Again, political institutions have cloaked their motives for women under the guise of “feminism” and “liberation.” “A fatal cocktail? Martyrdom that is rewarded in Islam by everlasting life at Allah’s table in Paradise, combined with the political and economic oppression of an occupying force and exacerbated by personal problems caused by constraints from one’s own society that make life unbearable. What if the idea that women who die as martyrs will finally achieve equality to men were added to that equation?” (46) Victor states this perfectly. The last part is added to the equation for many. When secular organizations, including the military wing of Arafat’s al-Fatah, began to understand that their power was being threatened by more extremist Islamist factions, they began to exploit women: one of the only options that extremists could not combat. Dr. Boaz Ganor states, “When the al-Aqsa Brigade saw that Hamas was taking a lead in the Intifada and threatening their status in the street by a spate of suicide bombings, they adopted the suicide strategy in an even more sensational way by utilizing the one weapon that the Islamists could not, according the Koran, which was women and young girls.” (95) This was a clever strategy devised by the “secular” movements, yet the extremists found a way to challenge this and use women, as well. Because the warring factions in Palestine are all connected to factions in other countires, religious edicts apply, or can be applied if so desired, everywhere. Religious factions that support Hamas and al-Jihad realized that if it were religiously permitted, then these religious factions could use women, too. Thus, the mufti of Saudi Arabia, Abd al-Aziz Ben Abdallah Aal al-Sheik stated, “I am not aware of anything in the religious law regarding killing oneself in the heart of the enemy’s ranks, or what is called ‘suicide’…although the Koran permits and even demands the killing of the enemy; this must be done in ways that do not contradict the Shari’a. There is nothing that differentiates between men and women shahides.” (96) The same day that this religious fatwa went out, February 26, 2002, Darine Abu Aisha became the second female suicide bomber and was adopted by Hamas—a bold move that was criticized by many. Arafat was again outsmarted politically. This was the beginning of the end for Arafat and the powerful al-Fatah movement. Even though most female suicide bombers are not religious, this fatwa allowed for a more women, especially religious, to consider the option of suicide bombing—as an act of jihad, permitted in the Qur’an.
Darine Abu Aisha was a very religious young woman, a brilliant scholar, and most importantly a feminist. Darine’s best friend, Nano, states, “This has shocked me. And I am sure that everyone who knew Darine is shocked because this is not what she wanted to do with her life. She was a leader and a feminist, someone who was not easily influenced by others and who stood up for what she believed in regardless of what her peers thought.” (103) At first, this woman seems like a strange candidate for a bombing. She had risen through the ranks of university and had achieved much more than most women are able to in Palestine. Nano gets down to the heart of why Darine most likely committed this act. “And, as time went on, and she knew absolutely that regardless of her achievements at university, her fate as a Palestinian woman was sealed—an arranged marriage, six or seven children, a husband who probably wouldn’t have the same hopes or curiosity about life as she did. Eventually she became nihilistic. Nothing mattered. Nothing excited her. Nothing pushed her to achieve more. She had gone as far as she could in this environment.” (104) As a feminist, Darine understood the restrictions that her society had placed upon her. She knew she couldn’t run away, her family’s honor was too important to her. But she also knew that she would not be able to live the life that she wanted. This story is illustrative of the complexity of politics that, when combined with gender limitations and religious motivation, female suicide bombers are created. At this turning point, there are a variety of women that can justify committing the act of bombing and many see it as a way out of society, as well.
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