Karachi Kids

Two American Children Escorted from Taliban Madrassa by American Consulate in Karachi for Flight to NYCPosted by Evan on July 10th, 2008

“Karachi Kids” Documentary Spurs Action

(July 10 — Atlanta, GA) - Two American children were escorted by the American consulate officers in Karachi, Pakistan Tuesday night Pakistan time and boarded a flight to Dubai, UAE and then boarded a direct flight to NYC, Noor Elahi Khan and Mahboob Elahi Khan are expected to arrive in Atlanta on a Delta flight this afternoon at 4:30 PM.

The two brothers have been in a Pakistani madrassa for four years and are the focus of a newly released documentary entitled “The Karachi Kids”.

“I have been working for months to secure their exit from the Madrassa and from Pakistan,” said Imran Raza, writer, director and executive producer of the Karachi Kids documentary.  “This is great news, but we need to get the other American children out of there, now.  There are nearly 80 other Americans currently at this Jamia Binoria madrassa — that teaches Deobandism — the religion of the Taliban.  Our government, and the Pakistani government, has more work to do to get the other American children out of there.”

Raza discovered the two children from Atlanta while filming a documentary about madrassas.  He returned to the madrassa three times in four years to film their transformation in the hands of the radical mullahs. Children in the documentary film “The Karachi Kids” describe beatings and human rights violations for those who reject the radical teachings of their Taliban masters.  Children from California and Georgia are interviewed in the film from inside the madrassa and discuss coming back to the United States to spread extremism within our borders.

The trailer of the documentary can be seen at www.KarachiKids.com.

The headmaster of the Binoria madrassa personally recruits American children to his institution during Ramadan, and says on camera that: “We work on altering the mindset of the students we are training, so when they return to their home countries, their mindset is such that they will work on altering the minds of others.  That is why I’m appealing to you that at least 1000 to 2000 boys come to us so we can train them and they will go back to their home countries and do the work and make people understand.”  The headmaster of the Binoria madrassa also states that he has already graduated 100 American children from his madrassa.

100 Taliban Madrassa Graduates in USA?Posted by Evan on July 9th, 2008

The Daily Times in Pakistan reports US Vice Counsul General Karen Waltz-Davis visited the radical Binoria madrassa where up to 80 Americans currently study the Koran.  The most interesting point of the article is that Davis “appreciated that 100 students from the university are working in America.”  100 American graduates of a Taliban madrassa in the United States and the State Department is appreciative?

Madrassas Protest ReformPosted by Evan on July 6th, 2008

The Pakistan government’s effort to reform radical madrassas have been met by a storm of protest from . . . radical madrassas.  The PTI is reporting that thousands of madrassa students and mullahs gathered in Islamabad in a protest organized by extremist groups:

“They assembled on a street near the mosque for a conference organised by hardline religious groups. TV channels reported that leaders of banned extremist groups like Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan and Jaish-e-Mohammed also attended the event.

Several clerics made hard hitting speeches criticising the arrest of former Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul Aziz as well as the government’s plans for reforming madrassas. The seminary students chanted slogans like “Allah-o-Akbar” (God is great).

Clerics said the conference was organised to pay respect to those who died when the army stormed the mosque in the heart of Islamabad after a siege in July last year. Participants demanded the release of Abdul Aziz, the reopening of Jamia Faridia madrassa and rebuilding of Jamia Hafsa madrassa in line with an order issued by the Supreme Court.

Both the madrassas are affiliated to Lal Masjid. Jamia Faridia was closed after the military operation while Jamia Hafsa was razed. Abdul Aziz was arrested at the conclusion of the operation while his brother Abdul Rashid Ghazi was shot dead. Over 100 people were killed in the operation.”

Interior Ministry Memo Reveals Americans in Karachi Kids Documentary are “Blacklisted” by PakistanPosted by Evan on June 29th, 2008

The International Herald Tribune reported June 28 that Pakistan will deport 8 foreign students studying in the Jamia Binuria madrassa.

Two of the students who are to be deported are Americans and are the focus of the Karachi Kids documentary, which films their transformation from American teenagers fighting to leave the Jamia Binuria madrassa, into students who have willingly converted to fundamentalist doctrine taught at the Jamia Binuria.

This document reveals the two Americans, Noor Elahi Khan and Mahboob Elahi Khan, have been blacklisted by the government of Pakistan, and can never legally return to the country.

Pakistan is to be commended for its courage to expell these students, as well as the six others studying at the Jamia Binuria madrassa.

