. not theories..

1. It is verrrrrryyyyy RARE that any muslim man has more than 1 wife... and if you want to ask how many is rare... it is about 0.1% or less

2. even if what the author said is true... then he is more stupid... no one commits suicide because they can't find a spouse... and it does not make sense to be, since women in islam get have the right to accept or not the man if he asks for marriage.. and 99.99% of the time, she would say no if he was already married and would prefer an unmarried man

this is complete, as the british would say.. RUBBISH

Answer 5

yet another attack against the non-existant 'left' liberals'. The strawman is getting greater Raggety-Anne universal. in hassle-free terms for as quickly as i could opt to confirm those adult adult males preserve the completely bogus rules and politics of the Bush Junta without dragging the drained, previous lifeless corpse of their fashionable build, 'THE LIBERAL' into the equation. suitable at the back of the 'THE LIBERAL' comes Michael Moore, who has precisely a million/one thousand of the exposure of 'Decider' and yet 3/4 of the yank public consider Mike and disagree with George. unusual yet genuine. Given suitable wing radio on the air 24/7 and FOX community consistently workin' the room with their satisfied communicate Iraq blather you will think of that there does not be a murmer of opposition to the Bush Banditos 'take over the worldwide' BS. yet, human beings do see what's actual and what's nonsense...which in hassle-free terms proves trustworthy Abe's assessment....'you won't be in a position to fool all of the human beings all of the time'! Hiding at the back of the antics of the Islamic nitwits does not conceal the goofball antics of the Bush nitwits, no count how not hassle-free you try to blame the non-existant liberal boogyman for all it incredibly is undesirable in the worldwide! It ain't workin', bro....Bush is the enemy and the quicker this bum is long gone the quicker we are in a position to certainly come to grips with the 'different' enemy. No kiddin'!

Answer 6

Frankly, there are just as many Christian radicals attacking (McVeigh, Rudolph) but they have a prohibition against taking their own lives, so they tend to strap the bomb to OTHERS.

Edit:Do the math yourself hun.
Not counting areas of declared war, in which, in miltary terms, terrorism is NOT terrorism, but guerilla warfare or insurgency, you will find a Christian terrorist for every Islamic one.
Before 9-11 there was Oklahoma City.

Answer 7

It doesn't. it is just a political thing nailed on.
Of course with faith they think they are going to paradise, and that must help.

Answer 8

"Just as many Christian radicals attacking"? Let's see, there was....umm....Oklahoma City. Ok, so that's "Christians" one, Muslims.....well, everything since.

Ok, the IRA. But still....

Answer 9

are you trying to say that they blow themselves up to get away from having a bunch of wives???

Answer 10

allow me to corect you..."homicide attacks"...now I feel better