The Violence Of Voice - Essay Example

The Voice of Violence The Violence of Voice A voice can be ified as an individual or a group's ability to express their desires and grievances to those in authority and its influence upon actions taken to correct their problems. People without a voice are often those who feel that they are unable to effectively control their own lives. They exist in every society and culture on the globe. From minority groups in the United States to Shiite Muslims in the Middle East, people with a limited voice are not difficult to find. However, it is only those who are under severe repression, either perceived or real, who turn to violence as a method of discourse. Not out of cowardice or even despair, these suicide bombers want to be heard. It is not a question of social status or education; it is an attempt, the final attempt, to speak out; in the only way they know how. This is their voice. This is the thing that may appear peculiar to people who see the human soul as the most supreme thing. They are incapable of understanding this because their cultural structure has no concepts such as self-sacrifice and honor. These concepts do not exist in some cultures and thus they find themselves, in the face of these models (suicide bombers), in a state of denial, in a state of total denial they think that this is impossible, and therefore they begin to present idiotic and silly interpretations. (Sadeq, 2002, np) Introduction This paper will examine the use of violence as a voice and the effects it has upon society. I will use various case studies including the 1983 bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut as case studies for this discussion of voice through violence because suicide bombings are an extremely pertinent topic in light of current events. It is imperative that we as Americans begin to better understand why suicide bombing has become so prevalent around the world and here at home as well. For this to occur however, we must understand the roots of the problems, which drive people to act out in such a violent manner. I will demonstrate that suicide bombings are an abhorrent reaction to a loss of voice by a particular person or group. It is important to note that when discussing this topic, the term "suicide terrorism" cannot be used as a synonym for "suicide bombing". Terrorism, as defined by Title 22 of the US Code, Section 2656f (d), is an act of "premeditated, politically motivated violence perpetrated against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents, usually intended to influence an audience." This definition clearly fits things such as the attacks on the WTC and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 and a separate 1983 suicide attack in Beirut, which targeted the US embassy. In these cases, the victims of the attacks were civilians ("noncombatants"). Because of this, the above definition does NOT fit for the Beirut bombing that is discussed in this paper, which was an unconventional attack on United States military forces, specifically the Marine Corps. Beirut 1983 To this day, the only thing Marine Lance Corporal Eddie DiFranco can recall about the man who drove a truck past him on the morning of October 23, 1983 was how "he looked right at me [and] smiled". Seconds later, at 6:22am, the smiling driver rammed his bright yellow, explosive laden vehicle into the Marine Headquarters at Beirut. The blast that followed was later determined to have been the single most powerful non-nuclear explosion since WWII. 241 Americans were killed, crushed as the entire structure collapsed on top of the still sleeping Marines. (U.S. Marines, 2005, n.p.) They were killed by an enemy who was impossible to stop. Not because he had any technological or traditional advantages over his opposition, but because he was completely committed to bringing about his own annihilation. He was a suicide bomber. But who was the suicide bomber What did he / does he represent, and what would push him to kill himself and so many other human beings Credit for the attack was quickly claimed by the group "Hezbollah," and subsequent investigations led American authorities to believe that this is true. Hezbollah, deemed a terrorist organization by the US State Department, is a Shiite Muslim group which often resorts to violence to advance their political objectives. Founded in 1983, the organization rose out of a population enraged by Israel's invasion of their country. The Marine Corps had been moved into Lebanon as part of a multinational peace-keeping force by President Regan in 1983. The goal of the peace-keepers was to help stop the vast amounts of violence along the Lebanon/Israel border. It was this "occupation" which the suicide bomber who drove that truck into the barracks was in his mind crying out against. All those years of seeming prejudice and oppression spilled out in that one moment killing so many innocent lives. At the time the world, as a whole, did not realize the impact that that day would have on the history of suicide bombings for years to come. "When President Reagan ordered the Marines to leave Lebanon in January, 1984, not many Americans paid attention. But by some accounts, others did pay attention. That terrorist act of 20 years ago may have helped to convince some of America's adversaries that the United