“Thats why some parents have stopped sending their children to school,” Ali tells NIQASH. “They're afraid that they will come into contact with the IS group and get involved, thanks to the fighters' preaching in class. I personally know a lot of students who already left school and went to fight for the IS group. Some of them became suicide bombers too.”
Many of the recent attacks by suicide bombers have actually involved younger members of the IS group – and this is one of the biggest sources of concern for Mosul families.
The fighters don't just target local teens, they're also trying to influence children under 12. They describe these younger children as the “Generation of the Caliphate”, referring to the fact that they believe these children will grow up inside their self proclaimed religious state. The younger children are often recruited during sessions held in local mosques when the kids are meant to memorize verses from the Koran.
Ali believes that during these sessions, the IS members in charge try to introduce new, extremist ideas to the children about topics like infidels, holy war or jihad, and murder. “Children are also taught religious songs about jihad,” the teacher notes.
A few days ago the IS group released a short film documenting some of these ideas. The video, which has also been shared on Twitter and Facebook, shows what may best be described as a mobile pulpit inside a Mosul amusement park. Heavily armed children wear military uniforms and fervently advocate jihad.
“Listen to me. I am giving you good advice, you must fight for God's sake and you must pledge allegiance to the Caliphate,” yells one child, who doesn’t even seem to be 12 yet, through a loud speaker.
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