Rashid El Sheikh: One Father’s Story of Radicalisation

“They sold you a pricy dream, a shimmering, fallacious light.

Oh my boy, you were the nugget of my dreams.

You were the helm of my aspirations,

My trepidation, my security

And the long awaited hope viciously aborted”

Rashid El Sheikh

This poem, written by Rashid El Sheikh, the father of Mahmoud El Sheikh who died fighting with ISIS in Iraq, clearly shows the pain that affects all families with loved ones who have joined extremist groups. Most will never see each other again.

In an interview with Newsnight’s Secunder Kermani, Rashid speaks about how his son’s journey of radicalisation and death has ripped his family apart and the devastation it had sown.

Rashid talks about how his son just seemed like a normal, funny and smart teenager, hanging out with his friends and going to parties. It was only towards the end of his A-Levels that Rashid started noticing that Mahmoud was acting differently.

Interpreting Mahmoud’s behaviour as a result of growing up and finding himself Rashid didn’t realise that his son was starting down the dangerous path towards radicalisation.

Many young people under the influence of extremists do not exhibit any changes in behaviour and continue to be their usual bright, sociable selves. By the time Mahmoud’s family started worrying and talking to him it was too late.