Female Suicide Bombers [Paperback]

Rosemarie Skaine (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 23, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0786426152 | ISBN-13: 978-0786426157

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.

Editorial Reviews

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) and Power and Gender (1996).

Product Details

• Paperback: 235 pages
• Publisher: McFarland & Company (February 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786426152
• ISBN-13: 978-0786426157
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #314,575 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Feminism from a military standpoint, April 18, 2007

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Reader Views "Reviews, by readers, for readers" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Female Suicide Bombers (Paperback)

Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (3/07)

It is difficult to listen to newscasts these days without hearing about suicide bomber attacks. When successful, the death toll can involve only the bomber himself, or herself, or it can involve up to hundreds of civilian and military victims. The number of attacks in conflicts around the world has been steadily rising, and so to has the use of women to carry out these bombings. In "Female Suicide Bombers," Rosemarie Skaine attempts to contextualize the lives of women who became bombers, and points out that our deficient Western perception of women as fighters in any war hinders our ability to protect ourselves from lethal attacks in the future.

While the Preface gives the Reader the impression that the pages will be filled with sociological theories and discussions that only a university student could follow, the book is actually very understandable. In general, the information is given in short, to-the-point sentences and chapters, but by the final Analysis, the writing becomes more animated and the author dives in with opinions and conclusions of her own. 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. Government strategies to combat terrorism are also commented on, such as monitoring money trails, but the author's primary concern is that the United States does not recognize that it may very well be a female combatant who will attempt any future, large scale attack such as 9/11.

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 I have heard. I learned a lot from this book, and for readers interested in the topics of global terrorism, present day warfare, or feminism from a military standpoint, "Female Suicide Bombers" is definitely an informative book to read.

Received book free of charge.

5.0 out of 5 stars A scholarly collective profile, January 5, 2007

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Female Suicide Bombers (Paperback)

Sociologist Rosemarie Skaine presents Female Suicide Bombers, a scholarly collective profile of women recruited to deliberately and knowingly sacrifice their lives in violent acts. Female Suicide Bombers discusses female suicide bombers and conflicts within Lebanon, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Chechnya, Israel and Palestine; the role of Islam and Islamic organizations or leaders in recruiting and controlling suicide bombers; and suicide bombers of other religions or a secular base. Female Suicide Bombers recognizes that suicide bombers in general do not operate as individuals, but rather at the behest of organizations, and explores the scope and training methods of these organizations accordingly. 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 and/or terrorism, and suggests ways in which the world needs to adapt and prepare itself to confront terrorism in the future. A heavily researched, professional, and up-to-date treatment of a singularly serious topic.