States, for all of its might, was vulnerable, that heavy losses could be inflicted upon it at a relatively low price." (Beirut Bombing 1983 CNN, 2003) A mere life and a vehicle with explosives had, in the mind of terrorist and generations of terrorist to come, brought the last remaining ' Super Power', the United States to its knees and expelled them from Beirut - liberation from those they perceived oppressed them. And yet, while it was happening, no one saw the implications. Ismail Maasawabi Ismail Maasawabi, a name few apart from his circle of family and friends ever heard. Growing up in Gaza City Ismail's life was like that of a thousand other children in that city. He grew up in a house with 8 siblings and all seemed to have a normal childhood. Ismail loved animals and would spend hours sitting under the trees in the yard holding the family's pet cat and draw or investigate the bugs and insects he would find. He was so much like any little boy. His mother said he was shy as a child but a good boy. When time came for school, Ismail excelled, always getting good marks. He grew up in a religious family, devout Muslims and Ismail was proud of this cultural heritage. Life in the Gaza Strip is difficult for many. "As a community, Gaza is like few places on Earth. It is desperately poor, with a dearth of natural resources. About 923,000 of Gaza's Arabs are registered refugees, including many displaced by Israel's 1948 War of Independence. More than half live in eight United Nations-administered refugee "camps," a euphemism for slums, some of the most squalid and densely populated areas in the world." (Rowley, 2004, n.p.) But Ismail had it a little better than most of his peers. He had a loving family and his father worked hard in a glass shop to support his family. They had a somewhat modest second floor flat; although not spacious it always 'felt like home'. Ismail's parents had a dream for him. That dream looked like it would be coming to fruition when Ismail finished school and was accepted at the university. He was going to be an art teacher. Early in the morning that spring day June 22, 2001, Ismail's father while hurrying to finish breakfast and get to work, remembered that Ismail had finals at the university and took a few minutes to wish him luck. Ismail replied "Father, Inshallah [God willing], you will be happy. You will see a bigger certificate that will make you proud and the whole family proud.'" (Rowley, 2004) No one thought much about his statement. Hectic morning trying to get eight children up and out of the house, you can well imagine. That morning was probably not much different than a hundred mornings we have each experienced rushing to get everyone up and moving to their final destinations. This morning, however, was anything but typical. Later that morning while Basheer, Ismail's father, was walking down the street, he heard emanating from loudspeakers attached to the local mosque, "We give you good news. The virgins of paradise are happily receiving the new groom, the martyr Ismail Maasawabi," (Rowley, 2004) Ismail was dead. That morning instead of heading off to take his final exams at the university, this bright 22 year old, instead got into his car wired with explosives and drove not to class, but instead to a Jewish settlement on the West Bank where he detonated the explosives killing himself and two Israeli soldiers. What was it about Ismail that drove him to take his own life at the expense of others Why did this happen and how could his parents not see how their shy, devoted little son with so much promise in front of him would chose to give his life for what What made Ismail trade his school books in for a car full of explosives The Gaza Strip has had a long and tumultuous history. In recent history, Jewish settlers until 1929 had encampments in place, claiming that the area, since Biblical times, belonged to the Israelites. In 1929 fierce rioting broke out and the Jewish settlers were forced to leave Gaza. Since that time they have been at conflict with Palestine, each claiming the thin strip of land as their own. In 1947 the United Nations allotted the Gaza Strip "from Yavneh to Rafiah on the Egyptian border to be an Arab state" (Brief History, 2005) Since that time control of the Gaza Strip has gone back and forth between Israel and Egypt, finally, in 1971 a peace accord was signed and some Jewish settlers began to move into sparsely populated settlements on Gaza. For nearly 10 years there was a semblance of peace on Gaza with both Jewish and Muslims living side by side. Tensions rose again with the death of an Israeli civilian with immediate reprisal by the Israeli government. In 1987 the Palestinian Authority gained control of the Gaza Strip and since that time other than brief moments, this war torn part of the world has known no peace. A generation has been born, and too often died, and has never seen what peace is. This is the life that Ismail grew up in. His parents were shocked to hear of his involvement with 'Hams', "the militant Islamic organization that has grown into the most popular political group in the Gaza Strip." (Rowley, 2004) Ismail was not, his parents believed, a boy who could be enticed into a culture that elevated the killing of oneself as an act of a martyr. He was bright, funny and had so much to look forward