The Culture of Martyrdom

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. The culture of martyrdom. 3. The roots of culture of martyrdom. 4. Martyr. 5. Dying to be martyrs. 6. Martyrdom, gender and cultural identity. 7. Martyrdom or fanaticism? 8. Martyrs of dignity. 9. The concept of martyrdom and Sikhism. 10. Martyrdom in Jihad. 11. Martyrs and demons. 12. Some perspectives on execution and martyrdom, during the ancient regime. 13. Introduction: De Ste. Croix on persecution. 14. Globalization of martyrdom. Bibliography. Index.

"Every people and every nation has its own culture of martyrdom. It unleashes the deepest and most addictive human passions, the thirst for vengeance, the desire for religious purity, the longing for earthly glory and eternal salvation. There is a paradigm shift. People today are dying to win. This changed culture of martyrdom encourages young people to slaughter themselves for the perceived benefits of the afterlife. These concepts are totally alien to western thinking.

Objective of this is to make available to our readers different aspects of this culture of martyrdom in the east and west. How their values are different? What is the impact of this varied perception? Why this culture of martyrdom is on the increase?" (jacket)