Written by Montgomery J. Granger @mjgranger1
Those of us who have been following the Global War on Terror (GWOT) since its inception circa 1979 and the Iranian taking of 52 American hostages know that the war is ongoing and now hotter than ever with opportunistic uprisings in Gaza and around the world.
Among the millions of invaders across the US southern border since Sleepy Joe Biden took office in early 2020, there are certainly Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, al Qaeda, al Shabaab, and other Islamic militants who would do us harm. In fact, we saw them celebrating in the streets soon after hoards of Palestinian terrorists breached the Gaza/Israeli border on Saturday, October 7, in a massacre proportionally ten times worse than the attacks on America on 9/11/2001.
For those of us who have been following and who have participated in the GWOT, this is nothing new and nothing shocking. It only reveals the naiveté of the public. We know terrorist countries and their minions have been training children in madrassas (Islamic schools) in the task of beheading infidels for decades. They have little boys practice the techniques, first on teddy bears and then on real, live hostages.
This has been documented, as recently as several years ago, by Lara Logan in her Fox Nation series, LARA LOGAN: 21st Century Terrorism Revealed, PART III: Global Extremism. As explained in the program, “The secret of ISIS is camps of children. They teach the children to commit beheadings. They call the children, ‘Cubs of the Caliphate.'”
The mental, emotional, psychological, and physical indoctrination is powerful, effective, and permanent.
The use of educational institutions as a tool for shaping young minds is a recurring theme in both real-world conflicts and science fiction narratives. While the training of children in madrassas by Hamas provides a real-world example, the portrayal of the Borg Collective in the Star Trek universe illustrates the principle through fiction. While the contexts are vastly different, it is instructive to compare the indoctrination techniques they employ.
Hamas Madrassas:
Hamas, an Islamist political and military organization operating in the Gaza Strip, is known for its extensive network of madrassas (Islamic religious schools). These schools play a pivotal role in shaping the ideology and mindset of young Palestinian children. The curriculum in Hamas-run madrassas includes religious teachings and political propaganda, with a strong emphasis on anti-Israel and anti-Western sentiments. Children are taught to view violence as a legitimate means of achieving political goals.
Borg Collective:
In the realm of science fiction, the Borg Collective is a fictional alien race in the Star Trek universe. The Borg is known for its relentless assimilation of other species into their hive-like society. The process of assimilation involves forcibly integrating individuals into the collective by implanting cybernetic enhancements and erasing their individuality. The Borg’s goal is to achieve perfection through complete uniformity and control over its members.
While there are vast differences between the real-world Hamas madrassas and the fictional Borg Collective, there are some eerie similarities:
Indoctrination: Both entities employ indoctrination techniques to shape the beliefs and behaviors of their subjects. In the case of Hamas, it is through religious and political teachings, while the Borg use technology to erase individuality and enforce conformity.
Dehumanization: Both Hamas and the Borg engage in practices that dehumanize individuals. Hamas may incite violence against certain groups, while the Borg strip individuals of their individuality and humanity.
Control: Both entities exert significant control over the lives of those under their influence. For Hamas, this control is exerted through ideological conformity, while the Borg employ technological control.
Recruitment of Youth: Hamas, like the Borg, targets young minds. Hamas recruits and trains children, often using them as tools of violence, while the Borg assimilate individuals from various species, including children, into their collective.
The comparison between Hamas’s madrassas and the Borg Collective serves as a reminder of the power that indoctrination and assimilation can have on individuals. While Hamas’s use of madrassas in real life is a complex issue shaped by political conflict, the Borg’s fictional portrayal offers a thought-provoking commentary on the dangers of uniformity and the loss of individuality.
It is essential to recognize the influence of education and ideology on the development of young minds, whether in the context of a real-world conflict or within the realm of science fiction. Both cases underscore the importance of preserving individuality, promoting critical thinking, and ensuring that educational institutions serve as tools for enlightenment and growth rather than conduits for assimilation or indoctrination.
Fresh blood in the Global War on Terror is fed through madrassas and then into the mainstream as terrorism’s foot soldiers, suicide bombers, and supporters. It begs the question of how far Israel and the free world should go in eradicating terrorism. Where do you start? How do you end? Who is worth trying to save, and who is too far gone? Perhaps only God knows.