Posted on 03/20/2007 11:40:30 AM PDT by PRePublic
Via email:
Hello,
I saw your post on the documentary Suicide Killers back in December. A new trailer for the film has been posted on YouTube here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMY58O6nG7Y Trailer (NEW) The DVD of the film comes out on 5/1 and I’m helping spread the word about the film. I thought you might be interested in posting these trailers for the film...
Thanks!
D.
Movie Poster, stills etc - http://www.specialopsmedia.com/assets/SKassets.zip
Website: www.suicidekillers.com
Out on DVD 5/1/07
Synopsis
Directed by Pierre Rehov
With 9/11 marking the destruction of the World Trade Center, a new form of warfare was launched: fanatical human beings as tactical weapons. The phenomenon of “Islamic kamikazes” has spread throughout the world, with near-daily occurrences of this terrifying and deranged phenomenon – most notably in Israel.
Suicide Killers seeks to answer crucial questions: How can this phenomenon be explained? How can one after another human being strap an explosive belt around his or her body, walk into a square, market, café or store full of civilians and, in cold blood, detonate the bomb he’s carrying? In-depth inquiries are made via interviews with bombing survivors, would-be bombers held in Israeli prisons, and jailed terrorists who train others for and facilitate suicide bombings. Prominent experts in sociology, psychology, religion, the law and sexuality weigh in with their views on this distinctly modern-day phenomenon, on this gripping documentary.
Amazon Buy link : http://www.amazon.com/Pierre-Rehov-Suicide-Killers/dp/B000NVHWIE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6080802-2688026?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1173121756&sr=8-1
"Prominent experts in sociology, psychology, religion, the law and sexuality weigh in with their views on this distinctly modern-day phenomenon,"
Apparently these 'experts' didn't notice Japan's behavior in WWII, or the Viet Cong...
You have a point, I'd say 'religious Islamists' are probably far worse than the Japs' phenomenon, since they mix in (supposedly) religion into 'Kamizakizism'.
I could be wrong, but didn't the Japanese code sort of mix the Bushido code with the idea of imperial divinity?
...or the Muslim "Assassins" during the Crusader Kingdom period of the Middle Ages.
Lori Allen, a University of Chicago anthropology graduate student, conducted research in the West Bank under a Social Science Research Council-GSC Program fellowship and wrote an article that first appeared in Middle East Report 223 (Summer 2002). In that article she wrote that the "Average Bomber" was not driven to self destruction by dispair and that neither does poverty explain the motivation for self destruction (to which I add - 'and the murder of innocents'), rather, that a combination of faith and conviction motivates (suicide) bombers:
"Religion is the factor that creates the bravery in [the suicide bomber] to be a martyr. And religion makes him (or her) highly sensitive to the issue of justice [to which I add - a perverted blind since of his/her distorted (by the Islamist's definition and teachings)] view of what constitutes justice.
After reading Lori's article, I reread the words, "Religion is the factor that creates the bravery in the bomber to be a martyr. And religion makes him highly sensitive to the issue of justice." Subsequently, the first thought that came to mind was, "That's one hell of a distortion of reality to get out of a 'religion,' and when did murder, suicide, and maiming innocent people have anything to do with God or religion? But of course we're not talking about just any religion, where talking about Islam. And, we're in the year 2005, three years after Lori's report, so are the motives the same?
Today, for a more up to date analysis, we can look to Andrew Cochran writing at The CounterTerrorism Blog on his appearance on MSNBC's "Connected" program to discuss the 7/7 London attacks. One of his fellow guests was Pierre Rehov, a French filmmaker who has filmed six documentaries on the intifada by going undercover in the Palestinian areas. Pierre's upcoming film, "Suicide Killers," is based on interviews that he conducted with the families of suicide bombers and would-be bombers in an attempt to find out why they do it.
What Drives A Suicide Bomber To Be A Suicide Bomber?
From interviews of would-be suicide bombers, their families and survivors
"Suicide Killers," a film by Pierre Rehov, is based on interviews that he conducted with the families of suicide bombers and would-be bombers in an attempt to find out why they do it. Pierre agreed to my request for a Q&A interview here about his work on the new film. Many thanks to Dean Draznin and Arlyn Riskind for helping to arrange this special interview.
What inspired you to produce Suicide Killers,? your seventh film?
I started working with victims of suicide attacks to make a film on PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) when I became fascinated with the personalities of those who had committed those crimes, as they were described again and again by their victims. Especially the fact that suicide bombers are all smiling one second before they blow themselves up.
What was it like to interview would-be suicide bombers, their families and survivors of suicide bombings?
