Female Suicide Bombers
An Update
Clara Beyler
ICT Researcher
This article suplements an earlier article,  Messengers of Death: female suicide
bombers.
The past year has been characterized by an increase in suicide bombings
perpetrated by women. Suicide attacks continued to be conducted by Chechnyan
and Palestinian women, but also began to be seen in rather unexpected
countries such as Iraq. There was also a thwarted attack in Morocco. Moreover,
an FBI report expressed concern over the forming of al-Qaeda female units.
Latest attacks
Chechnya
October 2002 A crowded Moscow theater was overtaken by about 50 abductors, 18 of them
women dressed in black and wearing explosive belts. This marked the first time in the history of
female suicide terrorism that such a team was established, signaling a shift from an individual
action to a group structure.[1] Although large-scale operations occurred in the past, only an small
number of women had assumed the role of warriors.[2]
May 12, 2003 Two suicide bombers one of them a woman drove an explosives-laden truck into
a Chechen government compound, killing more than 60 people.
May 14, 2003 During a busy Muslim festival, a female suicide bomber detonated her explosive
belt in an attempt to kill Chechnya s Moscow-appointed leader, Akhmad Kadyrov. He survived the
attack, but the explosion claimed 16 lives and left 145 wounded. A second female suicide bomber
killed only herself in a second blast.
June 5, 2003 A Russian Air Force bus was targeted in North Ossetia by a female suicide bomber.
Seventeen people died in the attack.
June 20, 2003 In Grozny, a suicide truck bomb perpetrated by a man and a woman targeted
Russian Government buildings, killing eight, and wounding 25 people.
July 5, 2003 Two female suicide bombers detonated their bombs 10 minutes apart at a Moscow
suburb open-air rock festival, killing 14 people, and wounding 60. Most of the casualties were
caused by the second blast, with the first bomber killing only herself.
The Russian news agency ITAR-Tass reported that another bomb was discovered at an entrance
and defused by the police. A suspect involved in the bombings is still at large.
July 10, 2003 A bomb expert was killed after an apparent mechanical failure prevented a female
suicide bomber from detonating her bomb at a downtown Moscow restaurant. The failed attack
might be connected to the afore-mentioned July 5th attacks. The female bomber, Zarema
Muzhikhoyeva, was arrested and charged with various counts, including terrorism and
premeditated murder. More significantly, her arrest and interrogation uncovered information on
some elements of the terror group behind the plot. The 22-year-old woman revealed that her
intended target was a MacDonald s restaurant, but she got lost due to her lack of familiarity with
the city and eventually entered the closest café, where she tried to detonate the defective bomb
and was caught.
July 27, 2003 Southeast of Grozny, a female suicide bomber detonated her explosive charge at a
military base, as the son of Mr. Kadyrov was reviewing troops. Interfax News Agency reported that
security forces were searching for another female bomber suspected to be on a mission to
assassinate Kadyrov.
December 5, 2003 A female suicide bomber blew up in a commuter train in Southern Russia,
Killing 42 people and wounding more than 150. Two or three other women were involved in the
attack.
December 9, 2003 Two female suicide bombers detonated their charges near the Red Square in
the heart of Moscow, killing 6 people and wounding a dozen.
Palestinian suicide attacks
May 19, 2003 19-year-old Hiba Da arma blew up at the entrance to a mall in Afulah, killing 3
civilians and wounding 83, after being stopped by security guards. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades
and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad took responsibility for the attack, marking the first time the PIJ
claimed responsibility for an attack conducted by a woman.[3]
October 4, 2003 A suicide attack was perpetrated in Haifa by a 29-year-old female lawyer in
Jenin. The PIJ claimed responsibility for this attack.
Iraq
April 4th 2003 a suicide car bomb attack against coalition forces was carried out by two women,
killing three soldiers and wounding two civilians. A videotape subsequantly aired by the Qatar-
based Al Jazeera network featured the two women, holding the Quran and a machine gun and
expressing their support for Saddam Hussein. Some reports indicate that one of the women might
have been pregnant.
