Youths Risk Being Drawn Into Crossfire of the War on Terror
Hayat Kharbash, Arab News

ABHA, 12 March 2006 — Fifteen-year-old Husam lives in a small town in Saudi Arabia. While on his midterm vacation in Jeddah he visited a relative who is deeply involved in extremism.

While surfing the Internet during his stay, Husam asked his relative to help him find websites on the war in Iraq that showed extremists torturing and assassinating foreigners in horrific ways.

Instead of suggesting a website, Husam’s relative gave him a CD which the young lad watched with great enthusiasm and absorption.

When he returned home, he was full of enthusiasm for what he had seen and spoke constantly about his desire to join a jihadi group in Iraq.

Interesting article from the Arab News about how young men in Saudi Arabia are being influenced toward extremism.

The writer talks with a number of Saudi professionals about extremism and its spread. Everything from TV broadcasts to the “Islamic Wakening” of the 1970s and 80s comes in for criticism.

The article, unfortunately, does not tell how the story of this young man and his relative came to light, nor what’s happened to them. But do take a look at it.