Daesh: Breaking the Sanctity of Family

Disturbing reports emerged earlier this month, explaining how a Daesh fighter murdered his own mother in front of an applauding public in Raqqa, northern Syria.

It’s not the first time this has happened. Events like this are becoming more common, as a flawed ideology takes over all aspects of life in the Daesh-stronghold – trumping humanity, logic, and even basic compassion towards parents.

One of the organisations monitoring this case said that the incident began when the mother tried to persuade her son, Ali Saqr, aged 21, to leave the militant group. She was accused of apostasy.

Last year, a Lebanese father went to Raqqa to bring back his son, but was reported, detained and killed.

While these scenarios are extreme and almost unbelievable, at the heart, we can see a bond between parent and child that has been broken.

This is in addition to recent figures which have shown that women are still travelling to Syria in worrying numbers despite the clearly desperate situation there – including 55 women who travelled in 2015 to join Daesh.

Families have often been through hell in trying to understand why their own children would choose such a path and join a failing, futile state based on false principles. It is essential that lines of communication remain open between parents and children to address fears, thoughts and concerns.

If you’re worried about your child’s behaviour, please refer to our help page here.

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