According to Islamic law, a child needs his parents’ consent to wage jihad. According to a hadith: “Abu Sa‘id Khudri says that a person from the people of Yemen migrated and came to the Prophet in order to participate in Jihad. The Prophet asked: ‘Do you have any relative in Yemen?’ He replied that he had his parents there. The Prophet remarked: ‘Did you ask their permission?’ He said: ‘No’. The Prophet then said: ‘Go back and seek their permission and if they grant permission then only should you take part in Jihad, other wise keep serving them.’” (Sunan Abu Dawud 2530)
Thus it is likely that these boys had their parents’ permission to go. It is doubtful that French authorities will dare to explore the implications of that.
“French 15-year-olds thought to be youngest Western jihadis after travelling to Syria,” by Peter Allen for the Telegraph, January 18 (thanks to Mick):
Two French schoolboys have travelled to Syria to become al Qaeda fighters, it emerged on Saturday.
The 15-year-olds from Toulouse are believed to be the youngest ever jihadists to emerge from a country increasingly associated with Islamic radicalism.
It comes after two British men were arrested in connection with Syria-related terror offences.
Yusuf Sawar and Mohammed Ahmed, both 21, from Handsworth, Birmingham, have been charged with planning and travelling to Syria for terrorism.
The French boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, did not turn up for school on January 6 – instead using a family credit card to fly to the Middle East.
One of the boy’s father launched an appeal for their return, saying his son had been lured into extremism on the internet.
He told La Depeche newspaper: “From the start of December, my son was brainwashed online.
“There were exchanges on Facebook, and he watched videos about the war in Syria. With his computer and on his phone, he was always on social media with his friend.”
The father said he spoke with his son on Tuesday, saying: “He said we wouldn’t hear from him for a month, if he was still alive.
“He was with al Qaeda fighters. During his last phone call to us, he was talking about the fighters as his brothers.”
Thousands of foreigners have travelled to Syria since the Arab Spring revolt against President Bashir al-Assad in 2011 turned into a full-blown civil war.
While pro-democracy campaigners originally led the uprising, it now also involves al Qaeda militia.
In his New Year press conference last week, French President Francois Hollande said some 700 Frenchmen were suspected of being in Syria….
No doubt all wearing berets and toting baguettes.
There is very little the French can do once its nationals actually arrive in Syria, although if and when they return they will be put under police surveillance.
Good. Indefinitely? Round the clock? It will be virtually impossible to monitor all these jihadis at all times. The inevitable will happen.