London man says he recognizes his young grandson in ISIS propaganda video
When Henry Dare watched the Islamic State's newest propaganda video, he says he saw a very familiar face: His young grandson, Isa.
Dare's daughter, Khadijah Dare, converted from Christianity to Islam as a teenager, and soon after left Britain for Syria. There, she married a militant from Sweden, Abu Bakr, and had two children; Abu Bakr is believed to have since been killed during fighting. In the video, released Sunday, the boy is heard saying in English: "We are going to kill the kafir [non-believers] over there." "He doesn't know anything," Dare told Channel 4 News. "He's a small boy. They are just using him as a shield."
Khadijah Dare, who was known as Grace before converting, was one of the first known women to leave the west to go to Syria. She has posted pro-ISIS messages on social media accounts linked to her, and once tweeted out a photo of her son holding an AK-47 rifle, The Guardian reports. Henry Dare said his daughter still calls him, but he often ignores her. "She has brought shame to our family and to herself," he said. Officials from the London borough of Lewisham's council said they are unable to confirm the identity of the boy in the video, and "are deeply concerned about any suggestion of a link between these abhorrent acts and our community."
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Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
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