Losing Young Britons to Terror through Disunity

By Piya Mayenin :: The ISIS led since 2010 by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, is so hardline and violent that Al Qaida led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, who is based in Pakistan has disavowed them. Isis is highly fanatical; killing Shia Muslims and Christians whenever possible, as well as militarily and under tight direction by top leaders.

What would drive three teenagers to leave their relatively privileged lifestyle in London to join ISIS as “Jihadi brides” in a foreign land where media has exposed images of their barbaric and heinous killings of human beings by methods of caging, burning, beheading, raping, enslaving and what not. A land that ISIS is stripping of its’ wealth by force of sheer terror and violence in order to build their self proclaimed “caliphate.” These innocent school children defy their families, lying to their parents, their country, defying law and order and throw out of the window anything they have learned from education in the era of post liberal, scientific and educational advancements to join a mindless pursuit by these terrorists in a foreign land to become part of causing destruction of lives and minds of the lowest kind in human history ?

A view is that they are persuaded by internet videos made by the ISIS.  Another one is that that there is no ISIS and even if there was, they are portrayed as worse than they really are. I.e: their tactics are not surprise attack, inflicting maximum casualties, spreading fear.  Their military consists of  untrained foreign volunteers as suicide bombers either moving on foot wearing suicide vests, or driving vehicles packed with explosives. Another view was that ISIS is standing up to the “oppression of Muslims all over the world.”

However if this is so then why are they killing other Muslims? Naming other Muslims apostates for being a different sect? What Islamic law prescribes that? MOst of all, how did these girls identify themselves as belonging to this barbaric group of men with swords that are chopping up human flesh and killing in wanton and without mercy? We can dismiss it as “only three girls” ( and maybe a few more before that) or we could acknowledge the rising trend, of immigrant communities responding to the call of these terrorists,  all over the world. The call which has reached children and taken them to their death and thus warrants the need for immediate action.

We first have to look at who is responsible? And then target those responsible in order to stop them handing young Britons over to the ISIS.  Social media is awash with accounts of how life is wonderful under ISIS; a husband and the opportunity to fulfil religious obligation of making hijra. There are stories of women describing how they are given free homes, maintenance, and a Muslim sisterhood made up of women from across the world. The attraction most of all, the fulfilling of religious obligation  to achieve life in the hereafter is worth all the sacrifices of deceiving parents and loved ones.

However, one needs to ask the question, is it a case of stumbling on the social media pages and videos on you tube by accident? If this barbarity is taught and this trend continues where will your kids be in a couple of years time never mind in the next decade!

Parents cry for their children when it is too late.  It is long past time that we must be talking about this vigorously and educating children to counter whatever they are learning. We need to stop those responsible for feeding these girls lies that their identity is this identity of this terror of the dark ages.

I do not claim to be an Islamic scholar. I was taught to read the Quran and pray as all Muslim children are taught and to me, surah titled Al-Kafirun (the Disbelievers) {Surah 109: Ayaat 1-6},always stands out in my mind.

“ Quliya aaiyu wa hal kafiruna… la aabudu ma tabud wala antum aabidu na ma aabud… wala anaa aabiduna ma abadutum wala antum aabidu na ma aabud….lakum di nukum waliyaa din”.

……Say [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him) to these Mushrikun and Kafirun): “O Al-Kafirun (disbelievers in Allah, in His Oneness, in His Angels, in His Books, in His Messengers, in the Day of Resurrection, and in Al-Qadar.)! I worship not that which you worship, Nor will you worship that which I worship. And I shall not worship that which you are worshipping. “Nor will you worship that which I worship “To you be your religion, and to me my religion……

This surah, straight from the Quran contradicts any teachings of hatred and violence towards other religions or other sects within Islam.

Chapter (29) surah l-ankabut (The Spider) provides
“And do not argue with the People of the Scripture except in a way that is best, except for those who commit injustice among them, and say, “We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you. And our God and your God is one; and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.”

For this reason all Muslims must stand in unity to condemned hate preachers who have stolen our religion for political purposes.

Zionism is a policy that is not Jewish and the true Jewish have spoken up to that. Their Rabbis have condemned the stealing of their religion in the pursuit for political goals.

We need our scholars and Imams to condemned such preachings of ISIS which have been identified as coming from Wahhabism, a political doctrine invented by Muhammed Ibn Al Wahab in the 18th century as a revivalist movement in the remote, sparsely populated region of Najd. Muhammed Ibn Al Wahab formed a pact with a local leader Muhammad bin Saud offering political obedience and promising that protection and propagation of the Wahabbi movement, would mean “power and glory” and rule of “lands and men.

We need parents to speak up for their children. To save further children from this fate and we need urgent help from our Imams and scholars to stop these beautiful children being used in the ISIS cause. Those that find it appealing appals me as they have manifested into the darkest from of sub-humans living and have hijacked our religion Islam, which is a religion of peace and compassion, of balance and mercy, thus causing destruction, bring back the dark ages and the jaheliya which or prophet  Mohammed (PBUH) strived to get rid of.
piara.mayenin@btinternet.com