Proposed Solution to Muslim Suicide Terrorism

The Muslim terrorists have struck again, this time in London and Egypt, as well as the ever-present bombings in Baghdad.  Terrorist suicide/murder continues to be daily news.

In my simple way of looking at things, I’d like to offer what appears to be a real solution to the problem of radical fundamentalist Muslims who commit suicide and thereby terrorize the world through mass murder.  I write as a committed Christian who is convinced that the way of Jesus Christ represents truth, but what I say should make sense to moderate Muslims and all other thinking people.  Please follow my reasoning.

The historical Christian view is that one who commits suicide, without repentance, will not be received by God into heaven.  This is based on many Scriptures, including 1 John 3:15: “No murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”  Suicide or self-murder results in spiritual death or eternal punishment  (see Romans 1:29, 32).  Revelation adds that unrepentant murderers (including self-murderers) will have their part in the lake of fire (21:8).   (We grant that some contemporary liberal Protestants have abandoned this Biblical view.)

The Koran, likewise, forbids self-murder.  Muhammad said that one who commits suicide cannot go to Paradise, but will go to hell.  Maher Hathout, iman of the Islamic Center of Los Angeles, states, “Suicide is a major sin in Islam.”  The problem is that radical Muslims redefine suicide.  The British Daily Telegraph says, “The term ‘suicide bomber’ has been replaced with ‘martyrdom operation.’  Such is the prestige of the suicide bomber that no one in the Palestinian territories would dare to raise a voice against the practice.”  Instead of speaking of murderers or suicide killers, they refer to these men and women as “heroes” of Islam.  By closing their eyes to the sin of suicide, they exalt these deluded people as “martyrs” of their faith.  Instead of viewing these men and women as murderers and self-murderers, they see them as combatants in jihad, a “holy war” against non-Muslims.  By this means, they make a horrible and tragic sin into something praiseworthy!

Since Islamic suicide has become so commonplace in many countries (including Iraq, Israel, Spain, England, the United States, Russia, Indonesia, Egypt, Kenya, and elsewhere) and shows no signs of abatement, I would like to make an earnest plea to “moderate” Muslims.  I challenge them to openly, clearly emphasize the teaching of the Koran that says that those who commit suicide will go to hell.  Although some radical fundamentalist Muslims of certain factions have reinterpreted suicide to make it acceptable and both commendable and exemplary in certain situations, they can’t deny the plain denunciation of suicide in the Islamic Scriptures.  Bear in mind that we are aware of many Islamic teachings that would condone jihad or “holy war” with all that is included in this, but our concern here is not with violence or offensive warfare, per se, but our focus is limited to the matter of suicide.  Especially is suicide heinous when it involves the murder of innocent people!

Today (July 28) Muslim scholars in the United States and Canada plan to release a fatwa that condemns terrorism and suicide bombings, as well as Muslim extremism and violence against civilians.  This is a good step.  Let all rational and moderate Muslims in the world go on to condemn suicide bombings and let them go further—by explicitly stating that these suicides will not result in paradise, but will condemn one to hell.  This may be the only way to but an end to this mindless and wicked carnage!

If this truth (that those who commit suicide will forever be separated from God), that historic Christians and many Muslims agree on, could be emphasized strongly enough by sincere, rational, and scholarly Muslims, hopefully prospective terrorists would be afraid to commit suicide!  As the Bible says, if one has a fear of God, he turns away from evil (Proverbs 16:6).  If the media (print, television, radio, internet) could emphasize this fact clearly enough and thoroughly enough, especially in “fundamentalist” Muslim countries, I believe that this would help to solve the increasing number of tragic suicides that have murdered hundreds of people and terrorized the world. 

These deceived suicide murderers need to be aware that there are respected voices in their own Islamic faith who would say that they will be in eternal anguish if they carry out unrepentant murder and self-murder.  If the terrorists can see that their suicide mission will not take them to the pleasures of paradise but rather to the eternal terrors of hell, surely this would help to solve the Islamic suicide phenomenon that is terrorizing the world.

Richard Hollerman

STAR-TELEGRAM