The reaction, among the peoples of the West, to martyrdom operations (or fidayee attacks) in Palestine and elsewhere clearly shows the difference between the Islamic perspective and the one upheld by perhaps the majority of people in the West.
 

The Islamic perspective derives from three things: the Quran, the Sunnah, and the belief and knowledge that this life is only a stage, a test, to the more important life to come.
 

"Every soul shall taste death. We shall try you in good and bad ordeals." 21:35 Interpretation of meaning.

"He [Allah] created life and death that He might put you to the test and find out which of you acquitted himself best." 67: 1-2. Interpretation of meaning.

Thus, the perspective of the Muslim is the perspective of The Last Day, of the judgement of Allah (SWT) and of following the Way, manifest in the Quran and Sunnah, which might enable us to (Insha'Allah) attain Paradise (Jannah).

Thus it is that Muslims believe and know that it is Allah (SWT) and Allah (SWT) alone who decides and determines things: who alone grants victory, or defeat; who alone gives security and peace, and who alone determines the course of our lives. In a sense, this belief and knowledge is the essence of Tawhid.
 

"It is Allah alone who can nullify the plots of the disbelievers." 8: 18 Interpretation of Meaning.

In contrast, the perspective of the Western world is the perspective of this life: of attaining happiness and material prosperity; of striving to attain security - both personal and for their nations - through military might and offensive action; of believing that the individual has, or should have, free choice and can determine or make their own "fate". In addition, the Western world believes that its own human-derived laws and system of government can bring about the happiness, the security, the prosperity, they desire. Moreover, there is in the West - among the people just as much among the governments - the beleif that they have a right, a duty, to impose their laws, their ways, their system of government, on other people. That is, there is an arrogance, deriving in part from the Western belief their human-derived laws, and ways, are superior.

These Western beliefs, and this arrogant attitude, have been much in evidence since the Jumaada Al-Thaani attacks, as witness the Western intervention in Afghanistan where Western military force was used to destroy an Islamic government and establish a pro-Western puppet regime, and as witness the imprisonment and treatment of captured Mujahideen.
 

The Quest for Jannah:

The Islamic perspective is particularly evident in martyrdom operations. Those who undertake such operations clearly believe that they are doing what is right - according to Islamic criteria (the Quran and Sunnah) - as they are striving, Insha'Allah, to put into practice the Islamic belief that this life is an opportunity, a means of attaining Jannah. That is, these Muslims - like all Mujahideen - have understood that Allah (SWT) will reward those who undertake practical Jihad: who give up their worldly life for His sake.
 

"Let those who would trade the life of this world for the life Hereafter fight in the Cause of Allah. And those who do fight in the Cause of Allah - whether they be killed or are victorious - will have bestowed on them, by Us, a great reward." 4: 74 Interpretation of Meaning.

"Do you really think that you will enter Paradise before Allah has decided from amongst you those who fight in His Way and those who are patient?" 3:142 Interpretation of Meaning

Allah's Messenger said, "If anyone meets Allah with no mark of Jihad, he will meet Allah with a flaw in him." [Al-Tirmidhi #3835, Narrated AbuHurayrah]

It is fair to say that the majority of Westerners condemn martyrdom operations on the basis of the Western perspective, using Western criteria, failing to understand the Muslim belief that this life of ours is only a means, a test, and thus failing to understand that many Muslims are willing to give up their own lives in order to do their Islamic duty, trusting as these Muslims do in the judgement of Allah (SWT) and hoping as they do to be allowed into Jannah.
 

Essentially, this all reduces to one simple thing: Muslims place their trust in Allah (SWT) and Allah (SWT) alone whereas the majority of the peoples of the West trust their own strength, their own beliefs, their own prowess, and desire their governments to provide them with security and success.

For Muslims the most important thing is the next life: in doing what is necessary so as to be judged favourably by Allah (SWT) so that there is a possibility of attaining Jannah. Thus, this present mortal life - with its security, its personal happiness, its pleasures, its comfort - is only secondary, and given the choice between giving up security, happiness, pleasure, comfort and life itself, and striving for Jannah, the Muslim will (or rather, should) strive for Jannah.
 

"This present life is only like water which We send down from the clouds so that the luxuriant herbage sustaining man and beast may grow; until when the Earth puts on its lovely garment and becomes adorned, and its people believe that they are its masters - down then comes Our scourge upon it by night or in broad day, laying it waste as though it had not blossomed yesterday. Thus We make plain our revelations to thoughtful men." 10: 24-25 Interpretation of meaning.

"Any slave [of Allah] who dies and has been rewarded by Allah does not wish to return to the World, even if he is given the World and all that it contains; except a Shaheed, due to what he knows concerning the virtues of Shahaadah [Martyrdom]. So he wishes to return to the World in order to be killed again." [al-Bukhari and Muslim]

It seems to me that some Muslims, especially in the West, have forgotten that our life here on this planet we call Earth is only an opportunity - never to return - to gain entry into Jannah and that one of the best means to gain such entry is to strive, and if necessary die, in the Cause of Allah (SWT).
 
 

Allah (SWT) knows best.