Tunisia battling Islamic extremists brainwashing children, singing praises to Osama bin Laden
Muslim hardliners are targeting small children in Tunisia as education professionals and parents are increasingly concerns about religious indoctrination.
photo/FreedomHouse via Flickr public domain
A video titled “Dedication from Children of Unification in Tunisia to Mullah Omar” recently spread on social networking websites, sparking a broad controversy.
Children at one religious school were heard repeating words dictated by a teacher, praising Osama Bin Laden and describing him as “Commander of the Faithful”.
The children are seen chanting to bin Laden: “We sacrifice our souls for you, O emir!”
“One of the biggest problems is that some private schools are not subjected to regulations,” education inspector Ammar Lammouchi told Magharebia. “They don’t apply the Ministry of Education’s curricula and, as a result, violations take place.
“Some of these schools teach extremist programmes and a certain type of indoctrination to children,” he said. “This is dangerous to children’s mentalities” the inspector added.
Nabiha Kammoun Tlili, head of Tunisia’s National Kindergartens’ Chamber, confirmed that many Qur’anic schools are not under any supervisory authority.
“Women’s affairs and education ministries must shoulder their responsibilities and put an end to religious chaos at Qur’anic kindergartens,” she told Magharebia.
Tunisian Family Affairs Minister Siham Badi has vowed “to take the necessary legal actions to protect children against religious extremism by establishing regulations and closing the kindergartens that insist on violations”.
“The kindergarten system has been around in Tunisia for about 100 years,” said Ellissa Azizi, a psychologist at the General Children’s Directorate. “However, after the revolution, we noticed other influences, such as religious extremism in some kindergartens.”
“The concept of Qur’anic kindergartens wasn’t in Tunisia previously,” she added. “At the Ministry of Women’s Affairs and Family, we’re trying to study this new phenomenon by reviewing the regulations which govern this sector, and which have been in place since 2002.”
Azizi warned of the psychological effect on children.
“This will undoubtedly affect children in a negative way because they are not subjected to scientific or pedagogical criteria,” she explained
Watch a sample video of the children singing: http://www.memritv.org/embedded_player/index.php?clip_id=3597
“Tunisian Children Recite Al-Qaeda Song Extolling 9/11: ‘Our Terror Is Blessed,'” from MEMRI, June 28 (date of clip):
Following are excerpts from footage of Tunisian children reciting an Al-Qaeda song, which was posted on the Internet on June 28, 2012.Announcer: In the name of Allah. Allah’s prayers upon His Messenger. The following song will be recited by the children of tawheed in Tunis. What will you sing us, brother Abu Hafs?
Abu Hafs: “Were Have Our Days Gone?”
Announcer: To whom do you dedicate this song, brother Abu Hafs?
Abu Hafs: To the mujahid Mullah Mohammed Omar and to our sheik Ayman Al-Zawahiri….
Allah is our goal. We strive to reach Him,…
Our Emir, the Mullah [Omar], did not renounce his religion,
and all the soldiers sold their souls to Allah.
All the soldiers sold their souls to Allah.
Our leader Bin Laden is America’s worst nightmare,
with the power of faith and our weapon, the PK machine-gun.
With the power of faith and our weapon, the PK machine-gun.
If they call me a terrorist, I will consider it an honor.
Our terror is blessed, a divine call.
Our terror is blessed, a divine call.
We destroyed America with a civilian airplane –
the World Trade Center was turned into rubble.
The World Trade Center was turned into rubble….
Announcer: Say: “Allah Akbar.”
Boys: Allah Akbar.
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