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London Teen: How I Was Recruited for Jihad

Group meeting in mosque invited boy to outside gatherings

By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff

Posted May 17, 2009 12:27 PM CDT
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(Newser) – The Islamists approached him in the mosque, and before he knew it a 15-year-old Londoner was watching jihadist videos and being encouraged to train in Pakistan, the boy tells the Times of London in the “first inside account” of the recruitment process. “A lot of people think that terrorists are recruited in special recruiting grounds, but the truth is that it actually goes on in mosques a lot of the time,” says the teen, who is now in a special rehabilitation program.

“You’ll go to pray and there’ll be small groups of people just away from the main group in the mosque having their own discussion, talking about jihad,” he said. They talked to the teen about Iraq and “how all the people are dying,” and invited him to meetings in an abandoned house. “They showed us a jihadist video with the martyrdom flags behind the guy speaking, and the message I got was that I should prepare myself for martyrdom.”

This undated photo provided by London's Metropolitan Police, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008, shows Mohammed Hamid, a mentor figure to the teen.
This undated photo provided by London's Metropolitan Police, Tuesday, Feb. 26, 2008, shows Mohammed Hamid, a mentor figure to the teen.   (AP Photo/Metropolitan Police/ho)
A view of the east London Mosque, London, Monday, May 21, 2007.
A view of the east London Mosque, London, Monday, May 21, 2007.   (AP Photo/Sang Tan)
Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri speaks at a press conference, in London in this Jan. 20, 1999 file photo. One of the teen's mentors was a former aide to Abu Hamza.
Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri speaks at a press conference, in London in this Jan. 20, 1999 file photo. One of the teen's mentors was a former aide to Abu Hamza.   (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 3 comments
AmericaPrevails
May 18, 2009 12:25 PM CDT
It's not a religion of peace just like Christianity, the fundamentals are totally different... You cant correllate like that, you could correlate the Biblical charecters... but other than that.. ? Mohammed taught there is only one Divine Being in God. He denied the Deity of Jesus, saying He was just a man - a great prophet, but not the Divine Son of God. (Koran, 4:160-171 - pp60,61; 6:90-100 - pp77,78; 9:130; 19:135 - p168) The Bible says Jesus is Divine. John 1:1,14 - Jesus (the Word) was God, was with God in the beginning, and became flesh to dwell among men a man. Colossians 2:9 - In Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. John 20:28,29 - Thomas called Jesus "my Lord and my God." Jesus pronounced a blessing on all others who believe the same (cf. vv 30,31).
Rob
May 18, 2009 12:18 PM CDT
Hey, collusive, try reading the quran.
ABO_2012
May 18, 2009 5:18 AM CDT
When was the last time Christians killed 3,000+ Islamic civilians simply because?

Rehab program IDs 'potential terrorists'
Telegraph (UK)

 
terrorism • London • jihad • extremists • recruitment • mosque • Britain • martyrdom • teenager

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