I Was a Child Soldier

                                                                    

                                                                    I Was a Child Soldier

Jennifer Barnard

   Wilmington University

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Abstract

 

This is a fictional story about a kidnapped child that was forced to be a child soldier for ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria). The information is based on real events that happened during the ruling of ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and timelines and curriculum were taken by actual accounts from the Islamic state survivors. This article is meant to bring awareness regarding modern-day slavery and its devastation among the victims involved.

 

I Was a Child Soldier

 

My name is Misha Hassan; I am a Yezidi from Northern Iraq. I was nine years old when the Islamic Caliphate, known as ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), invaded my home. The Islamic State brutally killed my father and brothers as I watched. I will never forget watching my father and brothers with fear as they were on their knees, pleading for their lives before being shot execution-style. At the time, I did not really understand what was happening and who those monsters were.   My mother and sisters were taken and told that they would become the brides of caliphate fighters. Being kidnapped, witnessing, my dad and brothers die, and watching my mom and sisters be taken was the beginning of my nightmare.

After I was separated from my mother and sisters, I began my journey to Syria. I was in a truck with other children at gunpoint with these men ranting about something called the caliphate and being at war with the infidels. I didn't understand what they were talking about; I was terrified and wondered where they were taking my survived family.  I had no idea where they were taking me and pondered if they would kill me next. During the drive, I replayed my father and brother's murder in my head several times, still unsure what happened and what they did to deserve this brutal death.

I arrived in Syria later that day, and to my surprise, there were hundreds of young boys such as myself at a place that seemed like a camp. It seemed as though the ages of the boys were between six and seventeen.  ISIS called the boys at the base "Cubs of the caliphate" (Grimley,2017). This camp was set up like a military camp. There were lots of guns, barb wire, and training equipment all over the place. I watched as boys were going through hard physical training as if they were preparing for war. All of the boys had rifles on their shoulders, and some were even shooting the rifles (Mahmood, 2016). I found this camp to be strange. However, I figured if I made it to the base that at least I wasn't going to die.

The next day I was woken up early and told that I was to confess my sins as an infidel. You see, I did not hold the same beliefs as ISIS. I was a Yezidi Christian, which is the enemy of ISIS. I was told that I must convert to Islam and leave the devil. I was given the Koran and the IS textbook, which I was required to read and memorize; if we got the information wrong, we were beaten with cables (Welle, n.d.). I was handed a rifle and told that I would not take it off my shoulder; if I did, there would be severe consequences (Mahmood, 2016). After Morning prayers came the physical training of being a soldier. I was informed that I was training to become a soldier for Allah through the caliphate and that my job would be to kill the infidels. I was forced to walk on burning hot sand from the sun and was told that we were at war, so I needed to endure pain (Grimley, 2017).

I watched around me as children were target practicing. To my surprise, they were shooting dead bodies in the head. The bodies' stench was horrible; after shooting the dead bodies in the head, the children would then behead them and yell Allah (Welle, n.d.). I also watched as some kids were training to be suicide bombers. ISIS would teach them how to create a bomb and put it on the vest. They told the children that once the vest blew up, they would be martyrs, and their family would be taken care of for eternity. I prayed to God that I would not be one of the chosen to be a suicide bomber. I didn't believe the doctrine that was being forced upon me and was only doing what I was told to survive.

After our physical training, which included going under barb wire and hand to hand combat, we were forced to watch gruesome propaganda videos of beheadings and murders (Dozier, 2019). The videos were about how ISIS was going to take over the world, followed by violent graphic videos of beheadings on the beach and massacres throughout different Iraq areas. I would try not to watch the video, but if I was caught turning my head, I would be beaten by one of the men in charge. I was told that I was a soldier of Allah and that I would have to perform these acts. At nighttime, we were put on a night watch. We were not allowed to sleep, and if we dozed off during our watch, not only would we have water thrown on us, but we would be beaten (Grimley, 2017). Often it was hard to stay awake during those hours as the caliphate pushed us hard during the day. It would just be a matter of time before I was sent out to fight with the caliphate, and honestly, I was not ready to die for the cause.

As time progressed, I started interacting with the boys throughout the camp. Surprisingly I found out that some of the boys volunteered to be part of the caliphate. Then there were the boys who were sold by their families or kidnapped. The boys that volunteered were able to visit their family on the weekend. What I would do to be with my family, to hug and kiss them one more time. However, I was kidnapped and was there against my will, so seeing my family was out of the question. I found out that the boys that volunteered made a monthly income of $100 USD (Mahmood, 2016). Once again, because I was taken against my will, I was not paid anything, I suppose I should have been happy that I was still alive. However, what was the quality of life? Was it even worth living?  I didn't want to fight in a war. I wanted to go to school and be with my family.

Several months went by with the continuous mundane propaganda; all I ever did was train, pray, and fight. There were times that the caliphate took us to the river to swim. However, we would always be part of a video talking about how the caliphate would take over the world, followed by an execution. One day we went to the river, and I actually had fun swimming. I forgot about my circumstances for a few minutes. The caliphate started their video, they had two men tied up next to them on their knees. The men were crying. I felt so bad for them as I knew their fate. One of the caliphate members called me up to them and put a gun in my hand, and told me to stand behind one of the men. I knew what I was expected to do. My hands were shaking as I did not want to take another person's life. I was given the command to shoot him in the back of the head, so I did (Welle, n.d.). If I didn't take that's man's life, it would have been mine, or I would have been severely beaten and called an infidel. I had flashbacks of my brother and father's execution, and I started to cry. The caliphate beat me anyways because I cried, which made me less than a man.

After being forced to murder someone, I decided it was time to escape. I could no longer live this life of killing innocent people for a reason I did not believe in. I could no longer take the propaganda or the stench of death. I knew how dangerous it would be trying to escape from the caliphate. However, after losing everything, there was not much more I can lose. I started planning my escape for freedom. I realized that at some point, I may be recognized for being part of ISIS, but I didn't care. The only thing I really worried about was what would happen to my sisters and Mother after I escape. I wondered if they would be killed for my actions. However, I couldn't think of that; I realized that I would become a murderer and adapt to the beliefs if I stayed. So, the next time we went to the river, I ran and was able to escape.

Now I am in a displacement camp. I have been questioned by the authorities and have told them my story. Thankfully, they believe me and did not throw me in prison for terrorism. I was an ISIS child soldier, I was kidnapped and forced to fight a war I didn't believe in, I have seen more death than many, I have lost everyone I love and everything I know. I am a survivor.

 

        

 

References:

Dozier, K. (2019, May 23). What Happens Now to the Child Soldiers of ISIS? Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://time.com/longform/isis-child-soldiers-yezidi/

Grimley, N. (2017, March 7). The boys made to fight for IS. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-sh/yazidi_boy_soldiers

MAHMOOD, Sara (2016). ‘cubs of the caliphate’: the islamic state’s focus on children. Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses, 8(10), 9–12.

Welle, D. (n.d.). The caliphate's cubs: 'Islamic State' and child soldiers: DW: 15.10.2016. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://www.dw.com/en/the-caliphates-cubs-islamic-state-and-child-soldiers/a-36042450