Teenage Suicide Bomber Sought Paradise and 72 Virgins

[Chen]

The teenage suicide bomber, caught by Israeli soldiers at a West Bank checkpoint, said he wanted to reach paradise where 72 virgins were waiting for him.

Hussam Abdo, 16, told the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot, he had learned about paradise in school.

“A river of honey, a river of wine and 72 virgins. Since I have been studying Koran I know about the sweet life that waits there,” he said.

Source: http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2696114

 

[The_Professional]

72 virgins?..too bad it didn't specify whether It's 72 female or male virgins waiting for him. Hell must really suck for him now

 

[Shahil]

Right...I'm thinking that the problem here is not getting your 72 virgins - that, I think, is fine BUT the worrying thing is that people are being guided away from their faith because of this?

How?

it seems that material well-being no matter what the type is - is more important than spirituality. Ain't spirituality the basic be-all-and-end-all of all religions?

Or is religion just failing like humanity...

 

[Adam]

I saw another news report earlier today that said the whole thing was crap, a stunt by the IDF to paint Palestinians in a bad light.

 

[Chen]

Even the boy's parents confirm the story so this conspiracy theory doesn't really fly, Adam.

 

[Njorl]

72 virgins? I'd want a few with a little experience.

Njorl

 

[olde drunk]

it never ceases to amaze me how a repressive regime (gov't or religion) can prohibit the exposure of 'skin' cause it leads to bad thoughts. Will then promise the repressed with the reward in heaven than he can't have while alive. now that's good psychological manipulation.

I wonder which religious leaders do this?

peace,

 

[The_Professional]

These suicide bombers have no game, they're that desperate to get laid. Even Bin laden who lived in a cave had ten wives.

 

[Njorl]

Perhaps the key to revolution is to keep young men horny and frustrated.

Njorl

 

[member 5645]

Perhaps the key to revolution is to keep young men horny and frustrated.

Njorl

I have a theory that younger men are more violent than adults, not because they are less mature, but because they are hornier, and thus angrier.

 

[enigma]

Did anyone see Bill Maher last week? He had a whole rant made up about this...

"Women of the world, there is a cure for terrorism... and you're sitting on it!"

"We need to send in an army of skanks, a brigade of ho's," etc...

Had me laughing for a while

 

[jimmy p]

oh the young men ARE angry! They are angry that old gits like Bin Laden have 10 women while they only have their over-active imaginations.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Just because they are virgins doesn't mean they are attractive

 

[Janitor]

Is Britney Spears still a virgin?

 

[chroot]

Virgins totally suck in bed. Sheesh. Who'd want that "heaven?" I'm with Njorl.

- Warren

 

[ShawnD]

Just because they are virgins doesn't mean they are attractive

Which is exactly why they're virgins.

 

[jimmy p]

hahaha good point Shawn. Maybe ugliness is attractive to these people. Wait, does that work?

 

[ShawnD]

One thing we are forgetting is that women over there cover themselves completely. You can't tell who is a little thick and who is in perfect supermodel condition. You can't even tell a pretty face from an ugly face!

 

[enigma]

Not only that, but girls and boys are completely segregated. You don't even get to talk to a woman unless you're married to her, and you can't marry her unless you can support a family. IIRC, unemployment is over 40% in many/most Middle Eastern countries.

 

[ShawnD]

You don't even get to talk to a woman unless you're married to her, and you can't marry her unless you can support a family. IIRC, unemployment is over 40% in many/most Middle Eastern countries.

So that means 40% of men don't get to talk to women or see women at all? No wonder they're so willing to kill themselves.

 

[enigma]

Yep. Bill Maher was joking about it, but it isn't really a laughing matter if you think about it for a while...

 

[motai]

One thing we are forgetting is that women over there cover themselves completely. You can't tell who is a little thick and who is in perfect supermodel condition. You can't even tell a pretty face from an ugly face!

Add that to the 40% meeting ratio and it drops down the ratio quite considerably, because finally when you do meet them, you have no idea what they look like.

On another note, since they are covered completely, wouldn't they be lacking certain vitamins that normally are produced when exposed to UV radiation?

 

[Adam]

Even the boy's parents confirm the story so this conspiracy theory doesn't really fly, Adam.

Hardly a conspiracy theory. I merely reported something seen on a news website.

http://www.nizkor.org/features/fallacies/appeal-to-ridicule.html

 

[Monique]

On another note, since they are covered completely, wouldn't they be lacking certain vitamins that normally are produced when exposed to UV radiation?

Vitamin D undernutrition can be a problem yes under such conditions.

 

[kuengb]

I don't want to disturb your cheerful talk but I can't find anything amusing about a 16 year old suicide-bomber-to-be, no matter how many virgins are involved.

 

[Monique]

Everytime I am amazed when people refer to suicide bombers as barbaric people who are to blame for everything. I think it is a very sad state when people resort to such actions, they are people also you know..

