That’s the joke.

It’s a very strange assumption to me that going to work and doing one’s job is “serving Allah”, let alone “fighting for Allah”

I associate that term more with archaic Christianity (Joan of Arc and other old saints spring to mind) much more than Islam.

I think the phrase hits the exact intersection of nationalism, militarism, false hero worship for people who are just doing a job, and theocracy that in combination I find deeply repulsive, no matter which specific religion it is.

It depends.

Were they killed in the line of duty? Did they make a choice that is at bare minimum well-intentioned? Or did they just happen to be there and died by bad luck?

Firefighter dies trying to save someone from a burning building? Sure, okay. Dies in a vehicle crash while responding? Maybe.

Dies by someone else’s actions and is never aware of any possibility of a choice? That’s not any sacrifice, let alone the “ultimate” sacrifice.

That’s not victim blaming, bud. To the contrary.

Webster’s, definition 2:

martyr: a person who sacrifices something of great value and especially life itself for the sake of principle

That leaves aside the religious overtones of the first definition.

If you are treating deaths due to terror attack as anything other than tragedy, there is something deeply wrong with your society.

To suggest that it is in any way voluntary, or intentional for the sake of religion, is disgusting.

Unfortunately we have martyrs

If you have “martyrs” from a terrorist attack that are not the terrorists, you’re doing something wrong.

Oh, totally. Afghanistan had multiple generations tied up in it, which is horrendous.

However, the US also didn’t take nearly the losses that Russia is throwing “into the grinder” as the parent post puts it.

I think if they drag the war out so long that kids not even conceived today are potential soldiers, then soldiers will be the least of their problems.

I don’t think it’s a depressing reminder… not like Ukraine is going to march to Moscow.

It’s just reminding Russia that Ukraine is not afraid to hit back and forcing Russia to spend resources on defence. I doubt Ukraine will seriously try to hold this territory, just make it costly to retake.

It might have been good or bad, and it would certainly have long-term impacts that we can’t predict and don’t matter now since it didn’t and can’t happen in that way.

Didn’t say it made them heroes, just pointing out a time when it was likely people would be supporting them.

“Rooting for them” in general is probably overstating but “rooting for them to take out Putin” would be reasonable IMO.

I mean there was that very brief period when it seemed like they might revolt against Putin.