The Federal Bureau of Investigation tells us there are hundreds and possibly thousands of Muslim-Americans drawn by the siren call of the Islamic State. While many simply flirt with this brand of Islamic extremism, others are ready to die for its twisted cause.
The FBI does a remarkable job of stopping American would-be jihadists from traveling to the Middle East and joining the Islamic State or committing terrorist attacks right here at home. But all the surveillance and arrests will not stem the rising tide of extremist sentiment.
With its slick social media outreach and savvy messaging, the Islamic State is reaching vulnerable and disenfranchised young Muslims. As long as America plays defense, we will lose this psychological war over the hearts and minds of our youth.
There is a strategy that’s succeeding in preventing radicalization, and it can be found in the most unlikely country — the place that launched Islamic extremism more than three decades ago, gave birth to the Taliban and became safe haven for Osama bin Laden: Afghanistan.
Afghan youth have grown up in a culture of violence for more than three decades. Many saw family members murdered by the Soviets, slaughtered during the Afghan civil war or executed by the Taliban. Today, violence permeates homes, where women and children are regularly beaten, and schools, where corporal punishment is common and where students feel like they must fight to survive.
Afghan children see violence played out through disputes and revenge killings. Afghan boys learn that violence is the only solution to conflicts. Many of these vulnerable and angry boys become easy recruits for the Taliban and other extremist groups.
For several years, my organization, Help the Afghan Children, has embarked on an audacious experiment: teaching Afghan youth to reject violence in all its forms and embrace the principles of peaceful daily living, resolving differences non-violently and demonstrating respect and tolerance for others.
The results have been impressive. We’ve introduced peace education to more than 90,000 Afghan youth at 80 schools in seven diverse regions.
More than 90 percent of teachers at these schools no longer beat their students. And over a three-year period, fighting among students was reduced by an average of 83 percent.
Our efforts have been so effective that children are now teaching their parents how to mediate conflicts peacefully, and violence at home has dropped significantly. We are also educating influential mosques and local leaders to preach peace, practice tolerance, honor and respect women, and settle their feuds through non-aggressive mediation.
Ninety thousand Afghan kids aren’t enough to change a culture. But having listened to them, as well as their parents, teachers and leaders talk about peace, I’m confident that these children will grow up to reject terrorism and become proud, productive citizens.
I propose that we import some of the peace education practices that we teach Afghan children into American schools, especially in Muslim communities. For an hour a week, we could give these young people a potentially life-changing experience. Imagine these kids Skyping with young Muslims in Afghanistan who have rejected violence and can teach American youth that there is better way to live.
We probably can’t re-educate Americans who are already radicalized and committed to terror. But we have a real chance to prevent the radicalization of our next generation.
If tens of thousands of vulnerable Afghan kids have rejected the call to extremism by embracing peace, shouldn’t we give peace education a chance in America, too?
Suraya Sadeed, an Afghan-American, is the founder and executive director of Help the Afghan Children, an educational NGO operating in Afghanistan. Thinking of submitting an op-ed to the Washington Examiner? Be sure to read our guidelines on submissions.
