Suicide bombers often portray themselves as martyrs who will be welcomed into Paradise. Technically, however, it’s only martyrdom if somebody else kills you, like shoots you or throws you to wild beasts. First, the tyrant or one of his henchmen kills you, and only then do you become a martyr.
The suicide bombers are not martyrs in this sense, because they themselves are initiating the act. They die by their own hand, rather than to suffer the humiliation of willingly dying at the hand of a tyrant for some noble cause or belief. Killing yourself is definitely not the same as allowing you yourself to be killed by the hand of another.
But here’s the worst of it. There are the innocent souls to consider, the ones who die as collateral damage. The reason suicide bombing is a most vile and presumptuous deed is because the innocent dead were denied a last prayer before being suddenly and unexpectedly sent to meet God. Even a criminal about to be executed is given an opportunity to make a final prayer. Suicide bombers deny their victims a final prayer.
If we believe in God, as Muslims, Jews and Christians do, then we should all respect the sacred, God-given right of every individual to have a final chance to prepare to meet God. And after all, it is only God who may take a human life.
And so it follows that, by taking unsuspecting, innocent lives, suicide bombers are presuming to perform an act that belongs to God alone. In doing so, they necessarily raise themselves to the level of God, and that is blasphemy. Suicide bombing is therefore an act of blasphemy.
If you are reading this, and you are considering becoming a suicide bomber or know someone who is, please consider what I’ve said. I know, you folks have legitimate beefs and scores to settle, and I totally respect that. But I’m sure God notices it, when you send so many innocent and unsuspecting souls His way. Don’t forget, when you yourself meet God, you will have to explain why you chose to send these souls to Him the way you did. You are answerable for the innocent lives you have taken.
Suicide bombing is a losing proposition, and for that matter, so are the targeted assassinations by drone aircraft. After a while, people get hardened to it, and it only builds resistance and defiance. Besides, there’s no way one side can possibly kill everybody on the other side. They tried that in Europe from 1914 to 1918. It didn’t work then, and I don’t think it’ll work now.