A radio station in Somalia recently awarded Somali children guns in a competition. This was the third year that the Ramadan contest was held, in which children from the age of 10 to 12 had to properly recite the Koran. The Ramadan competition was hosted by a radio show linked with the Al-Qaeda. The first place was awarded an AK 47 and $700, the second place was awarded and AK 47 and $500, and the third place was awarded two hand grenades and $400. They were all also given religious books. In previous years, RPGs have also been awarded. At the prize-giving ceremony, senior al-Shabab official Mukhtar Robow said, "Youths should use one hand for education and the other for a gun to defend Islam."
Learning about such events makes me feel sad from the inside, not because of the fact that there's a competition, but because it's for children. The intention of that competition was not to test the children's faith in god; it was rather to teach them to grow up fighting for their religion. To me, it doesn't seem right to brainwash children in this way. Being children, they don't understand that underlying intention. Instead, by watching this contest, many of the younger children would have been inspired to win it one day as well.
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