Of course, even asking the question, “why do women become suicide bombers?” or “why are women committed to violence?” implies that there’s something normal about male violence. Not only do deeply ingrained gender biases and caricatures of women as non-violent lead us to the assumptions that women shouldn’t do this, they also subtly excuse male violence. Rape, torture, and violence should not shock us more merely because the perpetrators are female. The reason that they do is in part due to historical precedent: for example, criminologists agree that murder is a largely male phenomenon. In general, when women do kill they are more likely to murder those closest to them.

Another reason we find female radicals especially shocking is due to the association of women with notions of pacifism and maternal love. Often women are thought of or function as enablers of jihad via their children. A Hadith notes that Paradise is laid at the feet of one’s mother, and women play a prominent role in encouraging violence. But women are not only the potential mothers of terrorists. Brown points to the words of Reem Rayishi, a Hamas activist who blew up herself and four Israelis in 2004: “I have two children and love them very much. But my love to see God was stronger than my love for my children, and I’m sure that God will take care of them if I become a martyr.”