The mother of a 19-year-old American facing a terrorist charge for
trying to join Islamic State militants has accused the group of
brainwashing youths into joining their ranks via social media.
And the suburban Chicago mother declared, "Leave our children alone!"
Muhammad Hamzah Khan's mother cried softly as she read her statement in a lobby at a Chicago federal courthouse.
Minutes earlier, her son had pleaded not guilty to attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist group. It carries a maximum 15-year prison term.
Zarine Khan, flanked by her husband, Shafi, said her family felt compelled to speak out in the wake of "unspeakable acts of horror" in Paris last week that killed 17.
One gunman reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, while two others cited al Qaeda.
"The venom spewed by these groups and the violence committed by them ... are completely at odds with our Islamic faith," she said.
"We condemn the brainwashing and recruiting of children through the use of social media and the Internet."
Muhammad Hamzah Khan's parents, Shafi and Zarine Khan, discuss the
terror charges against their son at a press conference last year. Photo .
AP
Khan, who lived with his parents, was arrested in October at O'Hare International Airport as he headed to a flight bound for Turkey.
In a notebook found later in his bedroom, Khan had drawn an armed fighter with an Islamic State flag and the words "Come to Jihad," court documents allege.
Adept Islamic State propagandists managed to woo Muhammad Khan into falsely believing they had established a legitimate Islamic government in parts of Syria and Iraq, Khan's lawyer, Thomas Durkin, told reporters.
"He's a very devout, committed, thoughtful kid who bought into some very slick advertising," Mr Durkin said.
Khan's mother ended her statement before a dozen reporters and TV cameras by directly addressing the Islamic State group, which she referred to as Isis, and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
"We have a message for Isis, Mr Baghdadi and his fellow social media recruiters," she said, raising her voice. "Leave our children alone!"
And the suburban Chicago mother declared, "Leave our children alone!"
Muhammad Hamzah Khan's mother cried softly as she read her statement in a lobby at a Chicago federal courthouse.
Minutes earlier, her son had pleaded not guilty to attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist group. It carries a maximum 15-year prison term.
Zarine Khan, flanked by her husband, Shafi, said her family felt compelled to speak out in the wake of "unspeakable acts of horror" in Paris last week that killed 17.
"The venom spewed by these groups and the violence committed by them ... are completely at odds with our Islamic faith," she said.
"We condemn the brainwashing and recruiting of children through the use of social media and the Internet."
Khan, who lived with his parents, was arrested in October at O'Hare International Airport as he headed to a flight bound for Turkey.
In a notebook found later in his bedroom, Khan had drawn an armed fighter with an Islamic State flag and the words "Come to Jihad," court documents allege.
Adept Islamic State propagandists managed to woo Muhammad Khan into falsely believing they had established a legitimate Islamic government in parts of Syria and Iraq, Khan's lawyer, Thomas Durkin, told reporters.
"He's a very devout, committed, thoughtful kid who bought into some very slick advertising," Mr Durkin said.
Khan's mother ended her statement before a dozen reporters and TV cameras by directly addressing the Islamic State group, which she referred to as Isis, and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
"We have a message for Isis, Mr Baghdadi and his fellow social media recruiters," she said, raising her voice. "Leave our children alone!"
