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| Dzennet Abdurrahmanova, Chechen suicide bomber in Moscow metro, and her husband (Image: The Wall Street Journal) |
After two years
of relatively calm situation with terrorist attacks on the territory of Russia
and active security measures in the framework of preparation to the upcoming
Winter Olympic Games-2014 hosted by Russia in Sochi, two recent blasts occurred
in the city of Volgograd became a shocking reality for Russians: the threat of
terrorism is still alive and strong. Some even claim it could disrupt security
during Olympic Games.
Volgograd,
located on the South of Russian Federation close to the volatile Northern
Caucasus region, city of Soviet military glory (Stalingrad battle 1942-1943),
was hit by two explosions at the end of 2013. Massive bomb detonated on 29
December in the hall of Volgograd railway station killing 17 people, injuring
dozens and destroying the building from inside. According to investigation, the
blast, which was designated as terrorist attack, was carried out by two suicide
bombers, man and woman, allegedly of Caucasian origin. On the next day after
this blast another bomb ripped the trolley-bus in Volgograd. This blast took
the lives of 34 people and left many injured. The second explosion was also
carried out by the suicide bomber, claim Russian police and security forces.
It’s worth mentioning that Volgograd has already faced similar bomb attack in
October 2013, when female suicide bomber blew herself up in the bus. Recent
Volgograd bombings are believed to be organized by the same group, as the
methods and type of explosives were identical. Russian authorities and FSB
accuse Northern Caucasian Islamist militant group Riyad-us Saliheen headed by
the leader of pan-Caucasian mujahideen Dokku Umarov, who is being called
“Russian Bin Laden” and has earlier warned about terrorist attacks to be
carried out in Russia ahead of Sochi-2014.
Volgograd
bombings though stand in the long line of numerous terrorist attacks carried
out by suicide bombers in Russia heartland in Northern Caucasus as well.
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| Volgograd railway station, where theb terrorist attack occured (Image: The Guardian) |
Insurgency in
Northern Caucasus is a direct result of the two Russia led wars in the region.
Both Chechen wars have been actually the struggle of local people for
independence from Russia and preserving national and cultural identity of
Chechen people. But the unprecedented level of violence and disproportionate
use of force by Russian military and security forces during the both wars and
especially the second one have resulted in rapid radicalization of Chechen people. This period was also
marked by spread of radical Islam in the region with many Wahhabi communities
organizing and/or supporting numerous rebel groups operating on the territory
of Chechnya. Terrorist activities were among the key methods of Chechen rebel
fighters since the second half of the Second Chechen War and after it.
Suicide bombings
became an effective method of fight used by Chechen rebel groups, controlled by
separatist leader Shamil Basayev and Saudi born ideologist Ibn Al-Khattab. It’s
worth mentioning, that despite the fact, that the most publicized and covered
by media attacks happened in Russian cities including Moscow, the majority of
the attacks took place on the territory of Chechnya and the neighboring North
Caucasian republic and targeted mostly military and security forces’
facilities. The majority of bombings occurred in the period of 2000-2004, but
terrible terrorist attacks took place later too. This period was marked by the
new phenomenon faced by Russian and Chechen community – female suicide bombers,
female shaheed. This phenomenon became a part of mass consciousness of many
Russians, it brings fear and panic as it seems to be impossible to protect
yourself from such attacks. This phenomenon is also related to many stereotypes
and controversies.
What defines a
suicide bomber? What is behind the decision to become shaheed (martyr)? What
are the possible reasons and who are the people, who decide to end their lives
in this way?
Numerous studies
of the issue conducted by many researches and scientists have shown conflicting
results about what defines a suicide attacker. Criminal Justice Professor Adam
Lankford identified classic suicidal risk factors by the terrorists and
bombers, such as depression, psychological trauma, post-traumatic stress,
mental disorder, other mental or health problems, serious physical injuries,
drug addictions, suffering from unexpected death of the loved ones and other
personal crises. These findings are also supported by the prominent
psychologist Ariel Merari.
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| Volgograd trolley-bus bombing (Image: CNN) |
Russian
psychologist Natalia Semenova, who worked with the victims of Moscow Theatre
siege (2003) and studied the issue of the potential suicide terrorists, has
supported the aforementioned theses and also added that the tactics being used
during the work with the candidates for being suicide bombers are the same as
the tactics of the so called “totalitarian sects”. Person being in a hard life
situation, probably with personal tragedy and psychological crisis, with no
future, no chance for changes and often lack of life experience and person, who
needs someone to lead, could easily become a victim of the bombers’ recruiters.
When such a person appears in the organization, she/he starts to feel being an
important part of organization’s life and structure, there is warm and friendly
environment around, so the psychological state of such person allows to
manipulate with his/her will and consciousness in order to achieve needed
results and convince the person to take this fatal decisions thinking that it
really has a big meaning. And this moment is very important, when we are
talking about female suicide bombers in Chechnya.
Chechen female
suicide bombers, often being called as “Black Widows”, mostly fit this model.
They’ve received this name as in the most cases these women have actually lost
their husbands during the two Chechen wars and the insurgency period following
the military conflicts in the region. Though not all of the Chechen female
suicide bombers were widows, this term applies in Russia to all of them.
