A radio station run by Somalia’s al-Shabab Islamist group has awarded weapons to children who won a Koran-reciting and general knowledge contest.
Andulus radio, based near Mogadishu, gave the group which won first prize in the Ramadan competition an AK-47 rifle and the equivalent of $700 (£450).
The second prize-winners received an AK-47 and $500, while the third prize was two hand grenades and $400.
Read more: bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-14985549
Guns as prizes are nothing new. Some American banks have given them as a reward for opening an account of a certain amount. Shooting contests sometimes give guns as prizes, even to youthful shooters. The important thing is the age of the prize winners!
Ya, I don’t know of any American enterprise that gives a gun as a prize to 12 year olds. :shrug:
I do know that a prize of a .410 shotgun has been given to youth for their shooting abilities. Don’t know how young they were.
If they had given an AK as a prize when I went to Sunday School, I would have memorized the whole Bible! 
There is a grand difference between a .410 shotgun (most of these are single shot) and a fully automatic assault rifle.
The kids can’t get the AK until they’re at least 14, I hope.
Well that and have you seen what an AK-47 does to a rabbit?
Err…make Mother unlikely to use what’s left of it in a stew? 
Do you think that might not be some differences between what is happening in America and what is happening in Somalia?
For example, I don’t think that the banks would recruit the children as young as nine or ten into their mercenary armies for the dangerous missions and for sex as is often the case for children in these African trouble spots.
Do you truly believe that there is no difference at all between the two situations?
Sure. The prizes to kids would be different, I’m certain.
Do you truly believe that there is no difference at all between the two situations?
I don’t know what sort of a contest the kids have to win to earn a weapon, but I’m sure that there is some difference.