It's hard for rational people to understand why the family supports these horrible acts. But when faced with poverty, a strict dictatorship, and a distorted idea of religion then their ideas don't seem so immoral to them and their families. Did you realize that the average Muslim family gets 25,000 dollars for the sacrifice of their next of kin for a suicide bombing?
Along with the money they receive, the family members are left with the prestige, honor, and pride of having such a courageous son, husband, or loved one, and in their culture honor and pride are held very high in their lifestyles and beliefs. One example of a father's pride for his son who died as a suicide bomber on June 3rd, 2001 was in Tel Aviv. It is a story of a man named “Saeed Hotary, 22 years old, he was a Jordanian living in Kalkilya” and one night he blew himself up outside a “discotheque in the middle of a crowd of young people, killing 20.” His father was reported to say, “I am very happy and proud of what my son did and I hope all the men of Palestine and Jordan would do the
same.” Although to you and I his statements may sound indifferent, to him they were sincere.
As for the religious aspects of the suicide bombers and their beliefs there is many different directions and areas that we could explore. There are so many different points of views and opinions; the Qur'an itself has been translated many times by many different people. Although both Muslim and extremists believe in a God that goes by the name Allah and both religious foundations are based on the Qur'an. Their belief systems and moral actions are as different as night and day. Muslim people are kind, gentle, and peaceful while extremist or suicide bombers enjoy the terror they bring and attempt to justify their actions with religion. The extremist exaggerate the beliefs and word of the Qur'an, taking away all aspects of peace to create the concept of Jihad.
Jihad is the interpretation and obligation to their God. It is their way of creating military action out of a religious concept against anyone they feel is non-believers of Islamic rule. They have four main ways in which a believer may fulfill his obligation to Jihad. These obligations derived from the Qur'an but extremists have misused and misconceived them. The extremists “fulfill Jihad by: having faith in [their] heart; by preaching with [their] tongue; by doing good deeds with [their] hands; by confronting unbelievers or enemies with the sword.”
All religions have promises for better things to come whether in this life or in the next life. With Christianity you have the promise of heaven and external life. Muslims are promised 72 virgins at the gates of paradise for their sacrifices. This too gives incentive for what they call martyrdoms.
The big question though we all would like answered is why? Are they mentally disturbed? We all could guess and we all can judge, but that really would not get anymore answers than we have now. Throughout history religion has seen many battles and shed many lives, but the way the suicide bombers go about the bloodshed that they create is something we all don't understand. President Bush said, “Those who would commit suicide in their assaults on the free world are not rational,” really sums things up. No one can commit murder or suicide and be considered a rational human being.
