# Motives Behind Medina Bombing **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [July 6, 2016, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194 "2016-07-06T06:41:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gestalt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/90ced4/32.png) [@Gestalt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gestalt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/1 "2016-07-06T06:41:01Z")
During the month of Ramadan, there have been a [spate](http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/01/europe/turkey-istanbul-ataturk-airport-attack/) [of recent](http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive/2016/07/attack-bangladesh-capital/489815/) [terrorist attacks](http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/04/middleeast/baghdad-car-bombs/index.html), generally attributed to DAESH/ISIS/ISIL. On Monday, a suicide bomber [attacked the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, the second-holiest city in Islam](http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/medina-attack-muslim-world-reacts-deadly-blast-160705070354493.html). I am completely flummoxed as to what the motivation behind this particular choice of target could be. At least with the other targets one could conjure up a policy behind the choice of target. My understanding is that the Istanbul attackers may be IS-associated Russians upset with Turkey’s policies in Syria; the Bangladesh target was an upscale cafe frequented by many tourists/foreigners; the Baghdad attacks were supposedly in Shia-majority neighborhoods. But I am at a loss with regards to motivations behind the Medina attacks. Now, granted, I know many people argue (and for the record I agree) that although these terrorists state that they motivated by their faith, there is nothing Islamic about their actions. However, the terrorists usually at least couch their reasons in religious terms (see above), however antithetical to the teachings of Islam their actions may be. But what possible rationalization could there be for bombing the burial place of their ultimate religious leader in the second-holiest city of their faith? The only possible argument I can think of is that the attackers, if they are from DAESH/ISIL/ISIS and subscribe to that type of salafist strain of Islam, is that they are upset about the veneration of the Prophet over God, and so chose to target his burial site to demonstrate this belief. Any other thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/2 "2016-07-06T07:07:36Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > The only possible argument I can think of is that the attackers, if they are from DAESH/ISIL/ISIS and subscribe to that type of salafist strain of Islam, is that they are upset about the veneration of the Prophet over God, and so chose to target his burial site to demonstrate this belief. This was my first thought. From the wikipedia page on the [mosque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Masjid_an-Nabawi): > [@](#): > > When Ibn Saud took Medina in 1905, his followers, the Wahhabis, demolished nearly every tomb dome in Medina in order to prevent their veneration,[21] and the Green Dome is said to have narrowly escaped the same fate.[22] Muhammad’s tomb was stripped of its gold and jewel ornaments, but the dome was preserved either because of an unsuccessful attempt to demolish its hardened structure, or because some time ago Ibn Abd al-Wahhab wrote that he did not wish to see the dome destroyed despite his aversion to people praying at the tomb.[21] Similar events took place in 1925 when the Saudi ikhwans retook—and this time managed to keep—the city.[23][24][25][26] In the Wahhabi interpretation of Islam, the veneration of tombs and places thought to possess supernatural powers was an offence against tawhid. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/3 "2016-07-06T07:36:33Z")
The Saudis are their enemy, and they want to hurt them. The mosque is a high-profile target and attacking it will make the Saudis angry. That’s it. Don’t overthink it. ---
**Author:** ![DerekMichaels00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f14d63/32.png) [@DerekMichaels00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DerekMichaels00)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/4 "2016-07-06T07:54:25Z")
it will make the Saudi’s look less like “protectors” of one of the Holy Mosques, and bring down their legitness in the eyes of the citizens. That’s why. ---
**Author:** ![crucible](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f8ce5/32.png) [@crucible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crucible)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/5 "2016-07-06T11:50:32Z")
any time someone with weapons begins to believe that “God is on MY SIDE”, all sorts of bad things happen. Every religion is fraught with complex contradictions. In case no one has noticed, lately, religious differences are propelling millions of deaths every year. Perhaps we (humans in general) should try not having ‘religion’ for a time to see if that helps. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/6 "2016-07-06T12:13:23Z")
> [@crucible](#): > > any time someone with weapons begins to believe that “God is on MY SIDE”, all sorts of bad things happen. > > Every religion is fraught with complex contradictions. > > In case no one has noticed, lately, religious differences are propelling millions of deaths every year. > > Perhaps we (humans in general) should try not having ‘religion’ for a time to see if that helps. The religious condition will not be cured by bromides. ---
**Author:** ![Two\_Many\_Cats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Two\_Many\_Cats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Two_Many_Cats)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/7 "2016-07-06T12:55:13Z")
> [@crucible](#): > > In case no one has noticed, lately, religious differences are propelling millions of deaths every year. > > Perhaps we (humans in general) should try not having ‘religion’ for a time to see if that helps. Didn’t work too well under Stalin and Mao. People don’t need God to kill. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2016, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/8 "2016-07-06T13:25:30Z")
Perhaps being extremestly fervent against religion is a religion in itself. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/9 "2016-07-07T00:40:03Z")
> [@crucible](#): > > any time someone with weapons begins to believe that “God is on MY SIDE”, all sorts of bad things happen. > > Every religion is fraught with complex contradictions. > > In case no one has noticed, lately, religious differences are propelling millions of deaths every year. > > Perhaps we (humans in general) should try not having ‘religion’ for a time to see if that helps. It’s hard to see an attack by ISIS on the Wahabbist Saud regime as being motivated by religious differences. This is about power, not religion. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/10 "2016-07-07T00:49:01Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > (…) granted, I know many people argue (and for the record I agree) that although these terrorists state that they motivated by their faith, there is nothing Islamic about their actions (…) I think the truth is more extreme than that. They have said that merely being Muslim will not shield anyone from being attacked, that the only way to be safe from them is to pledge allegiance to them. Not just the Saudis are their enemies, everyone, including other Muslims, is their enemy. Apparently the strategic possibility that the great middle of Muslims might turn on them in force because of attacks like this either did not occur to them or does not bother them. I suspect the latter is the case. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/11 "2016-07-07T16:05:20Z")
> [@VinylTurnip](#): > > The religious condition will not be cured by bromides. How about laxatives? ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/12 "2016-07-07T16:07:10Z")
It’s a CIA operation. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/13 "2016-07-07T17:25:07Z")
> [@crucible](#): > > any time someone with weapons begins to believe that “God is on MY SIDE”, all sorts of bad things happen. > > Every religion is fraught with complex contradictions. > > In case no one has noticed, lately, religious differences are propelling millions of deaths every year. > > Perhaps we (humans in general) should try not having ‘religion’ for a time to see if that helps. [What](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_of_the_people)[could](http://victimsofcommunism.org/)[possibly](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Leap_Forward)[go](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_Fields)[wrong](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holodomor)? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/14 "2016-07-07T18:49:59Z")
> [@Gestalt](#): > > On Monday, a suicide bomber attacked the Prophet’s Mosque in Medina, the second-holiest city in Islam. They’ll have to add to the sign on the edge of town: _Welcome to Medina, Islam’s second-holiest city. Pop. 367,401. Please don’t blow up our sacred stuff._ ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/15 "2016-07-07T19:04:09Z")
I think part of it is ISIL’s way of further announcing “We are bad motherfuckers!” ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2016, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/motives-behind-medina-bombing/759194/16 "2016-07-07T21:10:35Z")
I hadn’t known about the previous attacks on the holy sites in 1905 or 1922, but that helps us make sense of it. The other likely motive is that they are sending a message to the House of Saud, basically as a way to tell them that they are not safe and that they’re trying to bring violence to the Arabian peninsula. That’s not just a message to Saudi Arabia, but to the entire world, which consumes Arab / Gulf oil.