Martyrdom and September 11th :: Martyr Islam Muslim 9/11 9-11 Terrorism Terrorist

On September the 11th 2001, the international crisis of terrorism exploded in America. The dark cloud that loomed over lower Manhattan eventually cleared but the reality of the American entrance into the battlefield of terror didn’t dissipate. When President Bush addressed his stunned and grieving nation, he declared a crusade on terrorists and all who harbored them, and â€Å"when [his] remarks were translated into Arabic for broadcast throughout the Middle East, the word crusade was rendered as ‘war of the cross’† (Carrol 5). This religious reference rang true to those terrorists who had attacked the World Trade Center; all were members of Osama Bin Laden's terrorist network Al Qaeda. The group is a militant Islamist organization that believes those who commit acts like those of September 11th are martyrs, welcomed into eternal paradise. The phenomenon of martyrdom is not exclusive to Islam. By definition, a martyr is â€Å"one who voluntarily suffers death rather than deny his religion by words or deeds; such action is afforded special, institutionalized recognition in most major religions of the world†¦the term may also refer to anyone who sacrifices his life or something of great value for the sake of principle† (Britannica). The word is derived from the Greek word for witness. Throughout the ages, willingness to die for a noble cause has been a persistent idea. In three of the world’s major religions- Judaism, Christianity and Islam, martyrdom has played a significant role. In Judaism, the concept of martyrdom is referred to as Kiddush Hashem which means sanctification of God's name. This definition includes refusal to renounce the word of God for reasons of convenience or to save one’s life. According to Judaic beliefs, Abraham, the first Hebrew patriarch, was thrown into a furnace for denouncing idolatry. Though he was saved by God, his brush with death made him the first martyr of the Jewish faith. During medieval times, Jews were persecuted by Christians throughout Europe, and were frequently put to death for crimes such as blood libel and host desecration1. Many Jews were forced to flee Spain during the Inquisition to avoid being unjustly persecuted under the pretense of similar offenses. These martyrs were usually burned at the stake. In the 1940’s Hitler systematically slayed over six million Jews during the reign of the Third Reich. These are just a few examples of martyrs of Judaism. In early Christianity, all believers were considered martyrs. Later, this distinction was reserved for those who refused to renounce their faith and suffered as a result, whether they were injured or killed. Eventually, only those who were killed for their beliefs were considered martyrs.