We carried several stories here about Hussam Abdo, the 15-year-old would-be suicide bomber who was disarmed and jailed by Israeli forces. Now the BBC (thanks to Peter Rockas for the link) has published an interview with the boy that is extremely revealing of the culture that has spawned this demonic phenomenon — also note that none of the vaunted brutality of the Israelis seems to be on display here:
JR: When you put on that belt did you really know – as a 15-year-old – that you were going to go and murder people, that you were going to go and cause great suffering to mothers and fathers, that you were going to be a mass murderer? Did you really know that?
Hussam: Yes. Just like they came and caused our parents sadness and suffering they too should feel this. Just like we feel this – they should also feel it. […]
JR: When the army caught you, how did you feel?
Hussam: I was a bit scared. The soldiers came to me and there were many of them so I was a bit scared.
I was afraid that they would beat me but I wasn’t afraid that they’d shoot me.
They were nice to me – they treated me well. […]
JR: Did the people who sent you – the people from the Al Aqsa Brigades – did they promise you anything?
Hussam: Of course they did. They told me, once you carry out the operation and the soldiers come and demolish your home, we’ll stand by your parents and rebuild your house and give them money. […]
JR: Have you spoken to them since your arrest?
Hussam: I spoke to them [his parents] shortly after I was arrested. I was at the army base and the doctor there was checking me and I told him I wanted to speak to my mother, so he lent me his mobile phone.
He let me speak to my mother. She began to cry – she’d seen what happened on TV.
Then the doctor took the phone away from me and he spoke to my mother.
He said don’t worry about your son, he’s fine, we’ll take care of him.[…]
JR: Some teenagers want to be footballers, others want to be singers. You wanted to be a suicide bomber. Why?
Hussam: It’s not suicide – it’s martyrdom.
I would become a martyr and go to my God. It’s better than being a singer or a footballer. It’s better than everything.
JR: What was the main reason for you deciding to become a suicide bomber? The one reason in particular.
Hussam: The reason was because my friend was killed.
The second reason I did it is because I didn’t want to go to school.
My parents forced me to go to school and I didn’t feel like going.
JR: Are you saying that one of the reasons you wanted to become a suicide bomber was because you didn’t like your teacher?
Hussam: That and because of my friend Sabih, who was killed.
JR: It seems extreme that if you don’t like your teacher it could partially propel you towards murder and suicide.
Hussam: The thing is my parents forced me to go to school and I didn’t want to go.