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Countering the Terrorist Mentality: The Mythology of Martyrdom in Iraq

© AP Images/Adem Hadei

Mohammed M. Hafez Date: Wednesday, 27 June 2007 Time: 1:30 p.m. EDT (1730 GMT) View Webchat Transcript

Jihadists in Iraq formulate a number of arguments to justify their terrorist activities. To avoid overwhelming their audiences with information and complicated discourse, however, jihadists often simplify their message by relying on emotional narratives relying on the image of the "heroic martyr." According to Professor Hafez, "justifications for killing fellow Muslims are anchored in emotional, poignant narratives that link suffering and humiliation of Muslims to what is portrayed as the collusion of impotent Muslim leaders and their agents with Western oppressors, who, the extremists claim, are seeking to destroy Islam and subjugate Muslim lands." Join Hafez as he explores how jihadists created a myth of heroic martyrdom to justify their activities.

Guest Biography:

Mohammed M. Hafez is a visiting professor in the political science department at the University of Missouri in Kansas City. His latest book, "Suicide Bombers in Iraq: The Strategy and Ideology of Martyrdom," was recently published by the U.S. Institute of Peace.

Hafez earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California in Los Angeles; a master's degree in international relations from the University of Southern California; and a doctorate in international relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science.