Turkey
May 21, 2003 A bomb rocked the Crocodile coffee shop in Ankara frequented by students learning
English in nearby private schools, claiming the life of the female terrorist. No one claimed
responsibility for the blast. It is still not clear if this was an attempted suicide attack or whether the
woman terrorist detonated it in the ladies room while hiding, possibly as a result of being scared off
by the presence of a policeman.[4]
Morocco
In the summer of 2003, two teenage girls were arrested in Rabat and sentenced for terrorism
offences. According to various reports, the two were on their way to target a liquor store, with
some sources suggesting this was possibly a suicide attack plot. The teenagers were influenced by
a branch of radical Islam advocated by the Salafi Jihad organization, which has been continuously
gaining in strength in some suburbs.
Terror groups emerging utilization and justification of women bombers
Terrorist organizations legitimize the use of women as suicide bombers in two ways: by reference
to prevalent social norms, and by religious ideology. In a society that welcomes and encourages
female suicide bombers, religious legitimization in the form of edicts (fatwas) will further promote
an already accepted terror tactic. Yet if fatwas are issued in a society that does not approve of such
modus operandi, female suicide bombings are less likely to be promoted.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad
In the early part of 2003, the PIJ announced a strategic shift to a more  liberal attitude towards
women by accepting them as potential suicide bombers. As Col. (Ret.) Yoni Fighel explains, this
shift aimed to upgrade the PIJ s  operational capabilities by the introduction of a new methods to
elude Israeli efforts to thwart and profile suicide attackers.
Accordingly, an active propaganda campaign targeting Palestinian universities and promoted on the
PIJ s web site was launched. An AP translation of some promotional material included the following
statement, attributed to a man allegedly training female recruits:  Our women are no longer the
type of women who cry or weep. We have martyrdom women now&  [5]
Further religious legitimization was provided last May, when leading Egyptian cleric Yusuf al-
Qaradawi, Dean of Islamic Studies at the University of Qatar, issued a fatwa in response to the
female suicide bombing in Afula, asserting that  the act is a form of martyrdom for the cause of
Allah& [and] that a woman should go out for jihad even without the permission of her husband& 
Qaradawi notes that terror groups could benefit because women  may do what is impossible for
men to do. Hence, women are then allowed to violate  Islamic teachings, avoid wearing the veil,
and be without a male escort.[6]
It is also notable that Hamas spiritual leader, Sheikh Yassin, condoned the use of women as
suicide bombers back in February 2002. At the time, Hamas leaders declared that they had no
need of female suicide bombers, as there were enough male volunteers. However, in January
2004, Reem Raiyshi, 22, a married mother of two small children, became the first woman to carry
out a suicide bombing on behalf of Hamas. According to a report in Yediot Ahronot, Raiyshi was
compelled to perpetrate the terror strike to atone for having betrayed her husband.
Al-Qaida
In March 2003, the FBI expressed its growing concern over the possible change of al-Qaeda s
modus operandi following reports of increased recruitment of women.[7] Also of concern was a unit
that formed around a female leader known as Umm Usama (the mother of Usama), who was
reported to be in close contact with Usama Bin Laden and making extensive use of the Internet to
communicate with her network. According to the London-based Saudi A-Sharq Al-Awsat, the group
was modeled after and inspired by the successful integration of women by the Palestinians and
Chechens, raising the specter that at some point in the future the practice of female suicide
martyrdom could also be emulated.
Another hint of women s greater involvement in Bin Laden s group dates back to March 2003, when
female Pakistani neurological expert Aafia Siddiqui was sought by the FBI for her alleged links to
the terror group.[8] This marked the first time in the aftermath of September 11th that a warrant
for a woman was issued in the  War on Terror.
The social environment of the female suicide bomber
Chechnya
Reports from various human rights organizations point to the increasing role of women in the
economic well being of the family. While women have been forced by societal changes to become
breadwinners, they have also sadly adopted other formerly male roles including that of suicide
terrorist.
The  Black Widows, women whose husbands were killed during the war, are recruited because
they are widows and there is no man to protect them anymore. It is only when they become
widows that they turn to terrorism, but as will be discussed later, the motives for their involvement
are more complex.
Iraq
Out of the numerous attacks launched against coalition forces and civilians to date, only one was
conducted by women. However, since there is a high number of readily available male warriors in
the country, we can assume that at this point there is no need to recruit female bombers. Hence,
no fatwa calling for female suicide actions was issued in the country thus far.
