Controversy
According to the Israeli Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center (ITIC) at the Center for Special Studies (CSS), the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts were established in 1985 and are operated under the jurisdiction of the Lebanese Ministry of Education despite the movement's instructing tens of thousands of children and teenagers in military tactics and that they are "indoctrinated with the principles of radical Iranian Islam" at summer training camps in Shi'a communities in Beirut, the Beqaa Valley and south Lebanon.
The ITIC reports that male Imam al-Mahdi Scouts turning 17 make their way into Hezbollah's fighting ranks and that information appearing on the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts calendar notes more than 120 of the Scout’s members died as shaheeds in Hezbollah militant activity, including suicide bombers (supported by English version of site); however, a Fox report said very few of the Scouts are actually chosen. In an interview with an Al Jazeera journalist, a Scout leader stated that there was no obligation for Scouts to join the armed militants.
Another source for the involvement of the association in Hezbollah militant activity is a report published in Egyptian weekly Roz Al-Yusuf on August 18, 2006 by Mirfat Al-Hakim.
Robert F.Worth discussed the connections of the Mahdi Scouts with the Hezbollah in an article published in Scotland On Sunday on November 23, 2008. In this article Bilal Naim, former Hezbollah's director for the Mahdi Scouts is cited: "After age 16 the boys mostly go to resistance or military activities".
German psychologist and researcher on fanaticism Peter Conzen compared Imam al-Mahdi Scouts and Hitler Youth, saying that both associations defraud children of their youth.
Read more about this topic: Imam Al-Mahdi Scouts
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