Imam al-Mahdi Scouts

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The emblem of the Mahdi Scouts includes the Scout fleur-de-lis, in the top center of which is a hand with an out-turned palm, possibly the Hand of Fatima, and supported on left and right by single scimitars.

The Imam al-Mahdi Scouts ^[1] (Arabic: كشافة الإمام المهدي‎) are a youth wing of the Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, named for Muhammad al-Mahdi and modeled largely on the Scouting movement, whose status in Scouting is unknown. There are no reliable sources on the members of the Fédération du Scoutisme Libanais - according to some sources this militant anti-zionist organization is a member of the federation and of the World Organization of the Scout Movement.

Fox News on January 1, 2007 had a report on the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts. In the report footage, the youth look very much like mainstream Scouts, with uniforms in light and medium blue, white, yellow and purple for different groups, as well as badges similar to mainstream Scouts. The flag of the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts was shown flown from cars and along the roadside and features their emblem, a traditional fleur-de-lis, in the center of which is a hand with an out-turned palm.

According to The Center for Special Studies, the youth movement instructs tens of thousands of children and teenagers in military tactics and indoctrinates them. The CSS further claims that the Imam al-Mahdi Scouts were established in 1985 (some variants say 1982) and operates under the jurisdiction of the Lebanese Ministry of Education, and the Scouts have about 42,000 Lebanese boys and girls between the ages of 8-16 organized into 499 groups, who reportedly undergo military training at summer camps in Shi'ite communities in Beirut, the Beqaa Valley and south Lebanon. The CSS report said there are camps in which youth learn the basic use of arms, along with physical training and march exercises.

According to the CSS report, when male Imam al-Mahdi Scouts turn 17 they make their way into Hezbollah's fighting ranks; however, the Fox report said very few are actually chosen.