The Palestinian Authority
In the Palestinian territories we have seen active promotion of suicide bombers (male and female),
which along with a general climate of martyrdom glorification, serves to reinforce a culture of
suicide. For example, on August 15, a Palestinian youth summer camp in Gaza was inaugurated by
Fatah members and named after female suicide bomber Ayyat al-Akhras. This marked the second
time her name was given to a children s camp. Moreover, school textbooks inculcate children with
hate and encourage death for jihad. In fact, an entire  industry has developed around the suicide-
bombing trend, which features videotapes and posters of the  shaheed (martyr) and the
 shaheeda (female martyr) that are freely distributed and proudly displayed, as well as
  martyr medallions which are traded by school kids the way children in the West trade baseball or
soccer cards.
The motives behind female suicide attacks
The motivation of any suicide bomber, whether male or female, is often open to some
interpretation, as the motives cannot be established with certainty. Some factors that come into
play include ideological (religious or nationalist), socio-economic (including a financial incentive of
special stipends handed out to the families of the bombers), and personal (specific traumas, desire
for revenge, or possible psychological predisposition).[9]
In the case of the Palestinian female suicide bomber, two main factors have to be taken into
consideration. First is the popular religious belief, shared by both religious and secular Palestinian
Muslims, in life after death.[10] Hence, whatever the main incentive for a suicide attack, this basic
notion needs to be addressed.
Secondly, while Palestinian women have carried attacks to  atone for some infringement of
propriety, the choice of becoming a suicide bomber is a rational and independent one that a
Palestinian woman may make without any coercion. The Palestinian female bomber usually has a
future and various paths to choose from, yet she consciously chose to carry out the suicide attack.
Since these women came from every sphere of Palestinian society, it is difficult to draw a profile of
the Palestinian female suicide bomber. However, it was discovered that often the bomber s
motivation was to make a statement on behalf of Palestine or Islam, especially in the case of the
religious PIJ. Yet it is interesting to note that an alleged female supervisor of a terror camp stated
that  Suicide bombings have pulled women out of the boxes created by society the box of a
weeping, wailing creature always crying for help& Can anyone say that men are greater patriots
than women? [11] Also notable is the implied notion that patriotism constitutes a motivation for
suicide attacks as opposed to religious Islamic rhetoric.
As noted in  Messengers of Death: female suicide bombers, women have channeled the frustration
stemming from their role in society into ruthless behavior. As highlighted above, instead of being
 the weeping and wailing creature the female Palestinian suicide bomber chooses to become a
human bomb, possibly in order to demonstrate that women too can express overwhelming
 patriotism just like their male counterparts. Yet despite these notions, male terrorists are not
likely to view the situation similarly and will use females merely because of narrow tactical
considerations, without according them a higher social status.
In Chechnya, many reports on the actions of the  Black Widows indicated that they have acted out
of revenge. During the October 2002 theater hostage crisis, Al Jazeera aired a pre-recorded
videotape featuring five of the female suicide bombers expressing their willingness and readiness
to die, and justifying their acts by claiming that they are  avenging their losses.
However, the physiological test results of failed suicide bomber Muzhikhoyeva, showed traces of
drugs, which may point to a certain degree of coercion. Another interesting point revealed during
the interrogation of Muzhikhoyeva was the presence of a female recruiter and trainer; a middle-
aged woman referred to as  Lyuba, who might have been involved in several recent female suicide
attacks.[12]
There is also a striking commonality between Chechnyan and Palestinian female suicide bombers:
many of these women had family members killed as a result of involvement in terrorist activities.
Thus, it is often when they were psychologically weaker that recruiters prey on them as potential
suicide bombers. Col. (Ret.) Yoni Fighel adds:  & It is well known that Hamas and the Islamic Jihad
use funerals and mourning booths as a potential platform for recruitment.[13] These organizations
are able to exploit the emotionally loaded circumstances, when feelings for revenge are high, for
their own ends. [14]
Looking to the future
The use of women both Chechnyan and Palestinian as human bombs as a successful modus
operandi will likely continue to be an inviting option for terror groups (to a greater extent in
Chechnya).[15]
Each Palestinian terror group, whether secular or religious, goes through an internal debate when it
comes to including women. On the one hand, the use of women could increase the likelihood of
perpetrating a successful terror attack. Yet on the other hand, the involvement of women as
suicide bombers could lead to their greater inclusion in terror activity and the possibility of equality
with men. The al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a branch of Arafat s secular Fatah, and the more religious
Palestinian Islamic Jihad have decided to use women, while the Hamas, although officially
accepting female participation, never implemented it.
