Why a Doctrine of Martyrdom Attracts Adherents: The Weight of Guilt, and the Desperate Attempt at Redemption
- Charles Perez
- Jul 9
- 8 min read
By Dave Doveton
ANGLICAN MAINSTREAM
July 9, 2025
A suicide bomber stormed into the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Elias in Damascus, Syria during the Sunday service on the morning of June 22nd. He opened fire, then detonated his explosive vest. Around 20 worshippers were killed and dozens injured. The same day several other attacks on Christians in Syria occurred. The All Arab News reported, saying,
“A suicide bomber also targeted the Deir Ibrahim al-Khalil Monastery in Douweila, Damascus. Another terrorist team attacked a church in Maqsura called the Church of Our Lady, placing explosive devices at the door…. In the cities of Homs and Hama, several churches were also attacked by shooters. Leaflets were also posted on the doors of these churches reading, “Your turn is coming.””[i]
Not long ago in Syria, Alawites and Christians were massacred in a systematic rampage. Dead bodies were left in the streets. Indeed, we have seen a litany of attacks in Europe[ii] and Britain over the past few years. This week is the 20th anniversary of the London bombings. We also remember the killing of civilians in Germany, the Southport massacre of children, even the use of civilians in Gaza as human shields by Hamas. Things like the public ‘celebration’ in which the bodies of murdered Israeli toddlers were paraded in front of a chanting mob understandably provokes a reaction because of the heinous nature of these actions.
Many western observers found it difficult to comprehend that the Iranian regime would plan to strike Israel intentionally with a nuclear weapon. Such attack depending on the yield of the weapon used would have unleashed unimaginable thermonuclear devastation – in at least the Israeli territory, Gaza, The West Bank, and probably Syria, Jordan and Lebanon. Even Egypt, the Gulf States, and Türkiye could face devastating consequences from nuclear fallout. It was estimated by some experts that each bomb Teheran developed and sent would be equivalent to the yield of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined. Such blind rage resulting not only in the death of their perceived enemies, but also fellow Muslims in the process, is hard to fathom. Civilian deaths (either Jewish, or Palestinians used as human shields) are not regarded as morally wrong by Islamist militant groups such as Hamas. The late Hamas leader Yehiya Sinwar allegedly told his colleague that the loss of his sons and other Palestinians during the war would “infuse life into the veins of this nation, prompting it to rise to its glory and honour.” He had also characterised the loss of Palestinian lives in Gaza as “necessary sacrifices.”[iii]
Indeed, the term shahid (meaning martyr) is used by Islamist groups like Hamas to refer to any Palestinian killed – be they a combatant or civilian. This doctrine of martyrdom is used by such groups to justify suicide attacks and Islamists tend to focus on the glorification of martyrdom[iv]. In the 1979 Iran Iraq war, 20 000 child ‘martyrs’ were sent ahead of adult militia into minefields and machine gun fire to clear a path. Every child died, believing they had done a glorious deed for Allah[v]. In case we think this apocalyptic ideology is something remote from our world, there are reports of British schoolchildren being taught these very doctrines[vi].
How can human beings engage in such savagery in the 21st century? Are people being drawn into a mass psychosis, or is it perhaps a religious fervour? Of course, people in general can be motivated to fight and even be martyrs in a political cause – however, could there possibly be more to the motivation than a drive for revenge and a righting of perceived wrongs?
I wish to consider deeper psycho-spiritual dynamics that may be at play, influencing perpetrators without them possibly even being conscious of these deeper drives motivating their actions. Especially in a theological sense, what does the killing of innocents reveal about the human predicament without a saviour, without forgiveness for sin, without a way to expiate guilt? Although the motives of the aggressor may be complex and partly subconscious, there is an element of rationality involved, especially in the case of the Islamist killer.
Although it is shame and not guilt that is a more important principle in Islam[vii], nevertheless all human beings have a conscience, which brings knowledge of guilt.
The moral philosopher Jack Budziszewski[viii] holds that the human conscience works in 3 modes. It is cautionary, alerting us to potential moral wrongdoing; accusatory, indicting us when we do wrong; and finally avenging when we refuse to acknowledge wrongdoing.
Knowledge of guilt, he maintains, generates in every person the need for confession, atonement, reconciliation, and justification. These needs are hardwired into every human being whether they have a religious belief system or not.
“…(the) normal outlet of remorse is to flee from wrong; of the need for confession, to admit what one has done; of atonement, to pay the debt; of reconciliation, to restore the bonds one has broken; and of justification, to get back in the right.”[ix]
However, if these needs are not met in the proper way, the wrongdoer’s life goes totally out of kilter. He says,
“We flee not from wrong, but from thinking about it. We compulsively confess every detail of our story, except the moral. We punish ourselves again and again, offering every sacrifice except the one demanded. We simulate the restoration of broken intimacy, by seeking companions as guilty as ourselves. And we seek not to become just, but to justify ourselves.”[x]
Christian doctrine recognises the power of guilt and the atoning work of Christ which offers forgiveness / atonement for sin, justification and restoration of intimacy with God and others. Thereby through repentance the guilt is dealt with holistically, bringing peace and healing to the soul and psyche.
Islamic doctrine has no solution to the problem of sin and guilt,
I recently came across an X post by a former Muslim in which he gives a simple but profound insight into why a Muslim would kill innocent non- Muslims (remembering of course according to the Quran that non- believers are ‘infidels’).
