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M A S S A C H U S E T T S I N S T I T U T E O F T E C H N O L O G Y M A S S A C H U S E T T S I N S T I T U T E O F T E C H N O L O G YApril 2006M I T C E N T E R F O R I N T E R N A T I O N A L S T U D I E S 06-07of the Conventional WisdomHuman Bombs: Rethinking Religion and TerrorNichole ArgoMIT Center for International Studiesuicide terror has become a daily news staple. Who are these Shuman bombs, and why are they willing to die in order to kill? Many observers turn to Islam for an explanation. They cite the pre-ponderance of Muslim bombers today, indoctrination by extremist institutions, and the language used in jihadi statements. But these arguments fall short. At present, bombers are primarily Muslim, but this was not always so. Nor does indoctrination play a strong role in growing today’s self-selected global jihad networks. Rather, militants and bombers are propelled by social ties. And even when jihadis use the Qur’an and Sunna to frame their struggle, their justifications for violence are primarily secular and grievance-based. So what is religion’s role? Almost 100 years ago, Emile Durkheim contended that religious 1ideation is born of sentiment. This is worth considering in the current context. Against the repression, alienation and political helplessness of the Muslim world, jihad speaks of individual dignity and communal power. ‘Against the Goliaths,’ martrydom says, ‘even one bursting body can make a difference.’ The Muslim street ...