While the world is reeling under the most recent attack on an Army school in Peshawar where innumerable children and teachers lost their lives to terrorists, people world over are expressing remorse over the incident. The incident definitely begs a very important question, what makes a terrorist? While everyone talks about world peace, we take this a step further and try to understand what goes on inside the mind of a terrorist.
Why are terrorist killing children? And why are children being taught to be terrorist?
In a very memorable episode of Vice, a show aired on HBO, Shane Smith, the co-founder of Vice went to Afghanistan to see what really makes a terrorist and why children were indoctrinated to be suicide bombers. His findings were shocking.
During the show, Shane talks to extremists and terrorists, some of whom were young boys who were barely 14-years -old. In one such segment Shane spoke to Kanjhar a 14-year-old suicide bomber who was caught by the police before he detonated his vest filled with explosives. Here is why the boy agreed to become a suicide bomber.
When he interviewed the boy said that when he was studying in a Madrasa they told him that if he 'committed' a suicide bombing he would go to paradise. When asked why and how he was ready to kill other human beings, the boy said that he had not read much of the Quran and that he didn't know much about what is allowed and what isn't. he added that 'they' told him that suicide was allowed and that he'd go to paradise. But when asked as to why he did not detonate his vest, Kanjhar says, ' When I was about to detonate it I thought if I press this button my body will be in pieces, what's the point of that. After being arrested I realise that I should not have done it.'
On the other hand Abdul, another suicide bomber who had also been arrested said that he was told that infidels were tearing the Quran and throwing it into the toilet. 'I was angry at seeing the prophet's name being insulted.' He adds. After talking about how he was asked to go to Afghanistan to train to fight against the infidels, Shane asks him if he knew who the infidels were. To this Abdul says, ' I don't know who they are, they told me that they came to Afghanistan and that we must commit Jihad and go to paradise.' ' I don't know the translation of the Quran, the imams told me about what is written in the Quran.' (As aired and translated on the television series)
While these boys spoke of what they were led to believe, there is another, more compelling side to these terrorists -- why pick the men they do?
In a 2011 interview with the Lutfulla Mashall, National Director of Security, Kabul Afghanistan, the Vice anchor asked him about why these terrorist organisations were using children to kill. In the interview he said, 'The reason teenagers, people who are not educated and those who are backward are selected for suicide bombing is because these people do not have an education, they have no understanding of what the religious texts actually say. Moreover they are gullible.' ' A person who has studied the Quran, a Talib or student, will never kill himself. He will fight and may die, but will not strap a bomb around himself and die.' He adds. What makes this entire thing absolutely macabre is the fact that most of these children are not told that they are carrying explosives. According to Lutfulla Mashall, these children are told they are carrying sacred documents and they must simply go and sit in front of a particular place. When the target arrives, the people from the Taliban, who have the remote, detonate the bomb. ' In some cases the boy is told that the bomb will explode, and has the remote in his hand but is taught that the bomb will explode forwards and not backwards; therefore it will kill the enemy and not him.'
While this can be one side of the coin and in my opinion, might sound a bit empathetic towards these people who kill millions of innocents, it does beg a very important question, How can a child kill another child? Why and how can a person kill others and himself? What must go in his mind while he kills? Are these humans born with the same emotions as us or are they monsters who have no feelings whatsoever? Well, to answer that question, we spoke to Dr Radha , now retired HOD of clinical psychology, JIPMER, Pondicherry. Here is what she had to say.
What sets these boys apart from those who break into schools and make it their mission to kill children? According to Dr Radha, 'There are many reasons these people do what they do. A look into their early childhood can be a good indicator or what happens in the mind of a terrorist or boy who is ready to kill innocent people.' Here are some reasons, that she says, help shape the mind of a terrorist.
The need for revenge
What tops the list is the need for revenge and the belief in the thought ' an eye for an eye'. In the case of the Peshawar bombing, the people who took responsibility for the bombing said that they did it because the Pakistani Army was killing their family members and therefore they decided to the Army's children. But what is pathetic is the fact that these men who actually carried this out did not think once that these children were innocent and had nothing to do with the killing of their families. The sense of wanting the blood of another is a very powerful catalyst and can fuel an entire mob to start a killing spree.
A troubled childhood
As per Dr Radha's assessment, things like a troubled childhood, broken families, abusive relationships, rejection by parents at a very early, poor living conditions, extreme poverty, lack of food, education and basic amenities can lead to this kind of mentality. But apart from all that, she says that the one thing that impacts a child's mind the most is being brought up and living in a place that sees only violence, bloodshed and hate.
Living with violence
To compound this these people are taught either directly or indirectly that they must fight for one holy cause. These people are either brought up in these environments where they see death and destruction on a daily basis and are lead to believe that this is the way of life.
Lack of basic education and understanding
People who become terrorists, be it a child or adult, also lack basic value education and do not understand the good from the bad. You must understand that these people live in an area where religious beliefs colour their view of the world, so what a religious leader says in right, is thought to be the gospel truth. These people do not know what real good from bad is.
Sadism
Another factor is that that most terrorists or those who kill are sadists. They feel no empathy and it does not bother them if they kill a child, an adult or anyone else. Seeing someone in pain gives them pleasure.
Mob mentality and the evolutionary need to belong
Apart from that the people who do these acts are often formed as a result of the mob mentality. These men and women want to be accepted in the groups they think they are a part of, and to achieve the groups combined goal.
The lack of empathy
Lack of empathy, and the belief that there are no bad consequences for their actions also urges them on. So they do they as they are told because their actions are rewarded by either the belief that they will go to paradise or get money.
Poverty and the need to care for their family
Apart from that these people are also from extremely poor families and are told that their family will get money, their sisters will be married off and their lives will be secure -- a lure that is more than enough to get them to join a terrorist movement.
But why do these people agree to die? What about the innate sense of defence we have?
You must realise that these people are told that if they die they are rewarded or their family is rewarded. So to them the long term benefits are larger and much better than living. Also these men are told that if they are caught they will be tortured, the larger mission will fail and they may be threatened with other dire consequences. They are also told that they should die and never be caught, because if they do then their lives will be worse than death.
All the reasons that make a terrorist aside, the fact that the world is at war is very disturbing. When children have to pay the price for something adults believe is a good cause, the end can never be a good one. We at TheHealthSite.com hope the families who have lost their loved ones to this pointless attack find some semblance of peace. Image source: Getty Images
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