Extremists' exploitation of children in war zones draws widespread condemnation

Al-Qaeda and its affiliates are exploiting children in war-torn regions under their control, forcing minors to serve as fighters, spies and bomb carriers in violation of international law and the Islamic principles they claim to defend.

In Somalia, al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab was responsible for approximately 550 documented cases of child recruitment in a single year, according to a 2024 United Nations (UN) report on "Children and Armed Conflict."

Jamaat Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin (JNIM), another al-Qaeda affiliate operating across West African nations including Burkina Faso, Mali, Chad and Niger, has extensively used children as combatants, the UN report detailed.

In Yemen, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has deployed children as armed operatives.

Thousands of children have been abducted in these regions, with many forced to participate in armed attacks, the UN report noted.

Experts universally condemn al-Qaeda's child exploitation as a violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and a grave abuse of fundamental human rights that ruins childhood and destroys young lives.

"Al-Qaeda recruits children as reliable and cheap fighters," Kabul-based human rights activist Abdul Qader Rahimi told Salaam Times. "It brainwashes them and uses them in terrorist operations."

"These children fall into the trap of this terrorist group early in life and, after brainwashing, are unaware of the dangerous path they are on," he said.

Al-Qaeda's long-term goal is to cultivate a new generation of extremists, Rahimi explained. By closing schools and educational centers, particularly in West Africa, it deprives communities of knowledge while fostering extremism, he said.

'Against Islamic values'

Religious scholars unequivocally condemn al-Qaeda's actions, noting that Islamic teachings strictly prohibit involving children in armed conflicts.

"Exploiting underage children in war is a crime and completely rejected by the sacred religion of Islam," Herat-based religious scholar Shahabuddin Motaghi told Salaam Times.

"Groups that commit such crimes have no connection to Islam and their actions go against Islamic values," he said, adding that "Islam places great value on children and strongly opposes their involvement in armed forces."

Herat-based religious scholar Zikrullah Hanafi also condemned the practice as among humanity's worst crimes, telling Salaam Times the use of children in armed conflict is a complete departure from Islamic principles.

"Al-Qaeda’s use of children in wars and suicide bombings is a major betrayal of both Islam and humanity," he said. "Islam is a religion of compassion and mercy, not one that endangers innocent and vulnerable children."