Five ISIS brides confessed to Sky News how they were lured with sweet promises to leave their far more peaceful countries behind to start a new life in the pariah ‘state’ of Raqqa mired in war and bloodshed.
The women have come from countries as Germany, Indonesia or Russia, among others. One of these women, Difansa Rachmani, shared that she was persuaded to come to Raqqa because of the promise of health care, especially her need for surgery. She was also promised assistance for the medical needs also of her three-year-old child who could not walk.
Rachmani, a mother of three arrived in the Islamic State in the summer of 2015 two months after ‘the Caliphate’ was declared. She chose to ignore the reported atrocities being committed in that place. The initial rosy promises were fulfilled, indeed, as she got her surgery and due to the best medical attention they received, her son was able to walk.
She moved with her large family of 17-nine women, five men and three children but their lives took a turn for the worse when the men in her family refused to render military service. The males are still under investigation now in Kobane by Kurdish intelligence officials while the rest of the family are based in a refugee camp in Ain Issa awaiting their fate.
Other women such as sisters Nur Kharadhania,19, and Syarafina Nailah, 21, fell for the online propaganda of the Caliphate. Nur even had an online relationship with a man and a woman in Raqqa. She was also given the sweet promise of a “great salary” and a large house for her extended family. The same fate happened to Nur, their fortune once in Raqqa changed when the men in her family also refused to do military work. Her family fled almost a month ago.
The three women all agreed that the men in Raqqa are all disgusting and are obsessed with women. It became normal for them to have a stranger offer marriage proposals in the morning then demand an answer by nightfall.
The Indonesians were regarded with less suspicion by Kurdish intelligence compared to other groups. Syrian ‘Aisha’ for her part defends that some come to Raqqa to practice their faith. Her friend ‘Fatima’ married a German-Turk in Raqqa after being ‘groomed’ online by the guy.
Many ISIS leaders have tried to get their families out of harm’s way, that is why the ISIS wives of Ain Issa are of interest to U.S. intelligence agents, who tried to interrogate the women. They are also curious on information regarding Sally Jones, the widow of Junaid Hussain, the Eyad of the Caliphate’s digital jihad. Jones is said to be on the coalition forces “kill list” hunted by the drones who can be heard flying over the skies of Raqqa, be it day or night time.
Source:
http://news.sky.com/story/islamic-state-brides-explain-why-they-left-their-home-countries-to-join-the-caliphate-10936279
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