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General Category => General Talk => Topic started by: GunLink on October 18, 2011, 11:16:19 AM

Title: Gun is Grand Prize in Al-Shabab Children's Contest
Post by: GunLink on October 18, 2011, 11:16:19 AM
Can we still cast stones here after giving such staunch support for having guns as prizes?  There was much eye-rolling when recent gun raffles drew criticism.  Giving out guns as prizes, as with the GOP Glock raffle (http://news.yahoo.com/republican-gun-raffle-giffords-county-draws-criticism-221411501.html) in Arizona, the football fundraiser AR-15 (http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/Parents_sell_raffle_tickets_for_gun_to_help_Paris_football_program_131325549.html) in Paris, KY, and others around the country are nothing new in the US.  Occasionally, the idea of having a firearm as a contest prize comes under attack and the gun community generally shows up to support the practice.  With the shoe somewhat on the other foot, what are your thoughts on militant Islamists giving out AK-47s and hand grenades to children for prizes in a Koran reading?


Gun is Grand Prize in Al-Shabab Children's Contest
September 20, 2011
VOA News

Somalia's al-Shabab Islamist group has awarded assault rifles and hand grenades to the winners of a children's Koran recital competition.

Andalus radio, which is run by the al-Qaida linked group, says the award ceremony was held in the town of Elasha, about 20 kilometers from the capital, Mogadishu.

Andalus says the first prize winner of the Koran recital contest received an AK-47 rifle and $700, while the second-place contestant won an AK-47 and $500. It says the third prize winner received two hand grenades and $400.  All of the winners also were presented with religious books. The ages of the children were not disclosed.

(http://media.voanews.com/images/480*354/AK+47+rifle+Wiki+commons+480.jpg)

Senior al-Shabab leader Mukhtar Robow told the ceremony that children should use guns to defend Islam. 

It is the third year in a row that the group has held the children's contest. The winners of the first two competitions also were awarded weapons in al-Shabab ceremonies held in the southern Somalia port of Kismayo.

Al-Shabab controls much of southern and central Somalia, but government forces backed by African Union troops recaptured control of the capital in recent months.

The militants are battling to overthrow the fragile transitional government and impose a strict form of Islam known as Sharia.