Human Rights Voices

While the UN devotes its human rights operations to the demonization of the democratic state of Israel above all others and condemns the United States more often than the vast majority of non-democracies around the world, the voices of real victims around the world must be heard.

Islamic State, March 24, 2015

Islamic State recruits more than 400 children from “Ashbal al- Khilafah”

IS Organization continues to attract and recruit children within its ranks under what so called "Ashbal al- Khilafah" (cubs of the caliphate), where SOHR could document joining of at least 400 children to IS Organization since the beginning of this year until March 23 within IS- held areas in Syria. Meanwhile, the organization has witnessed joining of at least 120 new jihadists since the beginning of this year. The last three months are considered the least in terms of proportion of joining to IS by fighters from all nationalities since the declaration of its own alleged "Caliphate" in June 28, 2014.

Syrian regions like the two cities of al- Mayadin and al- Bokamal had witnessed opening what so called offices of "Ashbal al- Khilafah" that recruit children to IS. These offices work on convincing and attracting the children who live near IS posts and who go to schools and mosques, the children who want to join IS without the approval of their parents and the children who come to the squares where the operations of executions, whipping, crucifying and beheading, and stoning carried out. The organization also induces the parents and guardians to send their sons to these camps where the children undergo to Sharia and military courses. The Shariaa course firms IS ideology inside the brain of those children while the military one teaches them how to use weapons and fight the enemies during clashes, battles and storms. IS also tries to lure the children by money, weapons and cars in order to convince them to join its own camps. In addition to, IS receives and takes care of children who suffer from congenital malformation. IS uses children to work as spies and agents to gather news and as guards on its own posts.

In January 25, 2015, SOHR documented that IS organization sent a battalion consisting of about 140 members, vast majority under the age of 18 and newly joined the training camps of Islamic battalions, to the battlefronts in the city of Kobani, where SOHR could document death of 6 members who are under the age of 18.