It was a fascinating and a terrifying experience. You are dealing with seemingly normal people with very nice manners who have their own logic, which to a certain extent can make sense since they are so convinced that what they say is true. It is like dealing with pure craziness, like interviewing people in an asylum, since what they say, is for them, the absolute truth. I hear a mother saying "Thank God, my son is dead." Her son had became a shaheed, a martyr, which for her was a greater source of pride than if he had became an engineer, a doctor or a winner of the Nobel Prize. This system of values works completely backwards since their interpretation of Islam worships death much more than life. You are facing people whose only dream, only achievement is to fulfill what they believe to be their destiny, namely to be a shaheed or the family of a shaheed. They don't see the innocent being killed, they only see the impure that they have to destroy.
What insights did you gain? What do you know that other experts do not know?
I came to the conclusion that we are facing a neurosis at the level of an entire civilization. Most neuroses have in common a dramatic event, generally linked to an unacceptable sexual behavior. In this case, we are talking of kids living all their lives in pure frustration, with no opportunity to experience sex, love, tenderness or even understanding from the opposite sex. The separation between men and women in Islam is absolute. So is contempt toward women, who are totally dominated by men. This leads to a situation of pure anxiety, in which normal behavior is not possible. It is no coincidence that suicide killers are mostly young men dominated subconsciously by an overwhelming libido that they not only cannot satisfy but are afraid of, as if it is the work of the devil. Since Islam describes heaven as a place where everything on earth will finally be allowed, and promises 72 virgins to those frustrated kids, killing others and killing themselves to reach this redemption becomes their only solution.
People don't understand the devastating culture behind this unbelievable phenomenon. My film is not politically correct because it addresses the real problem?showing the real face of Islam. It points the finger against a culture of hatred in which the uneducated are brainwashed to a level where their only solution in life becomes to kill themselves and kill others in the name of a God whose word, as transmitted by other men, has became their only certitude.
You say suicide bombers experience a moment of absolute power, beyond punishment. Is death the ultimate power?
Not death as an end, but death as a door open to the after life. They are seeking the reward that God has promised them. They work for God, the ultimate authority, above all human laws. They therefore experience this single delusional second of absolute power, where nothing bad can ever happen to them, since they become God's sword.
Is there a suicide bomber personality profile? Describe the psychopathology.
Generally kids between 15 and 25 bearing a lot of complexes, generally inferiority complexes. They must have been fed with religion. They usually have a lack of developed personality. Usually they are impressionable idealists. In the western world they would easily have become drug addicts, but not criminals. Interestingly, they are not criminals since they don't see good and evil the same way that we do. If they had been raised in an Occidental culture, they would have hated violence. But they constantly battle against their own death anxiety. The only solution to this deep-seated pathology is to be willing to die and be rewarded in the after life in Paradise.
Are suicide bombers principally motivated by religious conviction?
Yes, it is their only conviction. They don't act to gain a territory or to find freedom or even dignity. They only follow Allah, the supreme judge, and what He tells them to do.
Do all Muslims interpret jihad and martyrdom in the same way?
All Muslim believers believe that, ultimately, Islam will prevail on earth. They believe this is the only true religion and their is no room, in their mind, for interpretation. The main difference between moderate Muslims and extremists is that moderate Muslims don't think they will see the absolute victory of Islam during their life time, therefore they respect other beliefs. The extremists believe that the fulfillment of the Prophecy of Islam and ruling the entire world as described in the Koran, is for today.
Describe the culture that manufactures suicide bombers.
Oppression, lack of freedom, brain washing, organized poverty, placing God in charge of daily life, total separation between men and women, forbidding sex, giving women no power whatsoever, and placing men in charge of family honor, which is mainly connected to their women's behavior.
What socio-economic forces support the perpetuation of suicide bombings?
Muslim charity is usually a cover for supporting terrorist organizations. But one has also to look at countries like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are also supporting the same organizations through different networks. The ironic thing in the case of Palestinian suicide bombers is that most of the money comes through financial support from the Occidental world, donated to a culture that utterly hates and rejects the West (mainly symbolized by Israel).
Is there a financial support network for the families of the suicide bombers? If so, who is paying them and how does that affect the decision?
There used to be a financial incentive in the days of Saddam Hussein ($25,000 per family) and Yasser Arafat (smaller amounts), but these days are gone. It is a mistake to believe that these families would sacrifice their children for money. Although, the children themselves who are very attached to their families, might find in this financial support another reason to become suicide bombers. It is like buying a life insurance policy and then committing suicide.
Why are so many suicide bombers young men?
As discussed above, libido is paramount. Also ego, because this is a sure way to become a hero. The shaheeds are the cowboys or the firemen of Islam. Shaheed is a positively reinforced value in this culture. And what kid has never dreamed of becoming a cowboy or a fireman?
What role does the U.N. play in the terrorist equation?
