The Female Terrorist

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The aftermath of the terrible tragedy at a Russian school signaled the coming of age of the female terrorist. The incidents over the past weeks have been indeed despicable with children shot in the back and people massacred randomly. Haunting images from a grainy video shot showing explosives wired in the school gymnasium and news clips of soldiers rushing naked screaming children away from the school is enough to put a chill in the most apathetic soul. But strangely, it was found that many of the terrorists holed up in the school were women. We have increasingly seen the role of women rise in spreading terror around the world. We still remember Thenmuli Rajaratnam (Dhanu), a LTTE woman strapped with explosives blow up Rajiv Gandhi. Everyday, scores of Palestinian women willingly come forward to kill Israelites. Recently an alarm was sounded for a Pakistani woman who was suspected to have crept inside the US to propagate further terror attacks. In the latest tragedy in Russia, women formed a major part of the attack team, presumably comprising of wives and daughters of Chechen soldiers killed by Russians.

Being fully aware of the gender differences, can a woman be capable of indulging in such insensitive killing. Usually women are considered the compassionate and life giver part of the human species. Women are less likely to cause blatant physical or emotional pain, or at least I like to think so. No matter how hardened a woman is, she still holds on to her compassionate and sensitive side. Amrutha — a ~~Tamil~~ Telugu film that I enjoyed even without sub-titles aptly reflects the dilemmas a woman can face, even while fighting for a cause dear to her principles. It’s a well-documented fact that a woman will not cause physical pain to another being even if it leads to a greater good. Most of the women will flinch if they see a lamb slaughtered. The quality, wimpish that men like to use for women actually is compassion and empathy.

So does the involvement of women imply the intensity or passion of the activists behind a cause? Has the injustice or brutality exceeded limits to such an extent that even women take up arms and strap on explosive belts? Does it draw the line between a reign of terror and freedom struggle? Is the Chechen conflict justified because it draws women to its cause? On the other hand, the widely known adage — hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, is very much true and we are all aware of the extent a woman will go if she is wronged. But then who decides, what is right and wrong. One person’s freedom struggle might be another’s terrorist insurgency. The actions of the female terrorist however do not differ much in terms of its ghastly outcome or loss of life. A bullet fired either by a crazed madman or a fervent freedom fighter still kills and if it claims the lives of innocent school children, it certainly cannot lend credibility to any struggle.

But, of course, we cannot hold traditionally accepted norms of social behavior to determine modern terror. Terrorists are aware that women are not prone to searches and generally not a terror suspect in the eyes of the airport inspector. A woman with a baby is given special treatment and ushered into the airplane. What if the terrorists tap this potential and take undue advantage of our chivalrous nature or innocence? It’s a dangerous world out there today, and no one is above suspicion, be it an old man or a young woman. Terror and murder and not alien and jurisdiction of any particular sex anymore. I hope I don’t live to see the day of the child terrorist.

“The Female Terrorist” [Short URL: http://www.ipatrix.com/?p=302] was published Wednesday, September 8th, 2004 at 11:05 pm by Patrix, filed under Current Affairs, India, Recommended, and tagged as India, society, terror, terrorists, women. Both comments and linkbacks are closed.

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Neha
Women terrorist….quite clearly you havent seen the worst…and that is belive me a good thing!
women terrorist do not slice a man or kill him brutally.one bullet thru the head and done.that is empathy in even crime.
And just because the media/you doenst see much blood and coded “vicotry” messages it doesnt publicise it coz well…even the general public doenst find it spine chilling or “thrilling”.
But the fact of the matter is….its murder -brutal/gory or straight-on.
that is where the difference comes between a woman and man terrorist/criminal.
same intention(wrong).different method(thats just the gender thing).
Neha
Corection time!! :P
Amrutha in telugu
kannathil muthamitaal(dunno spelling) in tamil means “Peck on the cheek”
:D
http://foolsparadise.blog-city.com Queer
Time has changed and so has the way in which a women is being treated. Involvement of women neither justifies nor undermines the act of terrorism. Today’s women is given as much exposure as a man, and she has the freedom to make a choice of her own. The traditional view of women has undergone a dramatic change over the past decade. Personally, I feel, this facet of the women was never revealed, cos she was under the control of the man. Women are also humans, no more, no less. There is no excuse for taking innocent lives.
As for the movie, although the theme was good but I had a hard time accepting certain aspects.
Looks like I keep commenting on everyone of ur post…No, I am not stalking ur blog.
Bryan
“I hope I donâ€™t live to see the day of the child terrorist.”…reminded me of the movie “City of God” (Cidade de Deus), a Brazilian production that I watched a few months back. Rated 8.7 on IMDB, it can get quite shocking. Especially the depiction of kids involved in gangs. If you do watch it, let us know what emotions it evoked in you.
http://patrix.typepad.com Patrix
Neha – Of course, I haven’t seen anything yet. I was merely trying to understand the role of women in such conflicts coz we don’t see them involved in all of them at least to the extent of Chechen struggle. Thanks for the correction. Done.
Queer – Commenting on all posts is a good thing…you don’t know how much I try to coax ppl into commenting. Regards women terrorists, I agree too that we have reached a stage where gender differences do not matter and I think that certainly is the end of innocence.
Bryan – I will try to look it up next time I am renting a movie. Thanks for the tip.
http://hemya.blogspot.com hemant
saw that in Dil Se too…..though not counted as one of the good film on terrorists…….still happens to be one of my fav films
Soleil
there’s always been incidents where women have taken on a non conventional role. the suffragist movement was one big thing in north america. I guess when the issues matter the most – there have been protests with active female participants. the revolt in france for bread is another that i rem which was headed by women. i guess the major difference will be proportion. number of women terrorists as opposed to men. it really does suck that things have come down to this – women killing children?
http://patrix.typepad.com Patrix
Hemant – Exactly my point. Dil Se does (partially) highlight the role of women in terrorism
Soleil – Women killing children in Belsan was the last thing I expected…no matter how convinced or dedicated a woman terrorist is to her cause, i think she will definitely hesistate before opening fire on children…makes me wonder if empathy, compassion and innocence are no longer the trademarks of a woman rebel.
http://broodingdude.rediffblogs.com Kiran
Good points. But women terrorists are really nothing new. The LTTE and even the PWG has been using them for ages. As for the child terrorist – you have to define the term child. The LTTE has been recruiting 12 year old kids in the 90′s. The Palestinians use whoever or whatever they can sneak through to the Israelis – which as far as I know has only not included infants so far – probably because it is so hard to train them.
http://patrix.typepad.com Patrix
Kiran – It may be nothing new but we have seen them only with certain organizations like LTTE. Kid terrorists as employed by Palestinians are not really terrorists; they are just stone-throwing kids who get shot at.

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The Female Terrorist

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