Hezbollah’s Youth Movement of Terror
A pair of swords, a hand raised as if taking an oath, and the word “Obey!” in Arabic are just a few ways that the Imam Al-Mahdi Scouts Association has modified the well-known symbol of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. The Hezbollah terrorist organization’s pro-terror youth movement, sponsored by the Iranian regime, teaches southern Lebanese children between the ages of 8 and 16 that terrorism is of paramount value, standing in stark contrast to youth movements abroad that teach values such as peace and tolerance. As we mark 36 years since Hezbollah officially joined the Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist, and 39 years since its establishment, here is a shocking glimpse into Hezbollah’s sinister program in which terror is part of the curriculum:
16.02.21
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16.2.2020
The World Organization of the Scout Movement’s vision is to be “the world's leading educational youth movement, enabling 100 million young people to be active citizens creating positive change in their communities and in the world based on shared values." Unfortunately, not all youth movements share the same vision. The Imam Al-Mahdi “Scouts” Association has distorted the original movement’s emblem, name, and spirit in order to indoctrinate young minds with terror.
The previous emblem (right) and the current emblem (left) of the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts movement
In 1985, Iran established the Imam Al-Mahdi Scouts Association, a youth movement that aims to train youth to take part in the fight against Israel and to instill in them radical Shiite Islamic ideology. The Iranians saw the establishment of this youth movement as an opportunity to create a new generation of militants who would be indoctrinated from an early age with a hatred of Israel and a compulsion to commit acts of terrorism.
Imam al-Hossein scouts raising their hands in a Nazi salute during a weekly activity
(Facebook page of the Diyala Commission of Imam al-Hossein Scouts, April 27, 2019)
According to Bilal Naim, the former director of the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts, most adolescents join Hezbollah and its military activities after the age of 16. The youth movement takes its members to meet terrorist operatives, visit weapons repositories, and join combat workshops that train them to be Shahids (martyrs). To date, more than 200 alumni of the Imam Al-Mahdi Scouts Association have become Shahids, people who carry out suicide bombings for the sake of terror.
Boys’ activities during events initiated by
Hezbollah and Iran (Reuters, 2003)
In 2015, the estimated number of children and teenagers enrolled in the movement was over 50,000. Participants are divided into more than 500 different “tribes” to create a sense of community. Its summer camps are attended annually by more than 40,000 children, who are instructed in educational programs about the values of Shiite Islam and the Iranian ideology as perceived by Khomeini.
Overview of the Imam Khomeini Youth and Scouts Village in southern Lebanon
(Facebook page of the Imam Khomeini Youth and Scouts Village, June 12, 2019)
According to the IDF Intelligence Directorate, most of the organization's activities are funded by Iran. Moreover, Iran has replicated the Lebanese model of the Imam Al-Mahdi Scouts Association and propagated it among Iranian proxies operating in countries of the Shiite axis, like Syria, Iraq, and Yemen, where there is a Shiite Muslim population.
Imam al-Mahdi scout passing under a Quran before setting out on a mission,
taken from films of Hezbollah fighting against Israel (Wadi Press website, March 17, 2018)
The IDF condemns these illegal acts committed by Hezbollah and the radicalism that Iran is instilling in innocent youth. While Iran fights against Israel, we fight against terrorism to ensure a better future for children on both sides of Israel’s northern border.
*All the information in this article is taken from the Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center At the Israeli Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Center
