A memorial for martyrs

‘Personally, I think the term ‘soft targets’ is a misnomer. What is soft about being blown up at a time you expect it the least? It is death in a most horrifying way. It is murder most gruesome and foul.’ I observed sadly, holding the newspaper with the mosque bombing story in my hand.  ‘Yes, […]

‘Personally, I think the term ‘soft targets’ is a misnomer. What is soft about being blown up at a time you expect it the least? It is death in a most horrifying way. It is murder most gruesome and foul.’ I observed sadly, holding the newspaper with the mosque bombing story in my hand. 

‘Yes, it’s a horrific end but I don’t think the term refers to the condition of the victims, my understanding is it defines them. The victims in such bombings are mainly unarmed civilians, mostly engaged in one of life’s ordinary pursuits like shopping, studying, travelling or worshipping, like the case of the University mosque victims.’ Tahir offered, looking up from where he lies, on the settee, in our sitting room.

‘I see, well either way I just don’t like the word ‘soft’ in his terrifying context.’ I protested. ‘Whether they are killing fellow combatants who are fighting against them or they are targeting civilians for their horrible, bloodthirsty adventures, the result is the death of good people, people who are in every way better than them.. This is what hurts me so much.’ I declared.

‘I know what you mean but there is still a world of difference between soft target victims and an armed man who gets killed fighting the insurgents or a victim whose village or town had been invaded by them. This is because in both cases, the victims already know they are in danger and could actually get killed, if their luck runs out. But the victim of a soft-target attack has no forewarning of danger, he or she was just going about his life’s normal routine. Then out of the blues he gets attacked and even killed, sometimes before he even knows what hit him. 

I mean imagine yourself in the place of that late Professor of Veterinary medicine. Would you have thought, for a second, that when you stood next to a 7-year-old boy during prayer, at the masjid, that you were standing next to your killer? Would you ever think that a murderer will be among those rushing to make it to the mosque at dawn, just to kill and maim? It’s so distressing to even think about and it tells us just how vulnerable we all are to their murderers adventures, since they are able to reach their targets wherever they wish.’ Tahir concluded.

‘Yes, that is what I find most scary, the fact that they can penetrate our defences and reach their victims successfully. Three days ago, they said a nursing mother, with a child strapped on her back was the one who did the attack at Madagali, in Adamawa State. According to UNICEF, it was the first time a baby was used in a suicide attack. Now why would nursing mother sacrifice both herself and her baby in the name of a murderous ideology? Usually any mother about to die will try to save her child, no matter the odds against her. But this one just blew the two of them up, without remorse. Equally curious is the case of the seven year old boy who was the bomb courier at the University mosque. What does a child like that know about life that he could be so willing to sacrifice it, in order to kill others? Honestly, the more I look at the profile of the bombers, the more I think they were not in full control of their senses when they were made the couriers. Nothing else can explain why a woman will blow up herself and her baby or why a child of seven can attack a prayer congregation at dawn.’ I argued.

‘You mean you think they were drugged or something?’ He asked, sitting up on the chair and looking directly at me.

‘Yes, I believe so. Many people who had seen Boko Haram suicide bombers before they struck, talked about seeing a person who looked dazed and unaware of goings-on around him/her. And according to the American writer John Kaminski, the earliest Palestinian suicide bombers were not willing subscribers to the attacks. They were youths who were befriended by Israeli secret agents. When the stage was set for the attack, the Israeli agents will then drug the youth and put a suicide belt around him. They would then plant him on a bus or at some public place and later detonate him by remote control. The poor chap will go down in history as a suicide bomber while in truth he had no idea what happened to him. Now after the first few drugged bombers, others followed suit, believing that it was a way to make shahada, that is achieve martyrdom, because they lived in perpetual warfare, under an Israeli occupation that does not allow them to defend themselves. In a nut shell that was how suicide bombing was born in Palestine. But before then they existed in Japan and were used during the second world war and in Sri Lanka where they were used by the Tamil Tiger rebels to fight government targets.’ I narrated.

‘How enlightening, I seem to be getting a free history lesson from my darling wife today.’ Tahir joked, smiling. ‘But even if our own suicide bombers were not drugged, its possible that some of them, like that 7-year old boy, did not know what they were carrying on them. Do you remember that story posted by an army officer, warming parents in the Northeast to watch over their children? He said he was with his colleagues when a little girl approached them carrying a small bucket. She told them a man had told her to bring this pure water to them. They quickly took the bucket from her and found out that under the pure water sachets was an explosive device. If they hadn’t acted fast enough that little girl would have been an unwilling suicide bomber. May Allah protect us from those evil merchants who have no qualms against using innocent children to achieve their aims.’ He prayed.

‘Amin ya Rabb, Hubby dearest. We really have to accelerate our prayers that these people get caught before they ruin more innocent lives. I mean now that they have been chased away from Sambisa, they will mix with civilians and continue to perpetrate their murderous exploits by using innocent women and children as bomb couriers. May Almighty Allah expose them wherever they are hiding, otherwise many more soft targets will be forced die painful deaths in their hands.’ I observed. 

‘Amin, and I hope the government will find the time to make a befitting memorial for all the hard and soft victims of this needless but murderous insurgency.  The governments of Borno, Adamawa, Yobe and the Federal Government should all erect a memorial hall of fame with pictures and brief biographies of those we lost to these evil insurgents.’ He suggested.

‘Yes, it will be like a Martyrs Hall of fame. May Allah accept their shahada.’ I replied, agreeing with him.