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| Khava Barayeva and Luiza Magomadove, the first Chechen suicide bombers (Image: Zulikhan Lifejournal) |
The both Chechen
wars led by Russia and Russian attempts to stop insurgency in Northern Caucasus
were the most violent in Europe in recent years in terms of ongoing military
and civilian casualties and massive human rights’ violations and abuses. It
won’t be an exaggeration to say that every Chechen family has lost at least one
its member, often many members or even the whole family. Some of them were
killed during the military operations, some killed by security forces and MVD
(Russian interior security forces) on the charges of being rebels and members
of the separatist groups (mostly it happened without any court), some
disappeared, some detained and brutally tortured. Chechnya has the whole
generation totally traumatized by this war experience. Russia led aerial
bombardments of the whole cities and villages, killing thousands of civilians,
unbelievable brutality of security forces and terrible cleansings remained
unpunished, as nobody was held accountable for the numerous human rights’
abuses despite the decisions of the European Court. The war and the following
purges could be considered as being the real genocide against Chechen people,
so it’s not surprising, that the level of hatred towards the occupiers and
radical moods was on the rise under current circumstances. We could add to this
list of reasons also features of mentality and strict local traditions,
combined with radical Wahhabi Islam, spread in the region.
Many women, who
have really lost their husbands, children, relatives and experienced the times
of war and systematical purges committed by Russian security forces and later
by so-called Kadyrovets (army of the current Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov),
became the suicide bombers carried out numerous terrorist attacks in and
outside of Chechnya.
The reasons for
becoming a suicide bombers could be very different, but there are some
psychological features helping to identify the potential bombers, thinks
Nadezhda Tarabarina, Russian Doctor of Psychology, Head of Department of
post-traumatic stress of Institute of Psychology of Russian Academy of
Sciences. She states that many of the terrorists are young (average age of
Chechen suicide bombers is 16-26 year-old), in addition to that these are the
people with not so strong psychological conditions and often with very hard
life circumstances. They often have lost their beloved ones, and this is one of
the driving motives for them, as the act of suicide bombing could be either
their revenge or their way out of life where they have nothing to live for.
Often these women decide to choose the way of shaheed believing that after this
act of self-sacrifice they will meet in heaven their beloved ones, whom they’ve
lost. It’s worth mentioning, that this motive could be also defined as one of
the most decisive along with revenge and psychological traumas, caused by war
experience.
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| Zarema Muzhakhoyeva, failed suicide bomber (Image: Infox Ru) |
In some cases
act of suicide bombing could be a way for a woman to prove to her family or to
her community that she is worth being respected as she made this sacrifice for
the fight of her people. This motive occurs often by the young women who
experienced hard life situations and appeared to be abandoned by their families
and society as they are ashamed (Chechen society is very strict and
traditional). The future suicide bombers of this category are being convinced
that their act of self-sacrifice will eliminate their sins, and Allah will send
them to heaven as martyrs.
As for the pure
ideological and religious reasons behind this decision, these reasons appear to
be rare among Chechen “Black Widows” and could apply to some girls raised in
radical Wahhabi families or influenced by radical Islamic teachings. But even
these reasons are usually combined with the personal matters being the main
driving factor for these women.
Talking about
Chechen female suicide bombers it’s necessary to note, that these deeds are
often being committed for their beloved ones, as often family members, husbands
and men, the girls are in love with, send them to these missions (as it was in
the case of Khava Barayeva, first Chechen female suicide bomber). Unfortunately
it became a Chechen reality in the war time. And this is also very important moment:
decision is not usually taken by the girls and women, but is influenced by
other persons and comes as a result of many reasons, mostly personal ones and
wish to take revenge.
Psychologist
Nadezhda Tarabarina also stresses importance of the fact, that these girls and
women are being influenced and psychologically manipulated, as even a very
strong personal reason or pain caused by the loss is hardly believed to be the
only one reason. Psychological portrait of the potential suicide bomber
includes strong suggestibility, these persons are being influenced easily
through using of psychological manipulation and attempts to convince the woman,
that she must take a revenge or that she will commit a great deed, help her
people or help to stop the war by carrying out the act of suicide bombing.
Thus
manipulation is the most probable reason, thinks psychologist. Manipulation
could be applied through different means, very often it can include drugging
and usage of psychotropic substances paralyzing the will of a person and making
it vulnerable to manipulation and infusion. Very often the “Black Widow”
carries out the attack under the psychotropic substances as well, states
psychologists. Her information is based on the forensic analyses.
Another
important add to the portrait of the average Chechen suicide bomber is that she
doesn’t carry out the attacks herself, she is always being accompanied, and
even the bomb is usually detonated remotely, so the “Black Widow” simply
doesn’t have choice and chance to escape, if she has made this step.
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| Female suicide bomber during Moscow theatre siege (Image: NTV TV snapshot) |
Hard life
circumstances, losses of the family members and beloved ones, psychological
traumas, stress and personal matters, revenge are usually the main reasons for
these women to become the bombers. In addition to that the belief that there
will be meeting with the dead relatives and beloved persons in heaven, where
shaheed should appear, is also very important moment in case of Chechen female
bombers. According to experts the most
important factor in forming of the suicide bomber is psychological one (not
religion, nationality of traditions), combined with the massive ideological
work and manipulation.
These moments
are very important to be marked, as “Black Widows” are usually portrayed by
media, especially in Russia, as cold-blooded religious fanatics killing
innocent people, and there are a lot of misconceptions, stereotypes and
propaganda regarding this phenomenon in media, especially Russian. Of course
the deeds committed by the “Black Widows” are terrible and cannot be tolerated,
but one should try to understand the deep reasons of the phenomenon in order to
find the right solution and to not only eliminate or at least to minimize the
cases of suicide terrorist attacks, but to also save the possible future
bombers and hundreds of lives.
Extended version of an article originally posted on Islamist Gate.
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