 Video Clip - Crossing Over - PLEASE CLICK  WARNING: This clip contains coarse language

 Not mainly depressed or lonely individuals  Are socially integrated, productive members of their community  Most are working-class and middle-class citizens  Most suicide terrorists are walk-in volunteers who are not long-time members of the terrorist organisation and, therefore, easy for intelligence services to track for years  Most suicide terrorists join the suicide terrorist group just a few months or even just a few weeks in order to do their very first act of violence - their own suicide terrorist attack (ABC, 2005)

 Al-Qaeda – a terrorist network.  Islam – The religion of the terrorist network.  The term itself “Islam”, is an Arabic word meaning “submission to God”, with its etymological roots firmly planted in Arabic “salam”, or in English “peace” (Bell, January 2002, p 82).  Most of the 1.3 Billion Muslims disagree with Al- Qaeda regarding it’s religious view (Bell, January 2002, p 85).

 Dr Abdullah Azzam - founder of Al-Qaeda was inspired by Sayyid Qutb writings.  Osama Bin Laden - educated under Sayyid’s brother Muhammad Qutb.

 Egyptian philosopher: 1906 – 1966  Trip to America  Rejection of American culture - including individualism, sexual freedoms, materialism and child rearing responsibilities of women.  Modern world VS human nature  Nietzsche = Greek logic  Qutb = Christian and Jewish errors  View short film about Qutb:

 Islamist – A political society based on ancient Koranic principles & sharia law.  Resist western invasion of culture and find an Islamic way.  Jihad – has different interpretations 1. Internal struggle against impurity 2. Holy war against non believers  The impossibility of social change without the death of pure innocent souls ( the jihadist).

 To struggle in the cause of God. (Loboda, 2004)  Two questions arise from this definition of jihad: 1. What does it mean to “struggle”? And 2. What is the cause of God?

 The early Muslim communities were surrounded by tribes and armies who wished to destroy Islam.  Jihad was necessary and the last resort to protect the peoples’ right to their own culture and faith.

 Jahiliyyah: Ignorance of divine guidance.  One who “rebels against the sovereignty of God on earth.”  Muhammad was sent to save people from jahiliyyah by calling for the recognition of one God and submission to Him.  Western civilisation has rejected Islam and refuses to accept the divine guidance provided through Muhammad.  Islam: The religion of the universe.  Obedience to any man-made government = Jahiliyyah  Due to the dominance of this evil (Jahili), Qutb believes that Islam must dismantle the West.  THE WAY: That every true Muslim must be a willing martyr to the victory of Islam.

 A promise of an eternal heavenly paradise.  Fear of going to Hell (Pit of Fire) for not serving God to the fullest extent.  Glorious death (that through death he triumphs and realises his hope in God)  Ultimate expression of their submission to Allah and Allah’s cause.

 Robert Pape’s book Dying to Win investigated 315 suicide attacks from 1980 to  Tamil Tigers: Hindu extremists, said to have invented the suicide jacket.  Hezbollah's campaign: only eight of 38 suicide terrorists he studied were Islamic fundamentalists. Most were from leftist political groups and three were Christian.  Japanese Kamikaze: used suicide bombing as a way of winning the war against the US in  Christian Crusaders: first suicide bombers.

The propaganda machine is sophisticated and Al Qaida itself says that 50% of its war is conducted through the media. In Iraq, attacks are regularly videoed and the footage downloaded onto the Internet within 30 minutes output/the-international- terrorist-threat-to-the-uk-1.html

 Most Muslims are not Islamic terrorists. Rather, most Muslims are against the actions taken by these groups.  The religious motivations are varied.  Personally  Spiritually  Politically  Intellectually  Emotionally  Overcoming the modern day terrorist.

 ABC. (2005). US 'misread motivation' of suicide bombers Report. Accessed August  Ali, Y. (2010). Are Jehad & Terrorism synonymous?. Accessed August  Bell, D. (January 2002). The World of Islam. National Geography. Australia  Berman, P. (October ). The Terrorists Philosopher. Good Weekend. Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney.  CBC News Online. (September 11, 2007). Accessed August  Dial, N. (2010) Terrorism: Media and fundinghttp://circlethewagons.net/category/get-dialed-in- with-nick-dial/. Accessed August

 Laboda, L. (2004). The thought of Sayyid Qutb. ome.html.  McGregor, A. (May ). Al-Qaeda's Egyptian Prophet: Sayyid Qutb and the War On Jahiliya. The Jamestown Foundation. tnews[tt_news]=449. Accessed August  Pape, R. (2005). Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism. Random House. New York.  WRF Publishing. (2010). Islamic Culture, Traditions and Terminology. ulture_and_terminology_pg2.php. Accessed August