Middle East Quarterly, 21 June 2010: All states use education as a medium to encourage responsible behavior in their children, at least in part to develop a law-abiding, civic-minded citizenry. Authoritarian regimes have a history of distorting this trust, often turning schools into places of indoctrination for a state or religious ideology.
The Palestinians have, for some time now, created an educational system exemplifying this indoctrinational approach: Their textbooks deny Jewish and Israeli legitimacy within historic Palestine, demonize Jews and Israelis, discourage compromise or negotiated peace, and glorify violent struggle to achieve what are often termed “Palestinian aspirations.” Since coming to power through elections in early 2006 and following its military coup in Gaza in June 2007, Hamas has continued this path of indoctrination, utilizing its popular children’s website, Al-Fateh. . . .
. . . . This may be surprising in view of the cardinal importance Hamas attributes to the education of children and youth as a means of achieving its ideological and political goals. Article 15 of the Hamas charter states:
It is necessary that scientists, educators, and teachers, information and media people, as well as the educated masses, especially the youth and sheikhs of the Islamic movements, should take part in the operation of awakening. It is important that basic changes be made in school curriculum to cleanse it of the traces of ideological invasion that affected it as a result of the Orientalists and missionaries who infiltrated the region following the defeat of the Crusaders at the hands of Salah al Din (Saladin) . . . .
. . . . In an analysis of 159 issues published between September 2002 and October 2009, four major themes recur:
- hatred and contempt for the West,
- annihilation of Israel and its Jewish inhabitants,
- demonization of the Jews, and a
- cynical form of indoctrination that aims to turn children into future suicide bombers . . . .
. . . . Al-Fateh does not merely exhort children to take up arms to kill Israelis and become jihad fighters, it indoctrinates them to seek shahada or martyrdom. Suicide bombings are idealized as an expression of devotion to Islam and as a sought-after pleasure, enabling the shahid to ascend immediately to paradise. Terrorist attacks and suicide bombings are highly praised and their perpetrators glorified.
To overcome the youngsters’ natural reservations about committing suicide, the site also systematically and cynically exposes the readers to graphic images of torn limbs and dead bodies in order to desensitize them to violence and death.[47] Similarly, the last wills and testaments of suicide bombers are used to sway youngsters and prepare them psychologically to “follow in the footsteps of the fighters in order to liberate this land from the impurity of the contemptible Jews … know[ing] clearly that my blood will be shed and my organs scattered.”
Al-Fateh publishes scores of jihadist testimonies such as this from the will of suicide bomber Isma’il al-Ma’aswabi, who detonated a car bomb killing two Israeli soldiers:
Love of jihad and martyrdom rules my life, my soul, my feelings and my heart … It is difficult for the soul that has tasted the sweet taste of jihad, the suffering in which is delicious … to rest anywhere else than Paradise …Whereas I am living in Paradise … do not be sad my brothers as I am a shahid in Paradise …and I will see you there with God’s help.
The religious justification for this act of self-destruction is made explicit for young readers in the following passage:
Muslims who have been slain are in Paradise, and [the Jews] who have been slain are in Hell. They [the Muslims who were killed] have been granted martyrdom, which is the Muslims’ hope and goal in this world. They died because their time had come, and had the Jews not killed them, they would have died [anyway]. But God wanted Paradise for them, so He granted them martyrdom … Be reassured my beloved one, that at the moment of their martyrdom they do not feel pain at all. They feel as if they are only pricked by a needle. . . . .
♦ CI CENTRE COURSE: 163–Dying to Kill Us: Understanding the Mindset of Suicide Operations
Reuters, 18 May 2010: . . . . Islam is flourishing in the North Caucasus, where religion was strongly discouraged under Communism, and Dagestanis are immensely proud of their ancient gateway city of Derbent on the Caspian Sea, where Arabs brought the faith over 1,000 years ago. Most of Dagestan’s 3,000 mosques were built after the collapse of the Soviet Union almost 20 years ago, Arabic script is omnipresent and Islamic universities are swelling in size.
But with this revival comes also violence and an upsurge in militancy, worrying both government and religious leaders. Dagestan’s First Deputy Prime Minister Rizvan Kurbanov, said lawlessness and unemployment — which stood at 20 percent at the beginning of the year — inspire youths to turn to radical Islam, and endemic corruption spurs them on. “In this republic the law fell asleep,” Kurbanov told Reuters in an interview overlooking Makhachkala’s main square, flanked by towering buildings painted with the Islamic color of green and decorated with Eastern designs. . . .
. . . . Arif Saidov, the director of Derbent’s mixed-sex Muslim University, which was set up five years ago and caters to 200, said students swayed by extremism confront him daily.”They come to us with brochures they’ve picked up, or have questions about the so-called glory of martyrs, and we have to guide them away from this.”
