Caravan of Martyrs

Sacrifice and Suicide Bombing in Afghanistan

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Middle East Religions, Islam, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology, Political Science
Cover of the book Caravan of Martyrs by David B. Edwards, University of California Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: David B. Edwards ISBN: 9780520967823
Publisher: University of California Press Publication: May 9, 2017
Imprint: University of California Press Language: English
Author: David B. Edwards
ISBN: 9780520967823
Publisher: University of California Press
Publication: May 9, 2017
Imprint: University of California Press
Language: English

What compels a person to strap a vest loaded with explosives onto his body and blow himself up in a crowded street? Scholars have answered this question by focusing on the pathology of the “terrorist mind” or the “brainwashing” practices of terrorist organizations. In Caravan of Martyrs, David Edwards argues that we need to understand the rise of suicide bombing in relation to the cultural beliefs and ritual practices associated with sacrifice.

Before the war in Afghanistan began, the sacrificial killing of a sheep demonstrated a tribe’s desire for peace. After the Soviet invasion of 1979, as thousands of people were killed, sacrifice took on new meanings. The dead were venerated as martyrs, but this informal conferral of status on the casualties of war soon became the foundation for a cult of martyrs exploited by political leaders for their own advantage. This first repurposing of the machinery of sacrifice set in motion a process of mutation that would lead nineteen Arabs who had received their training in Afghanistan to hijack airplanes on September 11 and that would in time transform what began as a cult of martyrs created by a small group of Afghan jihadis into the transnational scattering of suicide bombers that haunts our world today.

Drawing on years of research in the region, Edwards traces the transformation of sacrifice using a wide range of sources, including the early poetry of jihad, illustrated martyr magazines, school primers and legal handbooks, martyr hagiographies, videos produced by suicide bombers, the manual of ritual instructions used by the 9/11 hijackers, and Facebook posts through which contemporary “Talifans” promote the virtues of self-destruction. 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

What compels a person to strap a vest loaded with explosives onto his body and blow himself up in a crowded street? Scholars have answered this question by focusing on the pathology of the “terrorist mind” or the “brainwashing” practices of terrorist organizations. In Caravan of Martyrs, David Edwards argues that we need to understand the rise of suicide bombing in relation to the cultural beliefs and ritual practices associated with sacrifice.

Before the war in Afghanistan began, the sacrificial killing of a sheep demonstrated a tribe’s desire for peace. After the Soviet invasion of 1979, as thousands of people were killed, sacrifice took on new meanings. The dead were venerated as martyrs, but this informal conferral of status on the casualties of war soon became the foundation for a cult of martyrs exploited by political leaders for their own advantage. This first repurposing of the machinery of sacrifice set in motion a process of mutation that would lead nineteen Arabs who had received their training in Afghanistan to hijack airplanes on September 11 and that would in time transform what began as a cult of martyrs created by a small group of Afghan jihadis into the transnational scattering of suicide bombers that haunts our world today.

Drawing on years of research in the region, Edwards traces the transformation of sacrifice using a wide range of sources, including the early poetry of jihad, illustrated martyr magazines, school primers and legal handbooks, martyr hagiographies, videos produced by suicide bombers, the manual of ritual instructions used by the 9/11 hijackers, and Facebook posts through which contemporary “Talifans” promote the virtues of self-destruction. 

More books from University of California Press

Cover of the book Invisible Families by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Thoreau and the Language of Trees by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Dear Mark Twain by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Listening to Killers by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Partner to the Poor by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Classifying Christians by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Seeking Good Debate by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Terroir and Other Myths of Winegrowing by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Sensational Movies by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Field Guide to Birds of the Northern California Coast by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book The Photographic Object 1970 by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Gentlemen and Amazons by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Land of Blue Helmets by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Railtown by David B. Edwards
Cover of the book Principles of Data Management and Presentation by David B. Edwards
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy