THE QUESTION

Militants holding Pakistan's Red Mosque vowed to fight to the death this week -- and many of them did. What is the attraction to martyrdom?

Posted by Fareed Zakaria & David Ignatius on July 12, 2007 3:56 PM

FROM THE PANEL

Bashir Goth is a veteran journalist, freelance writer, the first Somali blogger and editor of a leading news website. He is also a regular contributor to major Middle Eastern and African newspapers and online journals.

Men Die for Other Men, Not for God

Hard as it may seem, I can understand people rejecting change and determined to continue to live as the Prophet lived in the 14th century. But what I cannot understand is how they are able to twist the words and actions of the Prophet, in whom they so vehemently believe, and commit such inhuman crimes in his name.

Bashir Goth Somalia/UAE | 112 COMMENTS
Jul 14, 2007 at 5:41 AM
Daoud Kuttab is a Palestinian journalist. He was born in Jerusalem in 1955. Presently he is a visiting professor at Princeton University in the United States. Mr. Kuttab is the former director of the Institute of Modern Media at Al Quds University in Ramallah, Palestine and the founder of AmmanNet, the Arab world's first internet radio station. His personal web page is www.daoudkuttab.com

Violence Not a Shortcut to End Conflict

Last spring, the Palestinian prime minister's spokesman wrote a courageous article criticizing a phenomenon he felt was prevailing among his people: trying to resolve every conflict by violence. The crisis in Pakistan this week shows further how individuals, movements and governments have lost patience with the time it takes to resolve conflicts, and are looking for shortcuts by using force.

Daoud Kuttab Princeton, NJ | 40 COMMENTS
Jul 13, 2007 at 9:56 AM
Lamis Andoni is a Middle East consultant for Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based news station. She has been covering the Middle East for 20 years. She has reported for the Christian Science Monitor, the Financial Times and the main newspapers in Jordan. She was a professor at the Graduate School in UC Berkeley.

End Occupation or Kill the Occupier?

Islamist martyrs, such as those in Palestine, have not always died for Islam. Many seek to end an occupation, not to fight unconditionally for an ideology. The students at the Red Mosque also sought to protest real injustice, but Musharraf's siege invoked martyrdom in those who felt condemned by the state whichever way they turned.

Lamis Andoni Doha, Qatar | 112 COMMENTS
Jul 12, 2007 at 4:02 PM
Miklós Vámos is a Hungarian novelist, screenwriter and talk show host. He is one of the most read and respected writers in his native Hungary. He has taught at Yale University on a Fulbright fellowship, served as The Nation’s East European correspondent, worked as consultant on the Oscar-winning film Mephisto, and presented Hungary’s most-watched cultural television show. Vámos has received numerous awards for his plays, screenplays, novels and short stories, including the Hungarian Merit Award for lifetime achievement. The Book of Fathers is considered his most accomplished novel and has sold 200,000 copies in Hungary.

Joys of Life vs. Reward for Belief

Martyrdom holds no attraction for those who appreciate nothing greater than the joys of living. And fortunately, most of us belong to this group. The rest of the world lives for beliefs, and for them the instructions of their religion are stronger than common sense. We should seek to understand each other's motivations; there are no simple solutions.

Miklos Vamos Budapest, Hungary | 133 COMMENTS
Jul 12, 2007 at 4:01 PM

READER RESPONSE

» d.h. | After reading the various comments, surprised to note that a number of different excuses seem to justify terrorism and suicide bombers. In fact, there...
» EastWest | You ask why some seek martyrdom? I ask why not? Could it be today's muslin martyrs see little hope in bettering their lives? Do not many come from im...
» A Khokar | Some Islamist although are being projected as the prime subject of Global war on terror like Al-Qaeda and others by western media but certainly their ...
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