A 23-year old student at Makhachkala’s Islamic Institute, where the awarding of theology degrees has quadrupled since it opened six years ago, said the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan piqued his contemporaries’ interest in Islam. “More than ever young people are going to the mosque and searching for religion, for the true Islam,” said Maksud Pilkov, wearing a cream skullcap and sporting an adolescent beard.
DOJ, 23 April 2010: The Justice Department announced that Zarein Ahmedzay, a U.S. citizen and resident of Queens, N.Y., pleaded guilty today in the Eastern District of New York to terrorism violations stemming from, among other activities, his role in an al Qaeda plot to conduct coordinated suicide bombings on New York’s subway system in September 2009.
At a hearing this afternoon before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Steven M. Gold, Ahmedzay, 25, pleaded guilty to the following violations: conspiracy to use a weapon of mass of destruction (explosive bombs) against persons or property in the United States; conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country; and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization, namely al Qaeda. Ahmedzay faces a sentence of up to life in prison.
Ahmedzay was first indicted on Jan. 8, 2010, in the Eastern District of New York on charges of making false statements to the FBI about his travels to Pakistan and Afghanistan. On Feb. 25, 2010, he was charged in a superseding indictment in the Eastern District of New York with conspiracy to use weapons of mass destruction; conspiracy to commit murder in a foreign country; providing material support to al Qaeda; receiving military-type training from al Qaeda; and making false statements.
“The facts disclosed today add chilling details to what we know was a deadly plot hatched by al Qaeda leaders overseas to kill scores of Americans in the New York City subway system in September 2009,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “This plot, as well as others we have encountered, makes clear we face a continued threat from al Qaeda and its affiliates overseas. With three guilty pleas already and the investigation continuing, this prosecution underscores the importance of using every tool we have available to both disrupt plots against our nation and hold suspected terrorists accountable.”
FBI Director Robert S. Mueller said, “Ahmedzay’s plea makes clear that he betrayed his adopted country and its people by providing support to al Qaeda and planning to bring deadly violence to New York. The FBI and our law enforcement and intelligence partners will continue to investigate this plot and to bring all necessary resources to bear to protect Americans from terrorist attacks.”
As Ahmedzay admitted during today’s guilty plea allocution and as reflected in previous government filings and the guilty plea allocution of co-defendant Najibullah Zazi, Ahmedzay, Zazi, and a third individual agreed to travel to Afghanistan to join the Taliban and fight against United States and allied forces. In furtherance of their plans, they flew from Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark, N.J., to Peshawar, Pakistan at the end of August 2008. Ahmedzay and the third individual attempted to enter Afghanistan but were turned back at the border and returned to Peshawar.
Within a few days, Ahmedzay, Zazi, and the third individual met with an al Qaeda facilitator in Peshawar and agreed to travel for training in Waziristan. Upon arriving, they met with two al Qaeda leaders, but did not learn their true identities. As the government represented during today’s guilty plea, the leaders were Saleh al-Somali, the head of international operations for al Qaeda, and Rashid Rauf, a key al Qaeda operative. The three Americans said that they wanted to fight in Afghanistan, but the al Qaeda leaders explained that they would be more useful to al Qaeda and the jihad if they returned to New York and conducted attacks there.
Ahmedzay and the others received training on several different kinds of weapons. During the training, al Qaeda leaders continued to encourage them to return to the United States and conduct suicide operations. They agreed, and had further conversations with al Qaeda about the timing of the attacks and possible target locations in Manhattan. Al Qaeda leadership emphasized the need to hit well-known structures and maximize the number of casualties.
After the initial training, the three Americans left Waziristan. The plan was for Ahmedzay and Zazi to return to Waziristan a month later to receive explosives training from al Qaeda. Ahmedzay later changed his mind about attending the training, and Zazi went by himself. Ahmedzay later reviewed Zazi’s bomb-making notes from the training. Ahmedzay and Zazi returned to New York, and Zazi moved to Denver.
Ahmedzay initially had reservations about going forward with the suicide bombing, but resolved to go forward with the plan. Zazi traveled to New York from Colorado and the three Americans met in Queens and agreed to carry out suicide bombings during the month of Ramadan, Aug. 22, 2009 to Sept. 20, 2009. They agreed that Zazi would prepare the explosives, that Zazi and Ahmedzay would assemble the devices in New York, and that all three would conduct suicide attacks. Ahmedzay later evaluated potential bombing targets in Manhattan.
Zazi traveled a second time to New York, and Ahmedzay and Zazi discussed the attack in further detail. By that time, Zazi had begun researching and experimenting with explosives in Colorado. Based on the amount of explosives Zazi anticipated he could produce by Ramadan, Zazi and Ahmedzay decided that they would conduct suicide attacks on subway trains rather than targeting a larger structure such as a building.