The UN is in the hands of Arab countries and third world or ex-communists countries. Their hands are tied. The UN has condemned Israel more than any other country in the world, including the regime of Castro, Idi Amin or Kaddahfi. By behaving this way, the UN leaves a door open by not openly condemning terrorist organizations. In addition, through UNRWA, the UN is directly tied to terror organizations such as Hamas, representing 65 percent of their apparatus in the so-called Palestinian refugee camps. As a support to Arab countries, the UN has maintained Palestinians in camps with the hope to "return" into Israel for more than 50 years, therefore making it impossible to settle those populations, which still live in deplorable conditions. Four-hundred million dollars are spent every year, mainly financed by U.S. taxes, to support 23,000 employees of UNRWA, many of whom belong to terrorist organizations (see Congressman Eric Cantor on this subject, and in my film "Hostages of Hatred").
How can we put an end to the madness of suicide bombings and terrorism in general?
Stop being politically correct and stop believe that this culture is a victim of ours. Radical Islamism today is nothing but a new form of Nazism. Nobody was trying to justify or excuse Hitler in the 1930s. We had to defeat him in order to make peace one day with the German people.
Are these men traveling outside their native areas in large numbers? Based on your research, would you predict that we are beginning to see a new wave of suicide bombings outside the Middle East?
Every successful terror attack is considered a victory by the radical Islamists. Everywhere Islam is expands there is regional conflict. Right now, their are thousands of candidates for martyrdom lining up in training camps in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Pakistan. Inside Europe, hundreds of illegal mosques are preparing the next step of brain washing to lost young men who cannot find a satisfying identity in the Occidental world. Israel is much more prepared for this than the rest of the world will ever be. Yes, there will be more suicide killings in Europe and the U.S. Sadly, this is only the beginning.
http://counterterrorismblog.org/2005/07/interview_with_pierre_rehov_do.php
I still think (IMHO) that most if not all 'did it' on a national 'pride', though a crazy exttreme one.
Thanks for the article/interview, very insightful.
From what I heard directly from many aspiring to “shahada” (martyrdom) that I interviewed in prison, and in the streets of some Palestinian towns and villages, you do not start thinking about becoming a suicide killer in reaction to an Israeli tank. The idea starts in the mosque. Yes, where, every Friday, most Imams mix up religious and political sermons, where they say that the Jews are the descendants of Apes and Pigs, deserving no mercy after having betrayed God himself, and killed most of the Prophets. And next, the idea is further advanced by Palestinian television where those sermons are mixed up with video clips showing Israeli soldiers raping Palestinian women and targeting children. And where numerous programs stage “martyrs” talking from heaven about the delights of the afterlife, and of the 72 virgins waiting for Allah’s good servants. And then later in the streets, the kids who have been poisoned against the Jews in the mosques and on television, play “martyrs and Jewish pigs” the same way western kids play cowboys and Indians.
And finally, all of this organized incitement that structures a religious aim behind a political one would not be sufficient to compel any kid to sacrifice his life in the massacre of innocent civilians if this were not orchestrated within a highly repressive culture. Visiting Gaza, talking to students, to women (who were in grave danger just because they were talking to me), I could apprehend the mechanics of a civilization capable of creating such “heroes.”
Imagine a world where separation between men and women is virtually absolute. Where not only sex is a taboo, but where a woman’s body is considered to be so impure that it must be hidden at all times. Where women are second-class citizens and where a teenage girl can be slaughtered by her own father, brother or cousin, if only she is suspected of having lost her virginity. These crimes of “honour” take place almost on a daily basis.
In this chauvinistic land, a 16- or 18-year-old boy has a 99% chance of having never touched the hand of a girl nor having spoken to one, except for his sister. At this age where libido is at its peak, a young male is in need of these beautiful and forbidden sensations. He needs to prove to himself that he is a man, a future man. But, in this arena, there is no hope-only frustration. Dating and flirting are forbidden. Marriage is the only tolerated path to sex in the Muslim world. But without money there is no wife.
Ironically, while women are the object of the highest contempt, while the temporal existence of flesh is considered despicable (“seek for death, and eternal life will be given to you”- Prophet Mohammad), the promise of eternal life surrounded by 72 virgins is popularized daily through every arm of the Muslim media.
The misguided kids I interviewed while shooting “Suicide Killers” spoke of the 72 virgins with total conviction. “No one knows how much Allah would have given me in heaven if I had succeeded,” said one of them, who described his ideal target as a mall, a school or a hospital in Netanya.
The same people who danced in the streets during 9/11. Lovely.
