We come across incidents of suicide terrorism attacks on a regular basis. Hundreds of reports on suicide bombers and the innocent victims who fall prey to the same. Have we attempted to analyse the psychology behind a so-called suicide bomber?
Suicide Terrorism A Solution by K C Eldho, a practising lawyer at the Kerala High Court is an attempt to answer this question. “The book is an effort to provoke serious thinking on the culpability of suicide terrorists and to strengthen our education system to save many innocents - both the suicide terrorists and the victims,” says the author.
Unlike the common belief in the society, which is slightly biased against suicide attackers, Eldho has focused on the possibility of innocents being misled or misguided by indoctrination. In an attempt to put the concept to test, he did a thesis with the Manchester University on this topic. The interactions that he had with philosophers, thinkers and the peer group, along with the vast literature that he consumed led to the creation of the book.
Instead of a peripheral view, the book touches upon the historical review of the act of suicide attack, vested interests behind the issue, the lasting impression that it has on the society and finally the philosophy of culpability and ignorance. In an effort to delve deep into the psychological aspects, the author looks at the historical aspects of the act.
Eldho has also analysed many actual incidents of suicide attacks starting from 9/11, to go to the depths of the socially-deplorable act. And he finally makes own conclusions about the act of suicide terrorism. Blameless ignorance is a possibility, he says there by intelligently putting forward the argument that “all suicide terrorists acting out of blameless ignorance are not culpable and it will be unfair to blame them.”
The author, clearly because of his social commitment, goes ahead thinking at the way ahead. Making philosophy a compulsory subject in the educational curriculum to prevent suicide terrorism is one of his suggestion.
The book provides a clear insight into why suicide terrorists choose the path, which is forbidden in the eyes of the society. The book is published by Partridge, a Penguin company.