Understanding martyrdom

QUESTION: Masters, there has been a lot in the news recently about some of the detainees at Guantanamo Prison. I am having a problem in understanding the lessons for someone like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed who brags about being the designer of terrorist attacks throughout the world, and now wants us to allow him to become a martyr by putting him to death for all the people whom he killed. What does this say about our world?

ANSWER: Your world is a magnificent cauldron bubbling with every possible life-lesson a soul could ever choose to experience. Many times in your recorded history you have had like souls demonstrate the pathway to fame, from the infamy of  Hitler and Genghis Khan, to the martyrdom of apostle Peter and Sir Thomas More.

There are many types of things that the soul can choose to learn. Being the best of the best or the worst of the worst are only the extremes. Souls who are in the midst of a planned experience can feel only their own heart beat and see only what they feel will accomplish their desires. They are hostage to the belief systems they have designed for themselves.

We have said many times that belief systems control the way souls react to the world around them. When someone has written into their directions that the enemy is to be destroyed in any way possible, there are no rules of engagement, only bare-knuckle brawling.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed believes that he is the savior of his people, and that the rest of the world’s people, who have different religious beliefs, must be destroyed. Once captured, he feels that his best work would be martyrdom that will rally his people to further action against the infidels who threaten them. “Carry on in my name!”

This sort of lesson is not different from experiencing a simple lesson such as dealing with a disability. It seems more profound because this one person has had a tremendous impact on a good number of other souls. But then they all agreed (in advance) to participate.