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Katharina von Knop
Women seem to play a secondary but vital role in the operations of groups like the
Jamaah Islamiyah, Laskar Jundullah and Laskar Jihad.
A few women have also been involved in the banking aspect of terrorist
organizations. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. government closed
several bank accounts handled by women on behalf of terrorist organizations or
supporting institutions. A 25-year-old British named woman Mehreen Haji from
Manchester was charged in September 2006 with arranging funding for terrorism
purposes. At the current stage of research, women have not been implicated in the
larger financial issues of organizations belonging to the al-Qaeda movement, but
have been visible in more modest positions as account holders and bookkeepers. It
could be that converted radical women often use their maiden name for the bank
accounts to avert suspicion.
Given that most male terrorists in the al-Qaeda structure seem to be engaged in
some aspect of conducting violent Jihad, it stands to reason that they run a
considerable risk of exposure, capture or death. It would accordingly make sense
for women to engage in the less risky but nonetheless valuable activities that
require stable personnel – covert and overt financial transactions, bookkeeping, the
establishment of bank accounts, etc. Dealing with such financial areas can also
often be done from home (indeed, some women are generally restricted to the
house in a number of Muslim societies).
The Female Suicide Bombers
Up to the present, women have constituted a minority of the suicide bombers
serving the interests of al-Qaeda. Nonetheless, the trend is on the rise. To
understand why female terrorism is increasing, both individual and organizational
motives must be explored. There is a great disparity between what motivates
women to join a terrorist group and what encourages a group to recruit women.
Regardless of women’s individual motives, terrorist organizations are rational and
calculating actors. The use of terrorist violence is part of a political strategy and
represents “a wilful choice made by an organization for political and strategic
reasons” (Crenshaw, 1990).
Changes in targets, perpetrators and tactics can be understood under this
framework. The use of female operatives in a male-dominated activity represents a
tactical change by terrorist organizations. These groups tend to adapt to high levels
of external pressure by altering their techniques and targets. Women provide many
benefits to terrorist groups, and the decision of organizations to increasingly recruit
women can be seen as a strategic choice. The use of women provides a new media
dimension because media images of female terrorists serve as powerful propaganda
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