to. "He lived in a world of poverty, despair and ignorance where myths are spun from the yarn of rumor, forming a cloak of conspiracy and distortion that blankets the Arab world and makes truth as elusive as peace." (Rowley, 2004) Yet it was neither poverty nor ignorance that drove Ismail to choose to become a suicide bomber. What Ismail wanted was to be heard. Living for years in an oppressive state, He wanted to stand up and be noticed. Suicide bombers are not born; they are created both by themselves and social climate in which they live. Although it has happened, contrary to popular myth, these bombers are not forced to do what they do. Rather, they willing embrace it. We are just beginning to unravel the mysteries sorrounding why. We do know that Ismail "was smart, loyal and not all that different from many of his Gaza peers, a new generation chafing under a yoke of alienation and humiliation imposed by parties it sees as the villains--Israel and its ally, the United States." (Rowley, 2004) Ismail was a devout Muslim, but his final act was not that out of religious fervor. He grew up seeing all around him years of repression. Thousands of people forced to live in such crowded conditions it is unimaginable to most of us. One thing he did see day after day growing up were the pictures lined up and down the streets of the martyrs. He grew up in a society that had elevated those who fought back against the years of repression in a manner that gave them elevated status that somehow never seemed quite possible to achieve in the environment they were born into. Research into the typical suicide bomber showed that: 47% of the suicide bombers have an academic education and an additional 29% have at least a high school education. 83% of the suicide bombers are single. 64% of the suicide bombers are between the ages 18-23; most of the rest are under 30. 68% of the suicide bombers have come from the Gaza Strip.(Shuman, 2001) Not the image one would expect. These are otherwise typical young people. On the surface, no different than the others they live amongst. Yet, they are inexplicably drawn into this final horrific act. "Without exception, the suicide bombers have lived their lives on the receiving end of a system designed to trample their rights and crush every hope of a brighter future Confronted by a seemingly endless combination of death, destruction, restriction, harassment and humiliation, they conclude that ending life as a bomb - rather than having it ended by a bullet - endows them, even if only in their final moments, with a semblance of purpose and control previously considered out of reach."(Shuman, 2001, n.p.) Kashmir The ongoing dispute of between Pakistan and India over Kashmir has given rise to the ever-increasing popularity of the suicide bomber. Afaq Ahmad Shah in April of 2000 became the first suicide bomber to strike in Kashmir. On that morning Afaq drove an explosive laden stolen car towards 15 corps headquarters in Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar. Not getting past the bunker, Afaq slammed into the bunker at the gate detonating his explosives killing himself, injuring sever al soldiers and inflicted very little damage. Afaq was a seemingly normal 18 year old whose greatest worry in life should have been school, but growing up within this area highly disputed area, Afaq feeling unable to express his he turned to the a form of self expression that screamed out to he world to hear him. He felt unable to be heard any other way. "The failure to understand the complete alienation among the Kashmir people, especially its youth will further increase the intensity of the ongoing conflict. Afaq, according to his relatives and friends, never showed any signs of involving himself in militancy. The fact that his father is a retired lecturer and the family is well respected would disprove another myth that only the economically and socially deprived take up militancy." (Chandran, 2000) What is important to note in this case is that although there has been over the almost 20 years of turmoil in Kashmir other attacks within the state. All previous bombing attacks had been carried out with 'drop and run' methods, no one had actually set off on a bombing raid with the intention of killing himself, until Afaq. (Kak, 2000) Further, and perhaps more importantly, Afaq was neither an insurgent nor a mercenary. He was a child born and raised in Kashmir. Yet something brought him to the point in his life where he was willing to die, not in the natural sense at the end of a full life. Rather, when his life was just Beginning Afaq chose to blow himself up in an attempt to stand up and yell, 'I am here.' "The fear of death has long been the ultimate instrument of power wielded by the state and the priesthood, whether in the Christian church or in Islam: neither the state nor any other power can threaten us with anything worse than death." (Reuter, 31) Fear of death has always been the one taboo that society, governments, and cultures have been able to control the populous. In general, each of us finds it hard to comprehend how a boy like Afaq could even contemplate taking his own life, let alone in such a manner. He was not crazy; he appeared to those around him to be a normal everyday boy. Trying to grasp the rationale, the reasoning, behind that is what