Gulf Daily News Thursday, 29th January 2015 Email: [email protected] 13 Family tried to dissuade jihadist killed in Iraq n A picture reportedly of Mr Al Jowder circulating online RELATIVES of a Bahraini reportedly killed in an Islamic State (IS) suicide mission in Iraq had unsuccessfully tried to persuade him to turn his back on the militant group and come home, sources close to the family told the GDN. The family of Abdulaziz Al Jowder, who is believed to be in his late teens, is understood to have accepted new reports of his death as credible, even though it is the second time such claims have been made. Last October, another Bahraini IS vol- By RAJI UNNIKRISHNAN unteer, Mohammed Binali, claimed Mr Al Jowder died fighting in Iraq. However, Mr Al Jowder later contacted his father while he was receiving condolences to say that he was still alive. It has now been claimed that Mr Al Jowder has since died in a suicide bombing in northern Baghdad, although that could not be verified yesterday and Foreign Ministry officials could not be reached for comment. Mr Al Jowder’s immediate family declined to speak to the media, but a relative said attempts had previously been made to persuade him to return home. “His parents and elders had been trying to reach out and talk to him in the hope that they could convince him, get him out of whatever he was into and bring him back to Bahrain,” the relative said on condition of anonymity. “But unfortunately they couldn’t do this and, to my knowledge, he has not called back since last October.” The relative said the family was taking latest reports of his death seriously. “We believe the report this time is true, though unfortunate, because he was involved with dangerous groups,” they said. Mr Al Jowder is believed to have joined up with IS last July, a decision that the relative said caused “shock and pain” for his family. “It is a shame on our family, which has a name and good reputation in Bahrain,” they added. “The boy’s father has refused to speak to anyone in the family or outside about this.” If reports of his death are true, Mr Al Jowder would be the sixth Bahraini believed to have died fighting in Iraq and Syria since 2011. The GDN reported last July that at least four Bahrainis had reportedly died since 2011 after signing up to fight in Syria against President Bashar Al Assad’s forces. Last September Bahraini teenager Ibrahim Al Awadhi was reportedly killed in Iraq during US air strikes on IS targets. Young musicians vie for honours By LAALA KASHEF ALGHATA SIX musicians have gone through to today’s final of BSME Young Musicians of the Gulf competition. The semi-final of the 16th British Schools in the Middle East’s annual competition was held at St Christopher’s School last night. Pianists Hei Wei Li and Xiaolin Zhang, who was last year’s winner, made it into the final, along with singers Zahid Siddiqui and Alaw Henderson, St Christopher’s School student and tabla player Sriram Venkatesh and cellist Joonwoo Jeong. Three music experts from the UK have flown in to judge the competition. They are conductor and examiner Richard Dickins, conductor Christopher Adey and flautist and teacher Atarah Ben-Tobin. The grand finale tonight will be held at the Sofitel Bahrain Zallaq Thalassa Sea and Spa starting at 7pm. Allegation The same month a video allegedly featuring four Bahraini IS fighters was released online, in which they sought to provoke Bahrain’s Sunni community against the government, the Shi’ite population and American installations, while also calling for a boycott of last November’s election. The men in the video were identified in subtitles as Abu Isa Al Selmi, Abu Al Feda’ Al Selmi, Qaswra Al Bahraini and Abu Laden Al Bahraini. Bahrain’s Interior Ministry has warned that anyone who travels abroad to take up arms in regional conflicts would face prosecution upon their return, while the country was among five Arab nations that joined US-led military action against the IS in Syria last year. Arab traveller caught with drugs quizzed n Participants in last night’s round, from left, Michel Toutoungy, Sandip Roy and Lulu Al Sugair The contest is being sponsored by Euro Motors. The competition, which has grown into a premier music event for young n A section of the audience people in the region, was inaugurated by St Christopher’s School in 1998. Ten schools from Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Doha and Bahrain are taking part in the contest. For ticket details for the final, call 17788101 or 17598600. [email protected] n The panel of judges THE Public Prosecution has questioned an Arab traveller, who was caught with 99,457 captagon pills weighing 17kg at Bahrain International Airport last week. They were found in his luggage during a search by Customs officials. The suspect told the Prosecution he was planning to travel to Saudi Arabia by land and that a person had asked him to hand over the haul to someone else there. Muharraq Prosecution Chief Abdulla Al Dossari said he was taken to the Saudi side of King Fahad Causeway and attempts to contact the other suspect (s) failed. He said the information provided was not serious and the suspect was taken back for questioning. He admitted that his role consisted in delivering the drugs for money. He was accused of smuggling drugs into the country with the intention of selling them and has been remanded in custody for further investigation.