Just the other day I was walking over to work and a group of girls were discussing very loudly and passionately how people turn a bad eye to the US. 'How can the US be blamed for the stuff that is happening?' 'People should be down to earth!' 'Dutch people are down to earth, they should see that the US carries no blame at all' 'It is the terrorists, the terrorists are to blame for everything'

To the point my hairs started to stand up and I proceeded to walk in a faster pace to not have to hear the rest of the discussion. The point of the story: I don't think the US should be blamed either. But terrorists are not a barbaric subrace. Sure, there are a few barbaric evil minds that run the organizations, but I can definitely begin to understand the mindset of a person grown up in such oppressive countries and under such rule. Anyway.

 

[plus]

Everytime I am amazed when people refer to suicide bombers as barbaric people who are to blame for everything. I think it is a very sad state when people resort to such actions, they are people also you know..

Just the other day I was walking over to work and a group of girls were discussing very loudly and passionately how people turn a bad eye to the US. 'How can the US be blamed for the stuff that is happening?' 'People should be down to earth!' 'Dutch people are down to earth, they should see that the US carries no blame at all' 'It is the terrorists, the terrorists are to blame for everything'

To the point my hairs started to stand up and I proceeded to walk in a faster pace to not have to hear the rest of the discussion. The point of the story: I don't think the US should be blamed either. But terrorists are not a barbaric subrace. Sure, there are a few barbaric evil minds that run the organizations, but I can definitely begin to understand the mindset of a person grown up in such oppressive countries and under such rule. Anyway.

So you are saying that people who want to take the lives of as many people as possible are not evil. Clearly the individual bombers themselves are not responsible for everything, but that does not make them nice people. Also, what makes the people who run the organisations that much worse than the bombers? Do you not think that the bombers would love to be in a position to run the war?

 

[Monique]

It is a very difficult issue to talk about since I don't know any of them and never have been to such cultures. Clearly the taking of lives is evil, but Bush did that too - does that make him evil? There are soldiers in Iraq fighting for Bush, does that make them evil automatically, or could it be that they themselves don't support the actions taken?

I don't know what goes on in the heads of suicide bombers. Do they just want to kill as many people possible, do they want 72 virgins, are they forces by the threat of cruelty to their families if they don't do it, is it the only means by which they know how to fight a war.

 

[plus]

It is a very difficult issue to talk about since I don't know any of them and never have been to such cultures. Clearly the taking of lives is evil, but Bush did that too - does that make him evil? There are soldiers in Iraq fighting for Bush, does that make them evil automatically, or could it be that they themselves don't support the actions taken?

I don't know what goes on in the heads of suicide bombers. Do they just want to kill as many people possible, do they want 72 virgins, are they forces by the threat of cruelty to their families if they don't do it, is it the only means by which they know how to fight a war.

Surely that is the point of al quaida. They wish to destroy the non islamic culture and people. The suicide bombers are often brainwashed to destroy and kill, thus turning them into evil people.

What Bush did in Iraq was to put an end to a tyranical regieme, ie. to prevent more killings by saddam hussein. But this is an entirely different issue and one which has been discussed many times before.

 

[Monique]

Sure, Bush is just a popular example to demonstrate the issue involved. The question that should be asked: why does Al Qaeda wish to destroy non-islamic culture? The issue here is how you distinguish between good and bad. Is it thinkable that these suicide bombers actually feel they are doing the right thing and don't realize that their viewpoint is obscured and twisted?

I just feel it is very dangerous to breed a hate against terrorists, since only hate is going to be given in return. Trying to understand what makes them undertake such actions might actually bring us a step closer to a resolution?

 

[The_Professional]

The suicide bombers think that what they are doing is just. Their interpretation of the Koran is to that ridiculous extreme, that blowing up innocent children is justifiable if you're fighting for a cause.

I feel it is perfectly logical to breed hate against terrorists. It makes you more aware, more careful. I'm not going to turn my other cheek on these guys when I know that my life and my loved ones are in danger. Before I came to this country, we have terrorists detonating bombs in malls, movie theatres and other public areas, that could have been me or my friends and family.

 

[Monique]

I feel it is perfectly logical to breed hate against terrorists.

It's a vicious cycle..

 

[Adam]

Logical to breed hate against terrorists, eh? Well, to say it is logical to breed hate against some group of people, or section of society, you need to first define the target. To me, a terrorist is any person or group who attacks civilian target for some political aim, whatever their excuse (such as religion, money, freedom, whatever). Even a vague association with the slimmest Beginner's Guide To History will show that just about every state on Earth has done this at one point or another. If it is logical to breed hate against terrorists, then it is logical to breed hate against every nation, culture, religion, tribe, et cetera, since at some point every group has done it. So if everyone is hating everyone, all we get is more of the same. Seems a tad illogical to me.

 

[Monique]

Exactly what I was thinking Adam :) thanks.

 

[Njorl]

Virgins totally suck in bed...

- Warren

That's how many of them maintain their virginity.



Njorl