perplexes us most. Afaq is no longer here to ask these questions, but what we do know perhaps about him and the countless other suicide bombers may begin to shed some light on this phenomenon. After his death, police got an anonymous phone call stating that Afaq belonged to "the newly-constituted Jaish Mohammad (Army of the Prophet Mohammad) outfit of Azhar Masood. Azhar Masood had constituted the outfit early this year." (Suicide Bomber, 2000) His parents and family had no idea that he had joined such an organization. This is a fairly typical finding amongst suicide bombers. They often lived a somewhat double life. Appearing to blend in with everyone else, yet at the same time joining terrorist organization is common among suicide bombers. At first reaction, perhaps human nature, we want to blame - blame the parents for not seeing it and fixing it. However, on closer analysis, that is merely our reaction to the fear and inability to comprehend how something like this happens, not once but over and over. We will never truly know what Afaq's motivations were. All we have are the consequences of his actions. From all accounts of those who know him, he was religious but not in a fanatical sense. He had been struggling somewhat in the period right before his death academically, but that was perhaps more to do with his other activities that with innate abilities. Was it a need for notoriety that drove him Perhaps so, seeing how so many 'martyrs' had been elevated in status because of their acts, Afaq in his final act of defiance wanted to be remembered and voiced for the last time, or perhaps the first, his struggle to overcome the greatest fear - death - and voice to the world he has defeated it. Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) In the early 1970's the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) emerged. Often referred to as the Tamil Tigers, they have "developed into a formidable fighting force involved in guerrilla attacks against the Sri Lankan armed forces and on political targets." (Tamil Tigers, 2000) The LTTE has over the course of the last several decades been at war with the Sri Lankan government. They are demanding they be given an independent state claming that Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) was originally their homeland. "Over the course of Sri Lanka's decades-old conflict-which has pitted the ethnic Sinhalese majority, represented by the government, against separatists from the ethnic Tamil minority-tens of thousands of Sri Lankans have died." (Bloom, 2003) The TTLE's and Tamil's in general are the ethnic minority in Sri Lanka. The majority, or as the TTLE view them as the government, the Sinhalese are the native Sri Lankans and even being in the majority fear the TTLE. The Tigers began their campaign of suicide bombings on July 5, 1987. "On that day, Captain Miller, a member of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), as the Tigers are formally known, drove an explosives-laden truck into an army camp housed at a school in Nelliady in the northern Jaffna peninsula. Since then, the Black Tigers, as the suicide cadres are known, have been emulated by the likes of Hamas in the Palestinians' campaign against Israeli occupation, and by the al-Qaeda network of terrorists." (Perera, 2003) During the time since this initial attack the Tigers have become revered by some and feared by many at their prowess at executing these attacks with military precision. Their desire for an ethnically pure homeland and a sense of overwhelming repression from the Sri Lankan government, whether real or perceived, have led to the creation of one of the most feared organizations in the world. They have managed to challenge an entire country and have, as yet, not backed down. There is an extensive network of funding from around the world, including not only money but arms. They have evolved into a well running, fully functional, highly organized quasi government of their own right. Taking on a country they fought attacked with the one weapon they had at the time - people. Perfecting the art of the suicide bomber has become their trademark. Their deadly accuracy has led to the assassination of 2 heads of states, nothing any other terrorist network has accomplished. Since that first suicide bombing in 1987, "at least 243 Tigers have since followed in Miller's footsteps, including 53 women." (Perera, 2003) Although women suicide bombers had not been mentioned in this papers, though once unheard of their numbers are increasing. Almost in a noble fashion, if it can be called that, the Tiger's have shown that they hold no gender bias when it comes to the suicide bombers, they have many females within their ranks of active fighters. Additionally,"Female suicide cadres were responsible for two of the most spectacular Tiger attacks - the one that killed Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991 and the assassination attempt on Sri Lankan president Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in 1999. Kumaratunga survived the attack, but lost an eye." (Kerera, 2003) It was reported that Indian soldiers had raped Dhanu, the female suicide bomber that killed Gandhi in the late 1980's and she had an intense hatred of them. Although not the sole motivating factor for her decision to become a suicide bomber, the rage that