This Photo of a Newborn Surrounded by Islamic State Gear Is Being Called ‘Shocking’ and a ‘Sick Image’

A photo circulating on social media shows what appears to be a newborn baby posed in the middle of paraphernalia of the Islamic State terrorist group, items including the jihadist organization’s black flag, grenades and automatic weapons, British media are reporting.

Britain’s Independent newspaper reported that the “shocking photo” is believed to have been originally posted online by Islamic State supporters.

The Mirror newspaper called it a “sick image.”

This photo circulated on social media is being called a "sick image." (Image source: Twitter)

The image, which TheBlaze is unable to independently authenticate, follows other postings of photos showing young children posing with Islamic State gear and proclaiming allegiance to the group fighting to establish a global caliphate.

Following the beheading of American journalist James Foley last month by Islamic State militants, photos circulated online showing a young boy’s dramatization of the killing using a knife, a doll and the Islamic State's black flag.

“Teach your children to cut necks, tomorrow there will be a lot of rotten heads,” read the caption that accompanied the photo when it was first posted on Twitter, the Times of Israel reported.

Before that, the Australian-born 7-year-old son of Islamic State jihadist Khaled Sharrouf was photographed holding the severed head of a Syrian soldier, an image that prompted widespread criticism including from Secretary of State John Kerry who called it “one of the most disturbing, stomach-turning, grotesque photographs ever displayed.”

Charlie Cooper of the London-based Quilliam Foundation told the Independent, “These images are not that surprising as these groups want to show they have total control of subjects and are indoctrinating them from a very young age.”

"It's important to remember that things which are shocking to us are not that shocking to them, for example with the picture of the young child holding a severed head. What is being drilled into recruits is that the men being decapitated are rightfully being decapitated,” Cooper added.

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