Thauria Hamur; A Martyr, or a Murderer?(Israel)(Interview)

Byline: Joanna Chen

Thauria Hamur, a 26-year-old Palestinian woman living in the West Bank, was recruited by Fatah's military wing to carry out a suicide bombing in the heart of Jerusalem. Shortly before her mission in May 2002, Hamur was captured by the Israeli authorities. Whatever one thinks of her plan, understanding the motivation of Hamur and others like her is crucial to untangling the vicious web of hatred, hurt and revenge that continues to ensnare the Middle East. NEWSWEEK's Joanna Chen spoke to Hamur at Neve Tirzah Prison in central Israel, where she is serving out a six-year sentence as a security prisoner. Excerpts:

CHEN: Can you pinpoint the moment you decided to volunteer for the mission? HAMUR: I can give you many examples of the killing of [Palestinian] children for no reason. My own cousin was killed in the lounge of our house near Jenin by Israeli soldiers. The Israelis invaded my homeland and decided they weren't going to be merciful, and they massacred my people. So I decided not to feel sorry or to be merciful with their people.

Men are promised they'll become martyrs in paradise. As a woman, what were you promised? According to the Qur'an, God promised the martyrs a reward of 70 virgins, and those who die a martyr's death will be kept alive and sustained by God. Women martyrs are promised they will become the purest and most beautiful form of angel at the highest level possible in heaven.

Did you think that by succeeding in your mission you would bring honor to your family? This is something that would bring honor to my family and to everyone. The simple fact that I am a security prisoner is something very honorable to my family.

What training did you undergo? Basically it's a belt with explosives. I didn't need a lot of training. The training took place in an apartment in Nablus. They taught me to strap it around my body, but because it was too large they put it in a backpack that I was supposed to carry. They used a connecting button that they put on my right hip for me to push. I was to do this only when I could see a lot of people gathered together in a crowd and I had managed to get into the crowd. Then I was to push the button and explode myself. It was very easy training. It was only half an hour.

So your entire training to ...