a woman would feel upon such a violation coupled with these feeling of repression and social outcast would only cause a greater desire to cry out. And cry out Dhanu did being the first terrorist suicide bomber to ever be successful in their attempt to kill a major Indian political figure. Within the LTTE there is a very structured hierarchy. The elite are called Black Tigers and they are the most feared of the Tigers. In an interview by Kerera Black Tiger Kandasmy Lingeswaran stated "If war breaks out, I will fight. And in war you make sacrifices." (2003) He shows know fear and says he is not at all afraid to die. He views Vellupillai Prabhakaran the leader of the LTTE as a 'god'. What is so remarkable about the Tigers are their organizing and planning. For instance, "Babu, the LTTE cadre who killed President Ranasinghe Premadasa in 1993, had infiltrated the president's staff through a household staffer and remained inactive for almost two years before carrying out the suicide attack." ( Kerera, 2003) Prabhakaran seems to have captivated the minds of those within the LTTE, but also civilians as well, unless of course they have family member who fell into the category of those murdered by the LTTE. During a recent ceremony the LTTE held to commemorate the members of the suicide squads that had given the ultimate sacrifice - their life, one Tiger almost eloquently stated "The Black Tigers are the strongest force of a much weakened people." (Kerera, 2003) The oppression that has been felt by the Tigers has led to one of the most organized terrorist groups in the world. They are leathal and seem to have no fear. It is reported that each member carries around his neck a chain with a capsule of cyanide contained inside. If captured they will take their own life before they would risk giving out information about the group that could be used to in any way undermine the cause. How did this small group of persecuted people evolve into the massive organization that it is now What impetus could have caused this and did the sheer volume somehow empower the group to achieve a status of almost perceived legitimacy equaled and respected almost to that of a nation's government. There is no doubt they are brutal. The very things they decried initially they themselves do, especially in the attempt towards ethnic purging in Sri Lanka. What is sure however is that this group has instilled terror in the hearts of the world. Ask anyone what they think of the Tamil Tigers and if they are at all familiar with terrorism their response will be the same - the most feared terror group in the world, afraid of nothing. I would ask then why are they not afraid to achieve their ends then my democratic practice not force, intimidation and repression - the very things that began the movement 30 odd years ago. Conclusion As I have shown through out this paper terrorism and the forces that drive one to commit the ultimate sacrifice - their own life - knows no geographical, political, or ethnic boundary. What motivates someone to look past the perceived importance of life, and seeming innate process we all cling to, and willing strap dynamite to him and calmly detonates it Many myths and misconceptions occurred over the years. I think perhaps it part because we did not truly want to know what drives one to do such. According to Reuter: Suicide attacks affect us profoundly and powerfully. They remind us that there are people who consider their struggle--whatever the cause--to be more important than their own lives. They stir up fear in us; they pull the rug out from under our feet. For there is no way to retaliate against attackers who strike, not merely in order to kill people, but to die at the same stroke. They annihilate the entire logic of power, since no credible threat can be made against someone who has no desire to survive. (2004) We fear what we do not know and these groups have well learned the lesson of how to capitalize on that. These acts are their words. After years of feeling unable to control anything, repressed and alienated, often within their own homelands, the suicide bombers speaking out at last, powerfully, in the only way they can. This is the one thing they can control - their bodies. This is their Voice. It is time we all listen. References Bloom, Mia. (22 Apr. 2003)."Sri Lanka: In the Tigers' Belly" Worldpress.org. Retrieved December 10, 2005, from . "A Brief History of the Gaza Settlement". (2005). Jewish Virtual Library. Retrieved December 10, 2005, from . 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Retrieved December 10, 2005, from . Schuman, Ellis. (4 Jun. 2001). "What Makes Suicide Bombers Tick" Israel Insider. Retrieved December 10, 2005, from http://www.israelinsider.com/channels/security/articles/sec_0049.htm Schweitzer, Yoram. (21 Apr. 2000). International Counterterrorism Organization. Retrieved December 10, 2005 from . "Suicide Bomber belonged to Masood Outfit". (20 Apr. 2000). The Tribune (India) Online Version. Retrieved December 10, 2005 from . "Tamil Tigers: A Fearsome Force." (2 May 2000). British Broadcasting Channel (BBC) News. Retrieved December 10, 2005, from . Title 22 of the US Code, Section 2656f (d) "U. S. Marines in Lebanon 1982 - 1984." (1 Dec. 2005). Ibiblio the Public's Library and Digital Archive. Retrieved December 1, 2005, from . Read More