Middle-east Arab News Opinion | Asharq Al-awsat

Con Artists Taking Over Platforms | ASHARQ AL-AWSAT English Archive 2005 -2017
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Media ID: 55351607
Caption:

Mahmoud Aghasi, better known as Abu al-Qaaqaa.


Kuwait now experiences the stereotypical charity scheme, taking funds in the name of those in need only so that the money suddenly reappear flowing into their own accounts.

It is not odd to witness Mosques being used to scam those attending prayers either for fake charity or to spread ideology; however this case, the recently apprehended convict played his trick out on everybody without any sectarian discrimination.

This con artist started out with a Sufist group, claiming to be a sheikh among them. He then made a move for Sunni Mosques, preaching on three different podiums, whipping charity in the name of the hungry from pious people.

After taking all he could, wearing a Shi’ite cleric black cape and turban, he struck concentrations gathered at Shi’ite congregation halls for commemoration ceremonies – otherwise known by Hussainia- pretending to be one of them and bringing together all the money he could.

Who knows, if there were more than a single church in Kuwait, the trickster might have worn a cross, held sermons and robbed the communion of any money given in goodwill.

Swindle in the name of religion is an easy trending mean of making money. However, people are not being robbed of their money alone, but are having both their and their children’s minds deluded.

Thousands of young people had sold their souls to those deceiving in the name of “Jihad” and left to fight in places like Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen; falling into the greatest religion-exploiting hoax of all times. Many of them do not know how and why any of this is happening.

One of the notoriously known schemes is that of the Syrian preacher known by Abu QaaQaa, which had taken on receiving, hosting and training young Muslims coming from all around the world and later on dispatch them to fight in Iraq.

In 2007, Abu QaaQaa, a hero in the eyes of Jihadists was killed, only for the shocking revelation of his true identity was made, later on. Abu QaaQaa was none else but a Syrian intelligence officer called Mahmmoud Agassi. The story soon spread on Google.

Thousands of young people are being manipulated by Syrian intelligence, which planted officers playing roles of clerics in all places and encompassing most religions.
Religion stands to be a dangerous weapon which would always be exploited by con artists and war dealers and those hungry for power.