Celebrated as liberators and martyrs by those who support their cause, denounced as terrorists by their opponents, suicide bombers have become all too common in violent conflicts worldwide. The female suicide bomber is a relative newcomer to the landscapes of war, but more and more women are being recruited for self-sacrifice.
This work discusses the history of suicide bombing and profiles the female suicide bomber. It raises the question of why women are increasingly used as bombers and explores the Western societal biases that tend to cast women in nonviolent roles. Battlegrounds discussed include Lebanon, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Chechnya, and Israel and Palestine. Because bombers do not operate as individuals but at the direction of organizations, this book also examines the organizations, their scope and training methods. It concludes with a discussion of strategies for the future and advocates continued human rights watch and continued global intervention.
About the Author
Rosemarie Skaine, a sociologist in Cedar Falls, Iowa, has also written Female Genital Mutilation (2005), The Cuban Family (2004), Paternity and American Law (2003), The Women of Afghanistan Under the Taliban (2002), Women College Basketball Coaches (2001), Women at War (1999), Man of the Twentieth Century (1999) and Power and Gender (1996).
Professional Reviews
Blogcritics.org Review of Female Suicide Bombers
Excerpts:
"Overall, it seems that it is impossible to create a general profile in the 'female suicide bomber", or to set out a range of likely characteristics. Their range of motivations, of temperments, of socio-economic backgrounds, is likely to be just as varied as that of male attackers."
"[The book] is a survey of the current state of academic and media thought. But still, as a survey, _Female Suicide Bombers_ conveniently collects the current state of knowledge of the subject, and is worth having on your bookshelf to provide perspective for the next inevitable outrage."
"It is also a corrective to attempts often made to use female exceptionalism as an excuse not to look seriously at the causes behind the women's attacks."
Natalie Bennett, reviewer, Blogcritics.org on June 18, 2006
"A scholarly collective profile , January 5, 2007
Reviewer: Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA)
" ... a scholarly collective profile of women recruited to deliberately and knowingly sacrifice their lives in violent acts. ... Female Suicide Bombers recognizes that suicide bombers in general do not operate as individuals, ... Most importantly, Female Suicide Bombers meticulously deconstructs numerous Western myths and societal biases that impede understanding of the true nature of these acts of war ... A heavily researched, professional, and up-to-date treatment of a singularly serious topic."
Please read the entire review on Amazon.com.
Reader Views
Excerpts:
"Her research is extensive, with numerous sources from around the world
utilized to discuss terminology; the relationship between the female bombers and the organizations
they represented, and the societies in which they lived; as well as the many views on the capabilities of women as deadly fighters.
"When details on female bombers are available the author lists them, but there is often little known about the women who became martyrs for their causes. Along with her good explanation of the present day organizations they belonged to (and the acronyms the media constantly refers to them by), Rosemarie Skaine cleared up a lot of confusion I had about the politics of present and past
conflicts, provided a greater understanding as to the choices available to women in some war-torn
societies, and put a human face to many of the shocking news stories ... ."
Complete review at:
www.readerviews.com, www.amazon.com and weblog http://irenewatson.typepad.com/readerviews/
This latest of Rosemarie's works is yet another of her well-researched and highly informative books. In this careful examination of a very complex and volatile subject, she shows the extent of her research capabilities and ability to garner valuable information from a wide variety of experts in their fields. This latest work would be good reading for anyone who needs to gain a broader and deeper understanding of the psychology of power-play geopolitics.
