Sabaoon ("first morning light" in Pashto) is a rehabilitation school particularly for adolsecent boys who had been recruited by militant groups, often as suicide bombers. Most have received training in Swat Valley from the Taliban who teach that their interpretation of Islam is the only correct one. This documentary focuses on what Sabaoon is doing to reprogram their thinking, and reintegrate them into mainstream Pakistani society. This is very important as the militarization of boys in this way results in thousands of deaths across in Pakistan every year.
Forced to do hard labor, and subjected to beatings, the Taliban's "training" is brutal. They are also given "suicide jackets", and told they will be given heaven by waging war against infidels.
The school creates psychological "profiles" for each child. They consider them children so they don't punish them. They try to build trust instead. Some are considered "high risk" or potentially violent. But they are not kept separate from the others. The goal is to reintegrate them back into society.
They don't try to make them feel guilty. "Shame is a good thing, guilt is not." the head psychologist states. The film then shows a confession of a boy telling the story of how he was made to whip a girl.
"Madam [to the head psychologist], we are here because of terrorism." one of the boys said when asked why he thought he had be enrolled in the program.
Forced to do hard labor, and subjected to beatings, the Taliban's "training" is brutal. They are also given "suicide jackets", and told they will be given heaven by waging war against infidels.
The school creates psychological "profiles" for each child. They consider them children so they don't punish them. They try to build trust instead. Some are considered "high risk" or potentially violent. But they are not kept separate from the others. The goal is to reintegrate them back into society.
They don't try to make them feel guilty. "Shame is a good thing, guilt is not." the head psychologist states. The film then shows a confession of a boy telling the story of how he was made to whip a girl.
"Madam [to the head psychologist], we are here because of terrorism." one of the boys said when asked why he thought he had be enrolled in the program.
Only 11 had been reintegrated into mainstream Pakistani society when the filming of the documentary commenced, but by the end of the film 21 graduated and thus began their process of reintegration. Obviously, the outcomes are as of yet unsure.
Professor Yussef Yacoubi, who gave background information and conducted Q&A, pointed out that, in addition to the trauma the Taliban inflicted, there are national traumas to overcome: postcolonial trauma, the trauma of partition, and subsequent trauma from the elites' inability to govern with justice. Will the rehabilitation affect trauma at the national level? some students asked. He pointed out the way that the Taliban used, not only physical tactics, but mental ones. Their religious teachings were actually a form of indoctrination, which negates one's ability to question and eventually even to think about what is being taught. Indoctrination can be political, cultural, not just religious as in this case.
The students who went to the film screening wondered what happens next. The documentary doesn't provide much information on that. One student commented that as soon as they go back to society they will be subject to the same trauma that originally made them vulnerable to Taliban indoctrination.
Professor Yussef Yacoubi, who gave background information and conducted Q&A, pointed out that, in addition to the trauma the Taliban inflicted, there are national traumas to overcome: postcolonial trauma, the trauma of partition, and subsequent trauma from the elites' inability to govern with justice. Will the rehabilitation affect trauma at the national level? some students asked. He pointed out the way that the Taliban used, not only physical tactics, but mental ones. Their religious teachings were actually a form of indoctrination, which negates one's ability to question and eventually even to think about what is being taught. Indoctrination can be political, cultural, not just religious as in this case.
The students who went to the film screening wondered what happens next. The documentary doesn't provide much information on that. One student commented that as soon as they go back to society they will be subject to the same trauma that originally made them vulnerable to Taliban indoctrination.
