Muslim suicide bombers

[Catso]

No category for religion, so I picked People as closest. This is a serious question, and I don't want any racist or reactionary remarks, thank you.
Last week(-ish), in Iraq, a suicide bomber walked into a mosque while people were praying and blew himself, and others, up.
My question is what is this done for, for what purpose?
I know the simple answer ("because the Americans are in Iraq") but how is it justified for Muslims to kill Muslims in this manner? What is it trying to achieve? Are such things encouraged and/or condoned by the Koran. Is it OK for a Muslim to kill another Muslim in pursuit of whatever it is they are in pursuit of here?
As only Muslims were killed (and this could reasonably have been deduced as only Muslims would be in a mosque, so Muslims were obviously the intended target) does the bomber still go straight to paradise? I presume the answer is yes, or how could the organisers persuade people to do it?! And as the bombees are Muslims as well, do they go to paradise also?
Also, is it sacrilege (or whatever the Muslim equivalent is) to commit murder in a mosque? If it is, how does the bomber or organiser reconcile this with the 'straight to paradise' thing?
Obviously, I'm hoping for someone who actually knows and understands the Muslim faith to answer this.

[jake-the-peg]

There is a certain "history " of suicide attacks in Islam.

One small sect of "sevener" shia (They recognise 7 Immams after Muhammed) were the Ismali. - Their name was corrupted into assassins. Devotees sent to kill oponents regardless of personal cost, which in most cases was a suicide attack.

At the time (roughly the time of the crusades) many in the Christian world could not understand why people would do this and there was a story that the master kept a hidden beautiful garden and drugged a devotte who would wake up in the garden and experience all sorts of pleasure before being drugged again and returned to training. He was told that he had experienced a taste of paradise and the only way he could re-experience it was to die in the service if the master.

This story is almost certainly untrue but it reflects how then as now the west could not understand the reasoning of the truely dedicated zeaot.

Incidently the Ismali came to a rather abrupt end - an approaching army demanded the surrender of their castle and they sent the heads of the messengers back - The army belonged to Gengis Kahn - Bad move

[carolegif]

I think that this was between Shia and Sunni Muslims whose extremists hate each other. A bit like the Protestants and Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland (both Christian). Fanatics have no rhyme nor reason they just kill!

Most muslims go about their daily life, earning a living, trying to do the best for their families, they should not be linked to the zealots. How would we like it if we were lumped in with the IRA or Hitler just because we share a religion?

I don't know the answer and nor does anyone else or they could stop all the violence in the world.

carolegif

[Big Al1st]

Hi Catso Apart from agreeing with carolgif you also have the factions that will take the Koran to it's literal meaning.
An example, I believe is with the Jehovas Witnesses where they interpret the bible into black and white with no grey areas. This means that anything in the koran is taken to extreme by fundamentalists. Fo example if you become a martyr then you will go to heaven and receive all sorts of rewards, which I wont go into.
Given that and the intense rivalry bewteen various religious factions then you have problems.

I think the sorry thing is that religion, throughout the world, has been a huge help to lots of people, and at the same time is responsible for alot of death and suffering. Wish I knew what the answer is!!! Rgds Al

[1rovert]

Being an ex-catholic, and over seventy, I now believe that if you want to pray to a god, by all means do so. But I have seen over the past years of my long and useless life, that religions of ALL denominations, should be outlawed, they have caused more trouble over the entire world. Religions ARE MAN MADE, by the majority of those who want to fill their own pockets or ego. Christ said to Peter �You are my rock, and on this rock I will build my church�. He did not say � go out and con as many as you can�.