ISIS starts English schools for foreign fighters’ kids

Adam Withnall,The Independent

Feb 24, 2015

Amid ongoing concerns that three British schoolgirls have been lured online to travel to Syria and join the self-proclaimed “Islamic State”, activists in the militant-controlled city of Raqqa drew attention to a flier for the “attention [of] English speaking muhajiroon”.

The ISIS militant group has reportedly opened its first two English-language schools in the so-called "capital" of its territories, in what appears to be a direct attempt to cater to the families of foreign fighters. 

Amid ongoing concerns that three British schoolgirls have been lured online to travel to Syria and join the self-proclaimed "Islamic State", activists in the militant-controlled city of Raqqa drew attention to a flier for the "attention [of] English speaking muhajiroon". 

The flier, emblazoned with the ISIS logo, claims that "by the grace of Allah we have opened schools for English speaking children". 

It provides contact details and lesson times for two separate facilities, one for boys and one for girls, which appear to have been set up on the grounds of a pre-existing school. Abu Ibrahim Raqqawi, an activist with the group 'Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently', posted an image of the flier. He said it offers "teaching to foreign fighters' children" in a range of religious studies, Islamic law as interpreted by ISIS, English, maths, and "jihadiyyah". 

The flier says there will be part and full-time roles for teachers — and calls on English speakers to "get in touch". Raqqawi said schools in Raqqa reopened only this month and many parents "are so worried that their children will be brainwashed that they mostly keep them at home". the independent