Unleashing the Beast

T HE M AHDI , I SLAM ' S M ESSIAH / 103

mind set of apocalyptic terrorists, nothing makes logical sense. The question lingers: why kill innocent people when moderate Muslims say the Koran forbids it? The Hadith says that Mohammed saw a woman who had been killed in a battle. According to tradition, he said, women and children should not be killed in conflict. Why brainwash young children to become a human bomb in an act of suicide against common people who have done you no harm? Why is it impossible to negotiate and reason with a terrorist? Because they are convinced that death for Allah and for the cause of Jihad will guarantee entrance into heaven. The June 2, 2002 National Weekly Edition of the Washington Times described how a Palestinian mother dresses her 12-year old son in the homemade costume of a suicide bomber, complete with a small kafflyeh, a belt of electrical tape, and fake explosives made of plywood. "I encourage him to do this," said the mother of six. "God gave him to me to defend our land. Palestinian women must have more and more children until we liberate our land. This is a holy duty for all Palestinian people." Her son said, “I hope to be martyr. I hope when I get to be 14 or 15 to explode myself.” This brings to mind something Attorney General John Ashcroft said in a speech after the September 11 attacks. He said, "One of the differences between Islam and Christianity is that in Islam, their god expects you to send your son to die for him. In Christianity, God sent His son to die for you."