"Suicide in defense of Islam is permitted, and the Islamic suicide bomber is, in the main, a rational actor,"
Well, it's not so strange. One could Draw parallels with the Japanese Kamikaze suicide bomber, who sacrificed in the name of his Emperer. Certainly a "rational," act -- although I don't think that Imperial Japan went out of there way to target civilians.
TYPO:
"their" way NOT "there" way!