Suicide Bombings and Islam
By Col Riaz Jafri (Retd)
Westridge, Rawalpindi
Though most ulema condemn suicide bombings as un-Islamic, yet a few offer bizarre justifications for it. A few days back a so-called aalim was heard over the TV saying that during the 65 War Ayub Khan had ordered his soldiers to lie down in front of the 500 Indian tanks advancing on Lahore with anti tank mines tied to their chests as there was no other way of stopping them. About three days ago yet another religious authority said on the TV that Pak army soldiers lay in front of 600 Indian tanks in Chowinda sector with mines on their chest and embraced Shahadat. These gentlemen who did not have the foggiest idea of a tank battle or knew as to where the Indian tanks were – Lahore or Chowinda - were narrating such concocted stories simply to justify the suicide bombings in Islam. Nothing could be farther from truth.
No soldier was ever ordered by anyone to lie in front of any tank with a mine tied to his body. In fact, in any army no one can order any one to die in that manner or in any other manner. PERIOD. Tank is a Goliath but has its limitations too. It is almost blind when buttoned up (hatch of its cupola closed). Only the driver and the commander can see through narrow slits and that too straight to the front in whatever direction the tank is facing. Therefore, the enemy foot soldiers can sneak quite close to it and even ride on it without the crew inside the tank knowing it.
And, if by any chance they could open the hatch and lob a grenade inside the tank, that will be end of the tank. It will cause a huge explosion of the 20 odd main gun rounds inside the tank destroying it completely along with its crew. Therefore, if someone can get that close to a tank to allow it to run over his body, then why can’t he toss the mine in its tracks and run for cover?
Similarly, in 1965 there were imaginary stories of the angels in green or white dresses fighting side by side with the Pakistan army soldiers! I suppose those were the days when the army was adulated by the nation and all sorts of stories, real and imaginary extolling its valour, were doing the rounds. I am told that some of the school textbooks too mention the soldiers lying in front of the enemy tanks with mines on their chests. Strange, is all that I can say!!
