ISIS training children
ISIS training children to be Jihadi.Screenshot/Youtube

The Islamic State has come up with a new way to nurture young Jihadis; offering guidelines to young mothers on how to raise a "Mujahid child". These "helpful tips" will help develop the jihadi spirit of the next generation of militants, the militant outfit believes.

The Islamic State tried to convince their "entitled sister's" that their most important role is to raise their kids "not only in spirit", but also develop their physical ability and training. They are encouraging women loyal to the cause to introduce the Jihadi values in their children from the time they are babies. "Don't wait until they are seven to start, for it may be too late by then!" reads the ISIS handbook that recently surfaced online.

Some of the approved activities in the Jihadi Mother's Handbook include:

  • Martial arts training
  • Swimming
  • Archery
  • Target-shooting (with different kinds of toy weapons)
  • Darts Horse-back riding
  • Orienteering (learning to navigate your way in the woods)
  • Exercise (running, jogging, push-ups, etc.) to build stamina
  • Skiing
  • Driving (a range of different vehicles)
  • Camping / Survival Training.

The militants, who believe that TVs cause nothing but "mental and physical loss", ask mothers to completely ban them and instead encourage them to narrate bedtime stories of extremist fighters.

In fact, reading books are very much encouraged by the organisation. The handbook persuades mothers to get "military books (preferably with pictures) and similar books, CDs, videos" and visit "web sites along with your children" to get them "interested in jihad" and promote them to "become like Mujahideen".

The ISIS handbook also suggests that mothers get their sons punching bags or "makeshift enemies" so as to build their strengths and give direction to their anger. They also encourage target shooting to improve hand-eye coordination.

ISIS and other jihadi groups have long been investing in the next generation of soldiers, training them to take over and "fight the holy war".

As Steven Stalinsky, executive director of Middle East Media Research Institute explains, "It is important for the West to understand that all these groups want the world to know that this indoctrination is taking place… No matter what happens in Iraq and Syria in the near future, the next generation – the children of Baghdadi and grandchildren of bin Laden - have already been brainwashed to hate the West and to strive for jihad and martyrdom."

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