Grade 12 World Issues – Unit 1
Death in Gaza
Documentary - Making of a Suicide Bomber
You are a seeker. You want to find “suicide bomber candidates.”
You desire the following 14 traits in a candidate. Interview the possible candidates and choose
the best candidate for your “special” training.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
As a youngster, the possible candidate was beaten and tortured by the enemy.
A parent or sibling of the possible candidate was killed by the enemy.
The possible candidate is less than 20 years old, preferably a young teenager.
The possible candidate is a virgin or if a women, the possible candidate has been
sexually assaulted or raped
The possible candidate believes in immortality.
The possible candidate has a strong sense of powerlessness and oppression.
The possible candidate has a minimum high school education, preferably college
The possible candidate is single
The possible candidate wants to serve
The possible candidate visualizes the world balanced between good and evil
The possible candidate believes his/her values are threatened and identify with the
worldwide struggle to protect his/her beliefs and culture
The possible candidate is unsure of their identity
The possible candidate has…or is…experience poverty
The possible candidate is shy
Candidate #1
You want to become a suicide bomber. You posses the following traits. You
need to convince the “Seeker” to pick you for “special training.”
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
You are a virgin
You have a girlfriend
You go to university
You are 25 years-old
Your brother was killed defending your home
Your mother was killed two days later mourning her son
You are aimless in life
You believe Allah is great and the Qur’an advocates killing
Candidate #2
You want to become a suicide bomber. You posses the following traits. You
need to convince the “Seeker” to pick you for “special training.”
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
As a very young woman, you were sexually assaulted
You are 15 years-old
You believe Allah is great and the Qur’an advocates killing
You want purpose in your life
You go to school
You feel society is changing too fast
You feel helpless and filled with shame
Candidate #3
You want to become a suicide bomber. You posses the following traits. You
need to convince the “Seeker” to pick you for “special training.”
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
As a young woman, you were beaten and assaulted
You are 18 years-old
You want purpose in your life
You want to live forever
You do not go to school
You are single
You want to restore your family’s honour
You rarely have eye contact when speaking
Candidate #4
You want to become a suicide bomber. You posses the following traits. You
need to convince the “Seeker” to pick you for “special training.”
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
You have been raped
You are 30 years-old
You have two teen-aged children
You believe the Qur’an encourages killing
You have a high school education
You are married but not in love
You live in poverty
Candidate #5
You want to become a suicide bomber. You posses the following traits. You
need to convince the “Seeker” to pick you for “special training.”
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
You lost your virginity at the age of 14
You are 22 years-old
You believe Allah is great and the Qur’an advocates killing
You want purpose in your life
You go to college
You are not married
You face daily verbal taunts
Candidate #6
You want to become a suicide bomber. You posses the following traits. You
need to convince the “Seeker” to pick you for “special training.”
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
You are a very healthy 40 years-old
You strive for a greater live that only occurs after death
You want purpose in your life
You finished high school
You feel disenchanted
You have a low paying job
You have a family with one girl child, and you support your aging
mother
Candidate #7
You want to become a suicide bomber. You posses the following traits. You
need to convince the “Seeker” to pick you for “special training.”
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
?
Your best friend was killed by a dummy bullet
You are 15 years-old
You believe Allah is great
You want purpose in your life
You go to school
You are a virgin
You feel helpless and want to change the situation
You family is poor
You are gregarious
Which candidate(s) did you pick? Why?
Which leader --- Osama bin Laden or George W. Bush – holds the following beliefs and
completed the following actions?
? He is fighting for justice and peace.
? He insists that the other person is a terrorist.
? He is on the right path.
? He declared a Holy War
? He is willing to kill innocent people
? He is on a crusade or jihad
? He believes God is on his side
? He has embraced violence
? He has gained tremendous religious power…and consequently, political power
? He believes violence is a means to an end
Answer - Both
What do you choose?
1. Like most of your friends, you have just finished high school, and you are looking to start
a new, richer life with a job. The unemployment rate is about 41 percent, Over 80
percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and those lucky enough to hold a
job make about $2,900 per year (USA$2008PPP). Your movements are strictly
controlled. What would you do to get ahead?
2.
Your family consists of six children all younger than 14 years old. You are the oldest
sibling. Your family is very poor. You are raped while looking for food. The feeling of
shame is overwhelming. What would you do to restore family honour and feel
redeemed?
3.
