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Qawz Quzah
"(A Molotov cocktail) is an improvised weapon that is often used in riots and acts of sabotage because it is easy to make and use,'' according to an article in Tunisian children's magazine Qawz Quzah.
A how-to guide on putting together a Molotov cocktail is not something you would expect a children’s magazine to feature, but that is exactly what recently ran in "Qawz Quzah," a popular Tunisian magazine whose name means "rainbow" in Arabic and is aimed at children aged five to 15.
“(A Molotov cocktail) is an improvised weapon that is often used in riots and acts of sabotage because it is easy to make and use,'' reads the article, which came complete with detailed instructions on how to make a Molotov cocktail and appeared in the latest edition of Qawz Quzah.
The article, which appeared in a section of the publication called "Knowledge Corner," touched a raw nerve in a country still struggling to tame the unrest stirred up by last year's successful revolution, the first of the Arab Spring. The government on Monday announced that it would prosecute the popular magazine for running it.
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Tunisia's revolution led to the democratic election of a transitional government headed by the moderate Islamist Ennahda party, but violence persists among extreme religious groups. Molotov cocktails have been the weapon of choice in these confrontations.
A 'professional mistake'
Speaking from Tunis, Rabii Kalboussi, a journalist working for the English-language website Tunisia Live, told NBC News that the story has provoked a stronger reaction abroad than it has inside the country itself.
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“No one knows why such an article was published. It is a kids' magazine, so I don't think there are political intentions behind it,” he said.
“I don’t believe the government is really aware of the impact these things have on children, especially if they are regular readers of the magazine,” Kalbous added.
On Tuesday, the magazine’s editor-in-chief Monji Chebbi was forced to apologize on Tunisian television for what he described as a “professional mistake.”
The Ministry for Women and Family Affairs said the article “encourages violent and terrorist thought'' and it also endangers children's lives by “encouraging the use of Molotov cocktails in acts of vandalism or terrorism."
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The Molotov cocktail was named after Vyacheslav Molotov, the Soviet foreign minister during the 1950s. It is a general term used to describe improvised incendiary devices.
NBC’s Charlene Gubash and Reuters contributed to this report.
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Leave a Comment:
Get 'em while they're young I guess. If you start the anti-West / U.S. indoctrination too late learning skills like this is just a waste.
Hey ... that's the same wrtiting on Obama's wedding band, except Obama's wedding band says
.... " There is No God Except Allah and Muhammad is His Prophet "
You are really crazy people! If anything happened u blame Islam, Arabs and middle east! You start a discussion from nothing and u become creative to create crazy imaginary ideas from a story!
This stupid journalist who covered the news about the Tunisian magazine could translate every single word in the paragraph at the bottom of the Arabic page into English language, but guess what! The poor girl couldn't translate two words saying "Bustan al Marefah" which means " Do u know". This journalist didn't translate those two words because she want all people to blame the Tunisians, arabs and suddenly Islam! She does not want any body to think about it that way: a magazine that is talking about a bomb instead of knowing the recipients of coca cola! Yes I agree that the magazine made a big mistake and it should not teach that to children but even to adults, but look at your discussion people! It is not talking about a stupid magazine responsible mistake, but about all Arabs, Islam and middle east! I don't even know how it reached Palestine, Iran and Iraq in few comments!!!!!! Damn crazy....
and we dont want to bomb the terrorists house because it has bicycles on the porch gee what are they teaching the kids. now they just teach it in school.....bombs away
Not to worry the good news is the teachers are all union members and have been sent over by the state of Wisconsin and the city of Chicago. I can assure you all they will turn out like most of our kids, they will not learn a dam thing "taught" by this vile and corrupt bunch!
I guess I must be a terrorist, I was building several types of what you call bombs, when in the advanced high school in Denmark (about 25 % of all kids get that high school, so you can then go to college)--those charcoal smoke bombs were such fun, and many other school chemistry items copied at home, making Hydrogen and Oxygen, what is the big deal? I bought all the chemicals in a regular drug store everything from sulfuric to Hydroxide and potassium Chloride--- even powder charcoal-----on the back of a bicycle to take home--totally sick!--PS: Denmark is a very advanced system even 50 years ago, and they were not afraid at all--so we are missing something here---but most anyone can do the same here in high school!!----- I mean you can buy fertiliser all types for your garden----like the idiots in Oklahoma!(AND they were just from the USA military--nice backfire--horrific!---our heroes again and again)
I was asked to come here because of my many other educations(EE, Physics, and several types of chemistry and hevy math and I then got experiences and being very innovative with experiences, although most people from Denmark have never a reason to come here for advancement , but USA is actively scouting here(colleges) and around the world for people with IQ over 150-- so be careful how you look at these kids "problem", I have seen small boys being trained here often all over to use guns, so what is the difference? Like as usual it is OK for USA small boys, but not other small boys!--get real USA, we do need to get the experience here while growing up (could do without the guns), so we can produce real scientist to invent all kinds of things, and that includes later building sidewinder rockets or many types of explosives.--Granted far more complicated, but I was actually teaching those in the air force to engineers and builders, was even asked to install Ratheon rocket batteries in IRAN in 1973--they were our friends--anyone remember?.--Fortunately I did not go, since a lot happened over there quickly.----But as usual USA is very hypocritical!
