Making Little Jihadis
By Hal Lindsey
Last week we learned about a British teacher who convinced her students to send letters of praise and encouragement to members of the al-Qaeda affiliated terror group, Jahbat al-Nusra. One little girl wrote, “We love you, you’re brave and strong. You are like diamonds among the stones.”
Another said, “The Mujahidin are all our heroes and role models. One day when Allah makes us mothers of sons, we will send them to you to become heroes like you.”
Though an Islamic school, the parents didn’t always know or condone what the school was teaching. One girl wrote, “When I was writing this letter my mommy was shouting at me, but it doesn’t matter, I’m in my room and she can’t see me. But I wonder, why do people like mommy not like you mujahidin? Do they think you are bad? I’m scared to ask. But it doesn’t matter, I love you all very much, more than the whole world altogether.”
We know about the assignment because the teacher photographed some of the letters and finger paintings before sending them on. She then put the photos on social media, and asked friends to send letters thanking the little girls for supporting terrorists.
The Daily Mail wrote, “The pupils were forced to write in both English and Arabic, opening each of their notes: ‘To our brothers in…’ Images of the letters were shared on Twitter by a woman using the handle @irhabiyya_18, which translates to ‘terrorist_18'. Keeping her identity hidden by choosing not to display her own photograph in her profile picture, the unknown woman uses her social media account to promote the jihad.”
One child said, “You will always be remembered in our hearts for your bravery when you stood up for Islam while the rest of us did not.… May Allah grant you strength to keep on fighting for Islam. I wish I could be there fighting for Islam as well. Allah will grant you the best gift for fighting for Islam. I will always keep on supporting you.”
“You are all so precious to us,” another wrote, “and we are so happy to have brothers like you in Syria.”
I was particularly struck by the little girl who couldn’t understand her mother’s anger toward the terrorists. “Why do people like mommy not like you mujahidin?” It shows the enormous influence of teachers and mentors — both for evil and good. Almost anyone who excels at his work, from a pastor to a drug dealer, had a mentor, often a teacher, who saw a young person’s potential and, nourished it.
We all need to understand the vast influence possible when we simply take an interest in the young and encourage the good we see there. We who follow Christ are stewards over the things He gives us. We usually see this in terms of money, but it’s more than that. It’s also our time, knowledge, wisdom, and influence.
In probably the last letter he wrote, the Apostle Paul admonished Timothy, a young man Paul had mentored. “You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, these entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.” [2 Timothy 2:1-2 NASB]
The other thing that particularly struck me was the childish innocence with which these horrible wishes were conveyed. In photos of the letters, we see drawings of flowers and mountains. The girls used different colored pens for different sentences. All these things where childish attempts to make the letters pretty for their “heroes.”
Even as you’re horrified by what the words convey, you can still see the naive innocence in the children’s wording. The children’s innocence makes the teacher’s guilt more pronounced. The Daily Mail reports, “The teacher’s Twitter page also features sickening images of beheading victims.”
But it’s even more sickening that this woman has such a powerful influence on young girls.
Jesus compared the end times to two other times in history — those of Noah and Lot. When you think about God’s judgment in those cases, consider how depravity permeated Sodom in one case, and the whole world in the other. Children reared in such societies have little hope. They can always choose to turn to God, but it becomes more and more problematic when every institution of society stands against Him — family, government, education, entertainment, etc.
Jesus said, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks should come, but woe to him through whom they come! It would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to stumble.”[Luke 17:1-2 NASB]
He also said, “It is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.” [Matthew 18:14 NASB]
When children’s souls are being crushed by society’s sin, when they seemingly no longer have a chance, get ready for God to say “Enough!”
Get ready for judgment.
