You may remember that right after 9/11, when people were trying to come to grips with what could motivate suicidal jihadis, we heard a lot about madrassas, Islamic schools in Pakistan and elsewhere, usually paid for by Saudi oil money. Do these descriptions sound familiar?

… political agendas and slogans are mixed with [religious] rituals that end with most of the kids in tears. Tears of release and joy, they would claim — the children are not physically abused. The kids are around 9 or 10 years old… and are pliant willing receptacles. They are instructed… that we must form an “army” to defeat the Godless influences….
Awareness of the rest of the world is curtailed — one can only view or read that which agrees with the agenda. Naturally, the kids being so young, there is no questioning of any kind — they simply accept what grownups say — they get pumped up, agitated, they memorize [political and religious] slogans and shout them back obediently. They become part of a support group — a warm, safe, comfortable feeling for anyone, for any social animal, for you and me. No one strays or gets out of line even the slightest bit.
…at one point [the group leader] instructs the little ones that they should be willing to die for [their religion], and the little ones obediently agree. [They] may even use the word martyr.
[A] cardboard cutout of [their charismatic political leader] is brought out and the children are urged to identify — many of the little ones come forward and reverently touch his cardboard hands.

Sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it? And the natural reaction is anger towards the adults who would brain-wash innocent children and fill them with hatred for others. But this isn’t in Pakistan – this is in Colorado Springs. And the cardboard cut-out is of George W. Bush….