People still do it for that sense of group approval:

SuÂ­iÂ­cide atÂ­tacksâ€”today most ofÂ­ten asÂ­soÂ­ciÂ­atÂ­ed with acts against AmerÂ­iÂ­cans or IsÂ­raelis by MusÂ­limsâ€”seem to be one asÂ­pect of a widÂ­er pheÂ­nomÂ­eÂ­non in which colÂ­lecÂ­tive reÂ­liÂ­gious ritÂ­uÂ­al fosÂ­ters a mindÂ­set known as paÂ­roÂ­chiÂ­al alÂ­truÂ­ism, acÂ­cordÂ­ing to psyÂ­cholÂ­oÂ­gists. PaÂ­roÂ­chiÂ­al alÂ­truÂ­ism is a comÂ­binaÂ­tÂ­ion of negÂ­aÂ­tive atÂ­tiÂ­tudes toÂ­ward anÂ­othÂ­er soÂ­cial group and sacÂ­riÂ­fice for oneâ€™s own.

SuÂ­iÂ­cide atÂ­tacks would be an exÂ­treme form of paÂ­roÂ­chiÂ­al alÂ­truÂ­ism, said the psyÂ­cholÂ­oÂ­gists who conÂ­ducted the stuÂ­dy, from the New School for SoÂ­cial ReÂ­search in New York and the UniÂ­verÂ­sÂ­ity of BritÂ­ish CoÂ­lumÂ­bia. And when forms of paÂ­roÂ­chiÂ­al alÂ­truÂ­ism othÂ­er than suÂ­iÂ­cide atÂ­tacks were conÂ­sidÂ­ered, the reÂ­searchÂ­ers found many culÂ­tures and reÂ­liÂ­gions folÂ­lowed the patÂ­tern idenÂ­tiÂ­fied in the MidÂ­dle East.

World Science