Does the prospect of your wives and children becoming martyrs of Jihad fill you with joy?
Sadly, his answer might well be yes. They seem to be drawn to the hereafter because Islam certainly doesn't offer much hope for them in the present.
I am not sure that this is the case. I fear that the Islamists truly believe that Allah will protect them (after all, they believe that Allah sent the Tsunami because they were insufficiently devout).
Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
You may recall that, when bandits were raiding the territory of the great Khan of China from the border with the Persian Empire (I think led by the Caliph), an emissary was sent to ask for help - the Chinese would attack on one side and the Persians on the other, and eliminate the bandits. The Caliph decided that he couldn't be bothered by an infidel, so he sent the emissary's head back in a basket -- trusting that the Persian army and Allah would protect him.
The Chinese rolled in with a 1 million man army, utterly destroyed the first city they came to and slaughtered every man, woman, child, and animal inside it, and then rolled up the Persian Empire in short order, with special attention paid to the body of the Caliph (and the bandit that started the fiasco). I believe this was the first real full-scale defeat of the Muslims. Allah did not protect them.
The Ottoman empire allied with the Germans in WWI -- and so the Ottoman empire was carved up by the Allies into the States that you see today. This so affected the Turks, that they ended the Caliph system of rule, and separated Islam and State, and renamed their State to be Turkey. Allah did not protect them.
The Islamists, some of whom are led by Iran, are now declaring jihad against the West, trust that Allah will protect them ....
Interesting historical perspective and I see your point about Allah not always proving reliable as their "shield". Such misplaced trust has, in their past, lead to big mistakes as you stated. And probably will again in the future. As you said, those who do not learn...
However even if the jihadists don't receive the "protection factor" they expected, being killed is still not not a bad option. They believe they get that trip to paradise with all the generous perks. Besides, Islam is so hopelessly backward they have virtually no chance of catching up with an ever advancing western world. That was pretty much my point. Jihad is a way out. Either destroy the enemy or destroy yourself trying.