PHOENIX — The release of recent video footage of the officer involved in the shooting of 18 year-old Jihadist Ismail Hamed has raised questions as to the legitimacy of the “blue balls theory of terrorism.” The video shows Hamed and a Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputy engaged in the phenomenon known as “suicide by cops.”
In the case of Hamed, who advised a 911 operator that he had pledged allegiance to ISIS, it appears to some to be a case of attempted martyrdom by cop.
The young wanna-be martyr, in a calm and deliberate manner, advised the operator that he was equipped with rocks and a knife and insisted that an officer come to his location.
Upon arrival to Hamed’s location, the officer repeatedly urged Hamed to drop his knife. The young warrior ignored the demands and lunged for the officer leaving him little option, but to shoot him.
Amazingly, after the deputy shot him twice at close range, Hamad survived his wounds.
It is Hamed’s demeanor that has led to speculation that the young man, trapped in the western world while trying to be devoted to his faith, may have wanted to expedite his reward of 72 virgins. Experts say that a misinterpretation promises 72 virgins as a reward for martyrdom, but some scholars suggest the correct interpretation of the Quran is a promise of 72 raisins; a common reward in the seventh century.
Gilbert Caluya, writing in the Journal of Media & Cultural Studies, describes the ‘blue balls theory of terrorism’ as a theory that “posits that terrorism is caused by the pent-up sexual frustration of men in the developing world who are unable to satisfy their lusts.” The theory is dismissed by radical theorists as a “hegemonic model” designed by the privileged to marginalize those outside the western world.
However, in the case of young Hamed and other unstable young men trying to live within the confines of their faith while dealing with raging hormones, and under the influence of extremists such as ISIS, the ‘blue balls theory of terrorism’ seems more likely than not to be the culprit.
Related article: Maricopa Sheriff Penzone releases terrorist shooting footage and 911 call
Experts argue that “Emotions play a role in the Suicide Bomber by creating a pressing need to do something (Tosini, 2010). Suicide Bombers are fueled by hatred, anger, and indignation. This is a familiar motivation for many lone wolf shooters in the United States. One such, was Elliot Rodger, the Incel killer. Rodger ended up killing over ten people in Isla Vista, California. Elliot Rodger was a sexually frustrated young man who self-identified as an incel. His online video manifestos revealed that he was full of rage and anger caused by others who he perceived to be happy; going as far as spilling coffee and tea on happy couples at Starbucks in an incident years before the shooting (Duke, 2014).
Incel: Incels are members of an online subculture who define themselves as unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one, a state they describe as inceldom. Self-identified incels are largely white and are almost exclusively male heterosexuals. Wikipedia