Interviews with Abu Ibrahim and relatives of the other men show that rather than having been individually recruited by an organization like Zarqawi's, they gradually radicalized one another, the more strident leading the way. Local imams led them further toward Iraq, citing verses from the Koran to justify killing civilians. The men watched videos depicting tortured and slain Muslims that are copied from Internet sites.
"The sheik, he was a hero," Abu Ibrahim said of Zarqawi. But, he added, "I decided to go when my friends went."
For the final step, getting the phone number of a smuggler and address of a safe house in Iraq, the men used facilitators who act more like travel agents than militant leaders.
"Most of the young people here in Zarqa are very religious," an Islamist community leader said. "And when they see the news and what is going on in the Islamic countries, they themselves feel that they have to go to fight jihad. Today, you don't need anyone to tell the young men that they should go to jihad. They themselves want to be martyrs."
From the IHT, read it all.
2 comments:
"you don't need anyone to tell the young men that they should go to jihad. They themselves want to be martyrs."
It's almost a pity that young men have to go this route - and believe jihad is the answer. Jihad is a problem - it helps make retribution upon retribution a possibility - it's terribly sad. I do understand there hatred for America and Western Society - mainly due to these wars - but there is no justification in faith to murder on the basis of 'feelings'. I feel sorry for those people that allow their religion to go this route - and I also think it is uneasy for Christians in your neck of the woods.
Good point. Note that the main enemies here are other Muslims: Shia.
They are number one on the list. I think folks in the West don't quite understand how much division and animosity there is between these two groups, especially these days.
Why? As Iran (Shia and Persian) tries to become the regional power, other folks are becoming very uncomfortable (they are mostly Sunni Arab).
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