You are taking a hate-spewing, hard-mouthed World Issues program. Everyday, you
hear horrors about the mistreatment of people. All your classmates and friends are
angry. You are too. The hate is palatable. You are encouraged to act upon your rage.
What would you do to alleviate your feelings of hate?
4.
You are promised 72 black-eyed virgins. What would you do?
Facts about suicide bombers. Answer the following questions. Numbers are rounded. NOTE:
These facts profile bombers attacking Israel.
1. What percent of suicide bombers are single?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%
2.
What percent of suicide bombers are between the ages of 18-23?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%
3.
What percent of bombers are less than 30 years old
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%
4.
What percent of suicide bombers are from the Gaza Strip?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%
5.
What percent of suicide bombers have a high school education?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%
6.
What percent of suicide bombers have more than a high school education?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%
7.
What percent of suicide bombers believe they are forging their own gateway to heaven?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%
8.
What percent of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza support suicide
bombings?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%
9.
The Qur’an is interpretable.
True
False
10. What factors do you thinks contribute to the making of a bomber?
Strong support
Humiliation
Religion
Better life in paradise
Brainwashing
Group pressure
Past trauma
Sense of oppression
source: Shuman, Ellis. 2001. What makes suicide bombers tick? Israel Insider.
http://www.israelinsider.com/channels/security/articles/sec_0049.htm
DEATH IN GAZA
"We just wanted to see what happens to ordinary kids, growing up in extraordinary
circumstances…We are trying to understand how people learn to hate so deeply that they are
prepared to die in order to kill."
Death in Gaza is a 2004 award winning documentary that examines the hate that permeates the
Middle East. It follows the lives of three Palestinian children growing up in the bullet-riddled
streets of Gaza and indoctrinated in the creed of Jihad. They play games such as “Jews and
Arabs” much like you and I played “Cowboys and Indians” or “Cops and Robbers.”
NOTE: The filmmaker James Miller was killed shot to death by an Israeli tank before he could
film the Israeli experience.
From your new knowledge of a suicide bomber, how can we stop this?
TEACHER ANSWERS
What do you choose?
1. Like most of your friends, you have just finished high school, and you are looking to start
a new, richer life with a job. The unemployment rate is about 41 percent, Over 80
percent of the population lives below the poverty line, and those lucky enough to hold a
job make about $2,900 per year (USA$2008PPP). Your movements are strictly
controlled. What would you do to get ahead?
2.
Your family consists of six children all younger than 14 years old. You are the oldest
sibling. Your family is very poor. You are raped while looking for food. The feeling of
shame is overwhelming. What would you do to restore family honour and feel
redeemed?
3.
You are taking a hate-spewing, hard-mouthed World Issues program. Everyday, you
hear horrors about the mistreatment of people. All your classmates and friends are
angry. You are too. The hate is palatable. You are encouraged to act upon your rage.
What would you do to alleviate your feelings of hate?
4.
You are promised 72 black-eyed virgins. What would you do?
Facts about suicide bombers. Answer the following questions. Numbers are rounded. NOTE:
These facts profile bombers attacking Israel.
1. What percent of suicide bombers are single?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75% (actually 83%)
d. 100%
2.
What percent of suicide bombers are between the ages of 18-23?
a. 25%
b. 50% (actually 64%)
c. 75%
d. 100%
3.
What percent of bombers are less than 30 years old
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%
4.
What percent of suicide bombers are from the Gaza Strip?
a. 25%
b. 50% (actually 68%)
c. 75%
d. 100%
5.
What percent of suicide bombers have a high school education?
a. 25%
b. 50% (actually 47%)
c. 75%
d. 100%
6.
What percent of suicide bombers have more than a high school education?
a.
b.
c.
d.
25%
50%
75% (actually 76%)
100%
7.
What percent of suicide bombers believe they are forging their own gateway to heaven?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75%
d. 100%
8.
What percent of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza support suicide
bombings?
a. 25%
b. 50%
c. 75% (actually 76.1%)
d. 100%
9.
The Qur’an is interpretable.
True
False
10. What factors do you thinks contribute to the making of a bomber?
Strong support
Humiliation
Religion
Better life in paradise
Brainwashing
Group pressure
Past trauma
Sense of oppression
source: Shuman, Ellis. 2001. What makes suicide bombers tick? Israel Insider.
http://www.israelinsider.com/channels/security/articles/sec_0049.htm