“Let me tell you why a Muslim would drive his car into a crowd of innocent people. I was raised Muslim, and I know exactly why this happens. It’s not poverty. It’s not oppression. It’s not even radicalization. It’s the logical outcome of Islamic doctrine itself.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a Muslim or not; we, as human beings, carry guilt deep inside us. We know we are not good enough and spend our lives trying to redeem ourselves through good deeds, thinking it will make the guilt disappear.
Christianity, for example, offers a way out of guilt, a solution not based on your works but on Christ’s. Salvation isn’t earned; it’s given. You accept that you can’t redeem yourself because Christ did everything on your behalf. That means you’re free. Free to live, free to build, free to serve, free to love.
When Christians feel lost, broken, and needing forgiveness, they can go to church, talk to a pastor or priest, and leave knowing they have been forgiven.
Islam, on the other hand, doesn’t offer redemption; it weaponizes guilt. Instead of providing salvation, Allah exposes you, holds your sins over your head, and threatens you with hellfire and torture in the grave.
The Quran isn’t a book of peace; it’s a book of threats. It bullies Muslims into obedience through fear, humiliation, and punishment.
So, what happens when a Muslim seeks redemption? They try to be better Muslims. They pray, fast, give to charity, go on Hajj, and do everything Allah commands. But it never works. I know. I did it.
And no matter how much you pray, no matter how much you try, the guilt never goes away. Because deep down, every Muslim knows it’s not enough. Allah always demands more.”
Islam is complex and diverse. The vast majority of Muslims[xi] are conservative, broadly nominal in their religious practice, and would not personally embrace violence against others. A small proportion are progressive and do tend to adapt to western culture. However, the last several decades have seen the development of a radical fundamentalist Islam (often referred to as Islamism) which adheres to a strict form of Islam, especially believing in the importance of expanding the political rule of Islam through military might and violent struggle. They adhere to verses in the Quran which call for violence against non-believers. Mahmood describes these doctrines – he continues,
Allah loves those who die fighting against the infidels. That’s not an opinion, it’s in the Quran, Hadith, and every lesson taught to children.
This is why Muslims, even the so-called “moderates,” always hesitate to condemn terrorism. Because they know Allah requires jihad. They might not be willing to commit it themselves, but they cannot say it’s wrong.
So, when a Muslim fails to reach peace through religious rituals, they have two choices:
Give up, stop being devout, and learn to live with the guilt, or commit to jihad because that’s the only way to be true to yourself.
The Quran spells it out clearly: “Kill those who do not worship Allah or obey the Prophet” (9:29).
So when a Muslim embraces this identity fully, killing infidels isn’t just justified; it’s joyful. It’s an act of: Saving yourself, Obeying Allah, Securing your eternity, Finally escaping the crushing weight of guilt.
This is why a Muslim can drive his car into a crowd of innocent people and feel nothing but satisfaction.
Because for the first time in his life, he finally believes he has done something worthy of redemption.”[xii]
Scholars of Islamism would agree,
“One sure way to go straight to paradise…is to die as a martyr in jihad.”[xiii]
This exploration is an attempt to shed light on some of the motivations for the violence we see perpetrated in the name of a religious ideology. As Christians, we of all people should be aware of the reality of sin and guilt and its consequences for every human being. We each have the calling to share with others (whatever their faith commitment or lack thereof) the liberating power of the gospel. Civil violence is destabilising and creates confusion and even hopelessness in a society. The challenge is to believe in the power and purposes of God to change things when to many it seems almost impossible.
Pope John Paul II in his theologising on the totalitarian ideologies of the 20th Century, writes that ultimately these ideologies and the destruction they wrought have their origin in original sin. The only way to overcome this manifestation of original sin is through loving God to the point of total self-denial. It is to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the depths of evil perpetrated by human beings. It is what Jesus meant in his expression ‘convince the world about sin’[xiv] – it is not to condemn the world, but, “If the Church, through the power of the Holy Spirit, can call evil by its name, it does so only in order to demonstrate that evil may be overcome if we open ourselves to amor Dei usque ad contemptum sui.”[xv]
That is, the self-denial in giving ourselves to God’s mission in love of him and others, instead of self-denial in acts of destruction.
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[i] https://allarab.news/multiple-churches-in-syria-attacked-by-terrorists-including-those-in-damascus-at-least-20-dead-dozens-wounded-and-numbers-are-climbing/
[ii] https://europeanconservative.com/articles/news/a-timeline-of-evil-terror-attacks-in-europe-in-2024-25/
[iv] Patrick Sookdeo, The Role of Religion in the Battle Space since 9/11 in Meeting the Ideological Challenge of Islamism, ed Bekele and Sookdeo, Isaac Publishing, McLean, Virginia, 2015, p19.
[v] The Horrible Truth About Iran the West Doesn’t Understand – Interview with Matthew Syed, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1cNfkJvyLs
[vi] Tehran’s theocratic tyrants have no place in the UK, https://capx.co/tehrans-theocratic-tyrants-have-no-place-in-the-uk
[vii] Patrick Sookdeo, The Challenge of Islam to the Church and its Mission, p33.
[viii] Jack Budziszewski is professor of government and philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin and the author of several books.
[ix] J. Budziszewski: What We Can’t Not Know: A Guide, p. 140.
[x] i.b.i.d.
[xi] For an overview of the diversity in Islam, see: Patrick Sookdeo, The Challenge of Islam to the Church and its Mission, Isaac Publishing, McLean, VA, 2008. P47ff.
[xiii] Patrick Sookdeo, The Challenge of Islam, p 31.
[xiv] John 16:8.
[xv] John Paul II, Memory and Identity, Weidenfeld & Nicholson, London, 2005. P7; “amor Dei usque ad contemptum sui” means “the love of God to the point of self-contempt”.
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