By Mahmoud Mohamed in Mogadishu
June 25, 2012
Somali women and human rights activists have condemned the recent
message by al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri's wife in which she calls
on Muslim mothers to raise their children with "the love of jihad and
martyrdom".
Umaima Hassan Ahmed Mohammed Hassan released her message on June 8th on an al-Qaeda-linked website.
"My advice to you sisters is to raise your children on the love of jihad and martyrdom and instil in them a love for religion and death in the cause of Allah," Hassan wrote.
"This message was released with the intention to poison the minds of children for the sake of recruiting them and using them in service of terrorists and terrorist acts," said Somali children's rights activist Anab Mohamed Omar.
"Raising children on a culture of violence, suicide and shedding innocent blood is wrong and clashes with the principles of Islam," Omar told Sabahi.
"Mothers and guardians responsible for the upbringing of children should raise them on love and compassion that counter the roots of radicalism," she said. "They should protect children from misguided concepts. They should also strictly confront the advocates of terrorism and the al-Qaeda ideology that encourages the bloodletting of the innocent."
"It is known that terrorist organisations are working relentlessly to lure children and youths since they are very impressionable and responsive to new ideas without being fully aware of the consequences," Omar said. "We therefore call on Somali mothers to stand united and work together to fight off this phenomenon of extremism in our country."
"Mothers have to take full responsibility for their children's upbringing. They should follow correct methods while raising their children because extremism and radicalism have no place in Islam," she told Sabahi.
Abukar has called for the eradication of illiteracy and ignorance among Somali women and children so that they do not fall prey to extremists and radicals.
"Through fighting illiteracy, we can fight extremist ideas," she said. "We call on mothers and clerics to work together to spread an accurate concept of Islam and to follow the right path to raise children so we can fight extremism with all means available to us."
Abukar said mothers play a hugely important role in confronting extremism and terrorism.
"Islam is a religion of tolerance and is the opposite of fanaticism and extremism," she added.
"The way in which al-Zawahiri's wife urges mothers to raise their children on violence and terrorism is unrelated to Islam," she said. "We call on Somali mothers to raise their children on tolerance and fraternity and to teach them Islam's righteous path, far from extremism and violence. Al-Qaeda's ideology does not represent the true path of Islam and for this reason we urge Somali mothers not to listen to the wife of al-Qaeda's leader."
Ali said the message is proof that al-Qaeda wants to use children as fuel for violence and war.
Fartun Yusuf Ahmed, a 24-year old university student, said, "The most important of all educational goals -- old and new -- is to prepare model citizens who benefit themselves, their nation and their religion. Islam opposes any form of radicalism or bigotry in ideology and practice."
"Islam is a religion based on giving advice and moderation and always takes the middle ground in everything," she told Sabahi.
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![A number of activists told Sabahi that Umaima Hassan's message clashes with the basic principles of Islam and decency. Above, a Somali mother and her two children walk to a field hospital near Mogadishu in 2009. [Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2012/06/25/zawahiri-somali-women-340_227.jpg)
A number of activists told Sabahi that Umaima Hassan's message
clashes with the basic principles of Islam and decency. Above, a Somali
mother and her two children walk to a field hospital near Mogadishu in
2009. [Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP]
![A number of activists told Sabahi that Umaima Hassan's message clashes with the basic principles of Islam and decency. Above, a Somali mother and her two children walk to a field hospital near Mogadishu in 2009. [Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP]](http://sabahionline.com/shared/images/2012/06/25/zawahiri-somali-women.jpg)
"My advice to you sisters is to raise your children on the love of jihad and martyrdom and instil in them a love for religion and death in the cause of Allah," Hassan wrote.
"This message was released with the intention to poison the minds of children for the sake of recruiting them and using them in service of terrorists and terrorist acts," said Somali children's rights activist Anab Mohamed Omar.
"Raising children on a culture of violence, suicide and shedding innocent blood is wrong and clashes with the principles of Islam," Omar told Sabahi.
"Mothers and guardians responsible for the upbringing of children should raise them on love and compassion that counter the roots of radicalism," she said. "They should protect children from misguided concepts. They should also strictly confront the advocates of terrorism and the al-Qaeda ideology that encourages the bloodletting of the innocent."
"It is known that terrorist organisations are working relentlessly to lure children and youths since they are very impressionable and responsive to new ideas without being fully aware of the consequences," Omar said. "We therefore call on Somali mothers to stand united and work together to fight off this phenomenon of extremism in our country."
'Culture of hatred and violence'
"Terrorists are trying to persuade and convince some mothers to impart on their children a culture of hatred and violence so that they can turn into human bombs and suicide bombers," said Amina Abukar, a teacher and women's rights activist."Mothers have to take full responsibility for their children's upbringing. They should follow correct methods while raising their children because extremism and radicalism have no place in Islam," she told Sabahi.
Abukar has called for the eradication of illiteracy and ignorance among Somali women and children so that they do not fall prey to extremists and radicals.
"Through fighting illiteracy, we can fight extremist ideas," she said. "We call on mothers and clerics to work together to spread an accurate concept of Islam and to follow the right path to raise children so we can fight extremism with all means available to us."
Abukar said mothers play a hugely important role in confronting extremism and terrorism.
"Islam is a religion of tolerance and is the opposite of fanaticism and extremism," she added.
Using children as 'fuel for war'
Su'di Mohamed Ali, an administrative director at the Ministry of Women and Family Affairs, called on Somali mothers to raise their children on the principles of moderation, citizenship and patriotism."The way in which al-Zawahiri's wife urges mothers to raise their children on violence and terrorism is unrelated to Islam," she said. "We call on Somali mothers to raise their children on tolerance and fraternity and to teach them Islam's righteous path, far from extremism and violence. Al-Qaeda's ideology does not represent the true path of Islam and for this reason we urge Somali mothers not to listen to the wife of al-Qaeda's leader."
Ali said the message is proof that al-Qaeda wants to use children as fuel for violence and war.
Fartun Yusuf Ahmed, a 24-year old university student, said, "The most important of all educational goals -- old and new -- is to prepare model citizens who benefit themselves, their nation and their religion. Islam opposes any form of radicalism or bigotry in ideology and practice."
"Islam is a religion based on giving advice and moderation and always takes the middle ground in everything," she told Sabahi.
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