BBC NEWS: "IRAQI SUICIDE BOMBING 'KILLS 15'" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "In another incident, Iraqi police said they shot dead a suspected suicide bomber as she tried to detonate her bomb at a Baghdad recruitment centre. The shots triggered her explosive belt, police said. Three police recruits received minor wounds from the explosion. The woman died.") (Last updated June 5, 2007, 17:34 GMT, 18:34 UK)
WTOP.com (AP): London - "STUDY SAYS IRAN TEXTBOOKS URGE MARTYRDOM" by Thomas Wagner, AP (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Textbooks used in Iran's schools are instilling students with hatred toward the West, especially the United States, and urging them to become "martyrs" in a global holy war against countries perceived to be enemies of Islam, a new study says. An Iranian human rights activist, Ghazal Omid, praised the findings, saying they prove hard-liners in Iran are using the books to turn children into "ticking bombs."") (February 8, 2007, 2:09 pm)
MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series - No. 1111: Palestinian Legislative Council Member 'Umm Nidal' on Saudi Iqra TV: A Muslim Mother Should Raise Her Children for Jihad Interviewer Iqra TV Director-General Critical of Arab TV Channels That Don't Support Martyrdom Operations" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The following are excerpts from an interview with Palestinian Legislative Council member "Umm Nidal" Farhat, aired on Saudi Iqra TV, on February 19, 2006. TO VIEW THIS CLIP, VISIT: http://www.memritv.org/search.asp?ACT=S9&P1=1066" (March 10, 2006)
FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "CONVERTS TO TERROR" by Daniel Pipes (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Islamist terror organizations particularly prize converts. They know the local culture and blend in.") (December 6, 2005)
MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series No. 1032: "REFORMIST SAUDI AUTHOR: RELIGIOUS CASSETTES ADVOCATED JIHAD BY EMPHASIZING MARTYR'S SEXUAL REWARDS" (November 23, 2005)
MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series - No. 983: "COMMANDER OF HAMAS MILITARY WING WOMEN'S UNIT: 'Our Members Yearn for Martyrdom'" (September 9, 2005)
CORRIERE.IT/english: Turin - "TURIN IMAM DEPORTED -- "HE'S DANGEROUS" Accused of praising Bin Laden. Como-based Tunisian activist also expelled." (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The ten children taking part in the ring-o'-roses protest beneath the market clock in Porta Palazzo were all wearing suicide bomber belts. The year was 1997, and that was the first time Bouriqi Bouchta, whose idea it was, attracted Italy’s attention.") (September 7, 2005)
MEMRITV.org/Transcript - Video Clip No. 838 - 8/31/2005: " 8/31/2005 Clip No. 838: "Sheik of Al-Azhar Muhammad Tantawi Explains on Al-Hurra TV When a Suicide Bomber Becomes a Martyr and When He Is Not" (TRANSCRIPT SNIPPET: "Following are excerpts from an interview with Sheik of Al-Azhar Muhammad Sayyed Tantawi, which aired on Al-Hurra TV on August 31, 2005")
MEMRI TV.org - Clip No. 843 - Transcript: "SAUDI IQRA TV RAISES MONEY FOR PALESTINIAN INTIFADA" (TRANSCRIPT SNIPPET: "Caption: The Saudi committee for support of the Al-Quds Intifada. Account number 98, a joint account in all Saudi banks.") (August 29, 2005)
MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series - No. 909: "BAHRAINI AUTHOR AND JOURNALIST: THE PROPONENTS OF THE SUICIDE IDEOLOGY HAVE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "In an article that appeared in the Saudi daily Al-Yawm, titled "The Globalization of Islamic Suicide" author and journalist Sawsan Al-Sha'er wrote that the extremist Islamist groups are taking advantage of global communications to recruit suicide bombers, and predicted the spread of the suicide bomber phenomenon to Britain as well.") (May 17, 2005)
MEMRI.org - MIDDLE EAST MEDIA RESEARCH INSTITUTE Special Report - No.32: "MEMRI TV Project Special Report: Arab and Iranian TV Clips in Support of Suicide Bombing" (September 1, 2004)
JIHAD WATCH.org: "RATIONAL, EDUCATED AND PROSPEROUS: JUST YOUR AVERAGE SUICIDE BOMBER" (May 15, 2004)
SAAG.org - SOUTH ASIA ANALYSIS GROUP: "SUICIDE & SUICIDAL TERRORISM" by B. Raman (March 12, 2004)
JIHAD WATCH.org (HAARETZ): "10 SUICIDE BOMBINGS FOILED OVER PASSOVER HOLIDAY" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "One of two Tanzim activists caught at the end of March told interrogators the group that sent them had planned a series of other attacks, including one with a device to which blood infected with AIDS would be attached.") (April 13, 2004)FrontPageMagazine.com: "AFFLUENT GENOCIDE" by Robert Spencer (October 14, 2003)
NEW SCIENTIST.com: "SUICIDE BOMBERS MAY SPREAD DISEASE" (July 24, 2002)
WTVT.com - FOX13 Investigative: "JIHAD FOR KIDS" (February 4, 2002)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.