Saad says she went to the centre where all the young men were volunteering and managed to get an appointment with the emir, or leader, who was responsible for that particular group of volunteers. In tears, Saad begged him to release her son, who was her family’s only provider; Saad also has six daughters. She told him that she had lost her older son but couldn’t bear to lose her second son too.
The emir agreed to release Saad’s son from ISIS. Locals say this is not the first time this has happened. The emir often receives household heads asking him to let their sons leave ISIS and apparently he often responds positively.
In many ways the turnaround in opinions has been interesting. Previous to ISIS’ arrival, it seemed many young people in Mosul were opposed to them because of their cruel methods, killing and bombing. But since the group took control of the city, they have started to become supporters and soldiers for ISIS. The one fear they all have though is what might happen to them if the Iraqi government and the militias supporting them gain control of Mosul again.
Some young men in Mosul also worry that ISIS may start a conscription system, once they run out of willing volunteers. This fear was exacerbated when one of the city’s tribal leaders received a request asking him to send a certain number of men from his tribe to join ISIS.
There are still a large number of young people in Mosul who do not want to join ISIS. This is especially true of the better-educated youth. As one of them says, they have chosen to stay in their homes because, while they may have some political anti-government sympathies, they “don’t want to join hands with those whose hands are stained with blood”.
Those Mosul locals who have avoided volunteering say that they think the new volunteers will soon try to leave the organization again, once the glamour wears off.
No doubt, those who stay with ISIS will be the likes of Abdullah, whose childhood innocence has been stolen by ISIS, and who will simply become one of the increasing numbers of children patrolling Mosul’s streets with guns. Unfortunately now seeing a child like Abdullah, armed and shopping for candy in a mask, is no longer a surprise; it is a sight the Mosul’s citizens are getting used to.
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