Radicalization of young muslims

Submitted by Prashant (United States), Aug 21, 2022 at 15:02

Dear Dr Pipes,

I will make a direct appeal to any young Muslims -converts or otherwise- to become spiritual Muslims in the privacy of their homes and not follow the violent/political paths no matter how justified they seem.

Today, BBC reported about the killing of 20 innocent people in Mogadishu, Somalia by al-shadab terrorists. It prompted me to research about al-shadab. Al-shadab is an al-queda affiliate. This group believes that Muslim rulers of Islamic Somalia are not Muslim-enough. And, so they are resorting to violence which is likely to harm no one else but other Muslims (if you shoot a gun randomly in Somalia, there is a 99.9% chance that you will kill a Muslim). As I researched Al-shadab, it led me to the case of Samantha Lewthwaite, a British convert to Islam.

Samantha Lewthwaite's is suspected to be a member of al-shadab. She converted to Islam when she was only 17 and chose the path of violence. Despite being busy in her terrorist activities, she is a mother to three children from at least two different men. One of her husband's died in a suicide bombing in London around 2005 that he orchestrated. This suicide bombing killed about 25 British commuters in addition to Lewthwaite's husband.

I am worried about her children and millions of children like hers. Samantha Lewthwaite is based in Somalia. It is indeed not easy to raise good children when the mother is fighting multiple wars. These kids might grow up to become illiterate adult Muslims. They will surely not become Rhodes scholars from Mogadishu.

The war and violence are expensive. They take a toll on human success and prosperity. They should be used as a last resort not as the first. Muslim people and specially young Muslims should try not to choose the path of violence. Whether you are in the Palestine, Kashmir, or Somalia, peaceful methods have a significant role to play. Path of peace is not easy but it less difficult than the path that causes deaths.

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