The estimated 500 foreign students at all the Pakistani Madrassa should also be expelled and deported from Pakistan — including the 75 to 80 American children at the Jamia Binuria madrassa.

Noor and Mahboob under go a process of indoctrination, captured on film by the Karachi Kids documentary.

It is soul wrenching and saddening to watch.

Karachi Kids shows why it is essential that the two key elements of Pakistan law be upheld and enforced that can be used to deport these foreign students.  First, that all foreign students who have overstayed their visa be forced return to their native country, and secondly, that the edict against foreigners studying in Pakistani madrassas be enforced.

This document may be the start of that process — one which will make the world a much safer place.

Stricter Visa PoliciesPosted by Evan on June 18th, 2008

Seeing increasing terrorist activities in Pakistan, the government is imposing stricter visa policies for foreign students studying in madrassahs.

Guess who is not happy?  The Binoria Madrassas headmaster Mufti Naeem.  

Boy Beaten in Madrassa — Near DeathPosted by Evan on June 14th, 2008

Daily Times of Pakistan reports on more physical violence against students in madrassas by the teachers:

“A 14-year-old madrasa student has been hospitalised and is in serious condition after being thrashed by his teacher, the teacher’s brother and the teacher’s son.

The issue was a minor one; the student told the cleric’s son not to enter his room with his shoes on. The victim has been identified as Muhammad Zahid, a resident of Muzaffargarh district. The cleric’s brother’s name is Umer and son’s name is Abu Bakar. The victim’s brother, Muhammad Shahid, told Daily Times on Friday that his brother and he studied from Qari Suleman in Umer Farooq Madrassa near Doctor’s Hospital.

He said that the cleric’s son entered his brother’s room with his shoes on, on which his brother asked the cleric’s son to take his shoes off. “This infuriated Abu Bakar, who beat my brother up. Umer also came in the room and smashed my brother’s head against the wall several times and stamped on his face about a dozen times. They beat him mercilessly. The next day the cleric came to know about the incident and started beating my brother up. He thrashed him as if he were an animal. My brother was seriously shaken up, but could stand straight. He went to Jinnah Hospital, but doctors told him he was okay.”

Jinnah Hospital House Officer Dr Khalid said, “Muhammad Zahid was brought to hospital by his relatives about a week ago. He ran a high fever. We didn’t know about the beating. We came to know about the incident three days ago. By then Muhammad Zahid’s condition worsened because of the blows to the head and he could not breathe.”

The victim’s father, Muhammad Khan, said he could not afford a good school and therefore was forced to send his children to a madrasa. “It is my fault that my son is in this condition. I haven’t contacted the police because I know they won’t do anything,” he added.

Torture at a MadrassaPosted by Evan on June 9th, 2008

In the Karachi Kids, the children tell a story of another child who was tied to his bed and beaten for rejecting the dictates of the mullahs.  This is not an isloated incident.

The Daily Times reports that police in Lahore, Pakistan have recovered a 12-year old boy from a madrassa where he was found in shackles.  Police raised the madrassa and found the child tied in iron chains.  The mother of the child had sought help of local human rights activists for the recovery of her son.

More on the Madrassa BomberPosted by Evan on June 7th, 2008

Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty provide in-depth analysis about the 14-year old Pakistani whose madrassa convinced him to become a suicide bomber.

Madrassa CompetitionPosted by Evan on June 5th, 2008

In Karachi, Eighty-year old Shaikhul Hadith Maulana Dr Sher Ali Shah, who once taught Osama bin Laden and Tehreek-e-Taliban Mulla Umar, is scheduled to act as the chief guest of the third annual ‘All Karachi Madrassas Speech Competition’ at Jamia Islamia Clifton on Thursday (today), the Daily News reports.

What kind of speeches will be given? “The topics up for debate are ‘Dawat wa Tableegh Ki Ehmiyat’ (The importance of proselytizing), Jadeed Zerai Iblagh ka Istemal’ (How to use the latest forms of mass communication), ‘Ikhtlaf-e-Rai aur us ka Ehtram’ (Difference of opinion and how to honour it), ‘Qatal-e-Nahq, Asbab, Asraat aur Wabbal’ (Intentional murder, causes, effects and its curse).”

This is a nice sample of those who are currently instructing American children in Pakistan.

The Face of the EnemyPosted by Evan on June 2nd, 2008

The Chronicle Herald profiles the 14-year old would be suicide bomber whose madrassa instructor told the child he had “one more duty to fulfill” to complete his studies — become a homicide bomber.