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Afghan President Hamid Karzai made statements condemning radical Islamists as deceivers after he pardoned a 14 year old boy who was forced to wear a suicide vest in a failed suicide bombing attempt. The boy met the radicals at a madrassa that is situated close to the Pakistani border. His parents had sent him to the school but claimed they had no knowledge of the child being turned to radicalism until after the boy was arrested. Fortunately the boy didn’t go along with the radical plan and turned himself in. The event is a crystal clear peek into the tactics of radicals who use children to do their bidding in a war that they will eventually lose as an increasing number of people awaken to realities of their ideology.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai has pardoned a 14-year-old boy caught wearing a suicide vest on his way to assassinate a provincial governor.

Rafiqullah had crossed the border from Pakistan and intended to kill Arsala Jamal, governor of Khost province.

Mr Karzai said Rafiqullah had been deceived by the “enemy of Islam” while attending a religious school.

Pardoning him at the presidential palace, Mr Karzai said: “I forgive him and I wish him the best of luck.”

Suicide videos

The president said: “Today we are faced with a fearful and terrifying truth, and that truth is the sending of a Muslim child to carry out a suicide attack.

“[His parents] sent him to study at a madrassa (religious school). The enemy of Islam deceived him.”

This is along the lines of what we have seen in other areas where al-Qaeda is running out of rope due to their own empty promises and more importantly because people are sick of the death and destruction that follows in al-Qaeda’s wake. A perfect example is in Iraq where villagers are reported to be taking up arms to prevent al-Qaeda from returning once the coalition forces route them out.

The case of Rafiqullah is magnified by the fact that the child lived to tell the story of how he was forced to march to his planned attack under the threat of death.

Rafiqullah said he was trained to drive a car and shown suicide attack videos at the madrassa in Pakistan.

He crossed the border and was met by a man who gave him a suicide vest. Rafiqullah said he did not want to carry out the attack but the man threatened to kill him.

People with a sense of reality grounded in the 21st century do not want to watch their children blowing themselves up. Worse, they do not want to continue to suffer the consequences of silent acceptance. Until the leaders in the Muslim community stand up and act out against those who teach and practice radical Islamic teachings they will continue to suffer in its wake. Speaking out is not enough.

The reality of the matter is that the problem is systematic and not enough Muslims are discouraging the message of hate. We need to ensure that the whole world knows that the alternatives are bleak for those who sit by and watch radicals take over their lives. The threat of further isolation by the international community, especially the United States and Great Britain, is important if we are to cut the radicals out of the picture.

Eventually the Muslim community will either get with the program and cut the radical cancer from their own ranks or face the reality of further isolation and death while others do it for them. That is the only message that will get the job done.

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Trackposted to Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, Stageleft, Big Dog’s Weblog, Right Truth, and Public Eye, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

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