The news lately seems to be full of cases of children influenced by jihad: the boy in Kirkuk who was wearing a belt laced with explosive material in an apparent suicide bombing effort, the likely ISIS video of a little girl threatening violence while beheading a toy doll, etc.

It’s child abuse of the radical Islamic kind.

One doesn’t have to focus on the Islamic State or the Middle East in general to see children being used to further this jihadist agenda – it’s taking place even in the West and it has been happening for years. We saw a perfect example of this back in 2012 from a conference supposedly hosted by Hizb ut-Tahrir in Australia – an eight-year-old girl named Ruqaya called upon other Muslim youth to reestablish the Caliphate. Allegedly speaking in front of a crowd of 600 individuals, Ruqaya announced:

“My dear brothers and sisters in Islam, as the world gathers against the believers in Syria … seeking to hijack our sincere and blessed uprisings, children in Sydney would like to send their message of hope and support to the Muslims of (Syria), especially to the children and mothers,” she read from notes. “These uprisings have demonstrated that this umma (global Muslim community) is alive and well, her love is for jihad, she is unshackled herself from the fear which she held, and she yearns to once again live under the banner of (the Islamic state).

“Children as young as myself can be seen on the streets joining the uprisings, risking their lives to bring food, water and medicine to their wounded family members, some of them never returning to their mothers … Nobody is too young,” she said.

Or a couple of years ago when it was discovered how an Ontario mosque was having children simulate beheadings in their play. When is the West going to wake up and learn that these are not random occurrences but a systematic attempt within radical Islam to wage jihad at all costs. It’s hard to imagine a more diabolical way for jihadists to “cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve[,]” than to have innocent children involved in committing violent acts. Furthermore, to the radical Muslim, “War is deceit[,]” thus unexpected child soldiers provide a strategic advantage. It’s time for Muslims and non-Muslims alike to speak out against this corruption of the youth before we lose the next generation.