The potentially gravest and recently emerging threat comes in the form of women being utilized by
al-Qaida. This concern has been reinforced by the discovery of wigs in one of the group s caches in
Saudi Arabia. Even if terrorists did not intend to carry out attacks disguised as women or using
women, the disguise could have served other purposes, such as surveillance of potential targets.
Furthermore, we have witnessed a trend of women being more actively involved in bin Laden s
organization, being used as messengers and helping in various logistical tasks. Other information
indicates that the women s position in the group was upgraded, as indicated by an Italian warrant
for a Tunisian woman, Bentiwaa Farida Ben Bechir, allegedly active in recruiting suicide bombers to
be sent to Iraq among other countries. Ben Bechir s whereabouts are unknown, amid suggestions
that she could have left Europe and gone back to Tunisia.[16]
Conclusions and recommendations
Since terrorists can be very adaptable and are likely to resort to previously successful modus
operandi, such as the use of women bombers, counter-terrorism measures have to be adapted and
evolve at the same pace. A good example has been the increased recruitment of female guards
and screeners in Israel, which enable a stricter security screening of women without compromising
their dignity.
However, the best way to counter suicide bombing, whether perpetrated by men or women, is to
eradicate the promotion campaign for suicide terrorism. If girls are presented with positive
examples that do not glorify violence and death, they are more likely to become productive and
positive adults instead of seeking to sow destruction and find glory in a martyr s death. But in a
society where death is more highly regarded than life, a fundamental change must take place first.
In order to eliminate the teaching of hate and promotion of violence a shift within society triggered
by a committed political leadership is required. The day when posters of suicide bombers are ripped
off the walls of public spaces could signal the beginning of a new era of hope and peace. In the
meantime, the faces of past suicide bombers are still there.
Sources: ABC News, AP, AFP, CNN, BBC News, the English Pravda, Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, Le
Monde, Liberation, ICT website, ITAR-Tass, Interfax News Agency, qoqaz.net, kavkaz.org, MEMRI,
the Moscow Times, MSNBC News, the Guardian, the Sunday Mail, the Telegraph, the Time Europe,
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Notes:
1. Hawa Barayew is commonly recognized as the first Chechnyan female suicide
bomber.
2. Abducting hostages is a common practice by the Chechen rebels. A large-scale
attack was previously perpetrated in 1995 in Budennovsk, when a group of rebels
seized a hospital and killed over a hundred people. A year later, an entire village
of two thousand people was abducted in Dagestan.
3. Some reports indicated that the woman s original plan was to blow up a city
hospital.
4. In April 2003, a McDonald s was targeted by a bomb in Istanbul, an attack which
remains unclaimed.
5. Report from Mohammed Daraghmeh, for the AP, 31 May 2003.
6. http://www.ict.org.il/spotlight/det.cfm?id=905
7. The AP, 04/02/2003.
8. The Washington Times, 16/06/ 2003.
9. For the male suicide bomber, there is another kind of motivation that includes a
sexual element. Men are said to be rewarded with 72 black eyed virgins upon
their arrival in heavan. Women have no such equivalent, as a woman is not
supposed to be rewarded sexually.
10. Sheikh Akrama Sabri stated during one of his sermons:  & the Muslim loves
death and martyrdom. There is a great difference between he who loves the
hereafter and he who loves this world&  MEMRI, N° 226, June 8, 2001.
11. Haaretz, 26/05/2003. Article by Arnon Regular.
12. The Telegraph, 20/07/2003.
13. According to Israeli sources, female suicide bomber Jaradat was approached by
the PIJ during the period of mourning for her brother and her cousin.
14. http://www.ict.org.il/articles/articledet.cfm?articleid=499
15. Six Palestinian female suicide bombers were successful in their mission, but many
others were intercepted before.
16. BBC News, 28/11/03.