Zazi returned to Colorado and constructed the explosives for the detonator components of the bombs. In July and August 2009, Zazi purchased large quantities of components necessary to produce the explosive TATP [Triacetone Triperoxide] and twice checked into a hotel room near Denver, where bomb making residue was later found.
On Sept. 8, 2009, Zazi rented a car and drove from Denver to New York, taking with him the explosives and other materials necessary to build the bombs. Zazi arrived in New York City on Thursday, Sept. 10, 2009. Zazi and Ahmedzay intended to obtain and assemble the remaining components of the bombs over the weekend and the three of them would conduct the attack on Manhattan subway lines on Sept. 14, Sept. 15, or Sept. 16, 2009. However, shortly after arriving in New York, they realized that law enforcement was investigating their activities. Ahmedzay and Zazi discarded the explosives and other bomb-making materials, and Zazi traveled back to Denver.
This case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado and the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. The investigation is being conducted by the New York and Denver FBI Joint Terrorism Task Forces, which combined have investigators from more than 50 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
CBN, 23 April 2010: Islamic terrorists are always looking for new ways to escape detection and carry out their attacks. One of their latest ideas is using children as suicide bombers. The growing phenomenon may soon spread beyond the Middle East to the rest of the world. . .
. . . . “The state-sponsored illegal recruitment and education of innocent Muslim children to become suicide bombers and child soldiers is occurring throughout the Muslim and non-Muslim world,” said Brooke Goldstein, founder and director of The Children’s Rights Institute, an organization focusing on human rights violations against children.
“In Pakistan, thousands of children are being educated in madrassahs,” she said. “In Iraq, handicapped children are being blown up at polling stations. In Afghanistan, the Taliban is paying up to $12,000 per child, donated to them by their own families. Taliban leaders run training centers where boys as young as 11 years of age learn to be suicide bombers. Some are even younger. A 6-year-old Afghan boy recruited in 2007 was told that his suicide belt would “explode into flowers.”
The modern-day pioneer of Islamic child martyrdom was the Ayatollah Khomeini. He sent thousands of children to clear minefields during the Iran-Iraq War. Khomeini then passed the baton to Palestinian terror groups, who’ve shown no qualms about sending children to their deaths.
Goldstein examined the world of Palestinian child bombers in her award-winning film, “The Making of a Martyr” (Watch documentary online). “The state television, the school textbooks, the radio media, their print media, music videos are all teaching these children to become suicide bombers,” Goldstein said. “They’re teaching them to hate life and love death.” . . .
♦ CI CENTRE COURSE: 163–Dying to Kill Us: Understanding the Mindset of Suicide Operations
Christian Science Monitor, 7 April 2010: Two recent incidents in the United States and Russia are suggesting that, when it comes to terrorism, men and women are perhaps not as different as society might believe.
Jamie Paulin-Ramirez last week became the second American woman to be arraigned on terrorism charges in connection with the attempted assassination of a Swedish cartoonist, following alleged co-conspirator, Colleen LaRose, also known as “Jihad Jane.” Meanwhile, the recent terror bombings in Russia suggest the resurrection of the “black widows” – female suicide bombers that sprang up a decade ago to strike back at the Kremlin’s during its war against Chechnya.
In the US, where women commit fewer than 10 percent of murders, the reality of female terrorists can still shock – and even more so when they come from within American borders. But the case of Jihad Jane here and the resurgence of the black widows in Russia in many ways points to the universality of the terrorist message to certain people, be they men or women, poor or middle class, young or middle aged. . . . .
US woman silently pleads not guilty in terror case (AP, 7 April 2010)
With a shake of the head, a pregnant Colorado woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a charge of helping foreign terrorists who authorities say were plotting to kill a Swedish artist.
Jamie Paulin-Ramirez, 31, entered the silent plea to avoid giving prosecutors a sample of her voice. The government evidence includes hard drives and other computer files that may contain voice recordings, and her lawyer did not want to provide a sample for comparison. “If there’s any voice recordings, I would not want to be creating evidence against her,” said lawyer Jeremy Ibrahim, who spent several years at the Justice Department.
Paulin-Ramirez, then a single mother and nursing student, left Colorado for Ireland in the fall with her 6-year-old son to join a Pennsylvania woman she had met online, then married an Algerian terrorism suspect the day she arrived, according to the indictment unsealed Friday. E-mails between the American women suggest a mutual intent to support a Muslim jihad, or holy war, authorities charge. . . . .
♦ CI CENTRE COURSE: 163–Dying to Kill Us: Understanding the Mindset of Suicide Operations