No everyone knows you guys in Europe are a bunch of girly men, so build all the bombs you want. Europe lost all it manhood in the second world war. The men that were unfit to serve stayed home and had kids, no more warrior class in Europe. That is why in a few years you will be over run by the Muslims. Asalaam Alaikum my brother.
LOL. And everyone seems bewildered that the US has so few "friends" left in the world...
Army: you might want to check out the stats on ISAF troop deployment levels and casualties in Afghanistan. Even the tiny girly country of Denmark deployed about 750 troops to the cause AGAINST the Taliban.
I love u man! What u said is 100% correct and does make sense
Wow! I guess our kids are really lacking in education in this country. Okay, little ones, tonight we get our first lesson in making Molotov cocktails. After you are proficient in that we will move on up to...well, we will discuss that later. Wouldn't want to get too far ahead, let's just concentrate on this lesson for now. "Johnny, dear, would you bring the bottles up from the basement". Now, where did I put my lighter.
The kids learning this from a children's magazine aren't the kids we need to worry about.
Parents don't have to buy it and give it to their kids if they don't like it, right?
Yeah, make a dozen and try them out on your teacher's house.
Come on, kids, this'll be fun!
Precious!
islam the religion of peace, WHAT a @!$%#in joke. nothing but ignorant animals who need to be put down for good. take the POS obama with them since he is one .islam should be wiped off the face of the earth, a murder cult is all it is
Just proves how far behind we are in science.
Ah yes, the wonderful religion of peace at its finest yet again.
Fire Bad!
What the hell is a Tunisian? Is that a drink or something?
If it has nothing to do with America (the greatest country known to man and God), then I don't care.
"Not all Muslims are radical terrorists."
We keep hearing that but yet here you have a popular children's magazine teaching kids how to make a weapon. This isn't some obscure terrorist publication. This is one that reaches alot of children in Tunisia.
I'm amazed that many of the posters here aren't even discussing the relevant issue. Instead people are making stupid jokes.
It's obvious doesn't care what impact it has on children. Well these Tunisian kids immigrate to the US then you have a lot to worry about. Critical times hard to deal with, will be here.
sumatymrolls
should get help fast.
think this is bad--jewish settlers teach their kids how to shoot>>>
yea shoot at the Muslims who hate them and kill them ..Good teachers.
The Muslim world of LOVE.
HEY boys and girls MUSLIMS want to kill us!
Just thought someone should tell all of you people in denial of that fact.
They hate us because we no praise Allah
In next week's issue there will be explicit instructions on converting raw opium into heroin -- and how to use it. The kids already smoke hashish on a daily basis, so they just need something a 'little stronger'.
Their next lesson. How to get a Visa to the US and use their new found skills. And the Liberals will welcome them with open arms. And blame the republicans when they throw them.
take notes people.
this is whats happening to the future generation of that faith .
they are taught all through their lives how to hate and kill.
yet we still let them into our country and other countries/
I still say if we are at war with you then you can not come into our country.
END OF!!!
uninsured,
And WHAT? pray tell are right-wing fundamentalists teaching their children in this country? And have been for over a century? Do you honestly think the KKK, the Aryan Nation and other neo-nazi groups spring up like mushrooms? And they of course, these by example, responses from other groups to form the same.
Northern Ireland is still a tinderbox of hatreds created well over 100 years ago, and perpetuated by teaching hatred, either at home, or at the tip of a British bayonet.
Oh BS, Uninsured, I've known how to make a Molotov since I was 7 and am 65 now. Believe it or not I never once had an urge to make one for an experiment or any other reason. We knew how to do a lot of things back than but never made any of the things to do damage. Today if the kids know about it they feel they have to make and use them.
The author has his dates wrong; the Molotov cocktail was developed during the Winter War between the USSR and Finland. The Soviet offensive began sometime in the fall of 1939 and ended in 1940.