In recent years, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups have increasingly made women a demographic of particular focus. While Islamic terrorist groups have begun to make use of women in terrorist attacks and activities, it is women?s roles as purveyors of the ideology to future generations that makes them so important to al-Qaeda and other radical groups . Writings by al-Qaeda ideologues reveal that women are recognized as central to al-Qaeda?s expansion and strength in the coming years .
Very recently, evidence of this can be seen online with the appearance of Jihadist web forums catering especially to women. The French-language radical Islamic site al-Mourabitoune hosts forums filled with Francophone Muslim women discussing how to raise children in western societies to be radical Muslims. The Muslim Brotherhood?s website for children has suggestions for educating children to admire radicals, including encouraging them to carry out plays, skits, or draw pictures celebrating their lives. Especially with closings and crackdowns of radical mosques, youth centers, and madrassas , the home will become more important in educating and indoctrinating youth.
Women in Muslim countries often hold segregated religious study groups, presided over by other women, rather than attend mosques. Though the Internet may reach some, educating mothers to indoctrinate their children requires educating other women to teach them. It is unknown to what extent al-Qaeda and other groups are doing this, but it can be expected that they will try if they are not already trying.
This is precisely what Morocco is doing, having recognized, as al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups have, the centrality of women in either furthering or combating extremism in the next generation. Training female religious figures in the ideology of tolerant Islam is just as important as training male Imams in that ideology. The Imams have access to men and boys, but they have little or no interaction with most women and girls who go to mosque much less often and usually practice religion in the home. Women spend far more time with the children in most Muslim families and assume some responsibility for the religious education of sons. Their influence on the beliefs of the next generation?both males and females?may, therefore, be as great or greater than that of the husband.
With the realities of gender segregation throughout the Muslim world, female society is something separate from male society, and the ideological battle currently being fought in the Muslim world will increasingly find its way into female society. Training leaders and persons of influence in female society in the ideology of moderate Islam is an important way to encourage the infiltration of this ideology into Muslim households. For both sides?peace and tolerance versus extremism and terrorism?women in Muslim society will come to represent their own front in this conflict.
