British jihadi brides being forced to radicalise others and have ‘zero chance’ of escaping terror group
Lured by false promises of an Islamic Utopia, scores of British women are risking their lives to join ISIS despite danger
BAITED by the false promise of an Islamic Utopia and a doting husband, scores of British women and girls have fled the country to join ISIS — but as military efforts against the group escalate, they are now trapped with “zero chance” of escaping.
At least one British bride, Kadiza Sultana, 17, is believed to have been killed in coalition air strikes, and prospects for her two friends are bleak as the terror groups’ enemies advance on what is left of its territories.
The tragic 17-year-old’s family have told how she quickly became disillusioned with life under ISIS after arriving with friends Amira Abase and Shamima Begum early last year.
The trio had fled their east London homes in the Easter school holidays, prompting an international police search.
Despite efforts to retrieve the friends, the group soon reached the ISIS-controlled city of Raqqa, and were swiftly married off to militants.
They aren’t alone — at least 56 young women and girls known to officials travelled to Syria from the UK in 2015.
Syria is a war zone and people do get killed – my advice to anyone still out there would be to get out as fast as you can
Tasnime Akunjee
In an interview with , Tasnime Akunjee, a solicitor for all three families, told how Kadiza had become desperate to flee the terror group by late last year, even discussing escape plans with her family.
In a phone call with her sister in November, she said: “I don’t have a good feeling, I feel scared.
“How am I going to get out?”
Less than five months after the call, she was killed in a Russian air strike.
“For me personally the hope is that if there is anything that can be salvaged from this tragic situation it is that people will take it as a warning,” Mr Akunjee reasoned.
“Unfortunately we are in this Playstation generation where people play war games and don’t take it seriously.
“But Syria is a war zone and people do get killed – my advice to anyone still out there would be to get out as fast as you can.”
Despite Mr Akunjee’s warning, experts say it is almost impossible for women to flee ISIS since the group’s interpretation of Sharia law renders them unable to leave the house without a male guardian present.
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Speaking to The Independent, Sara Khan, co-founder of the counter-extremism Inspire group, explained: “[The brides] quickly become disillusioned and realise that it’s not the utopia that it’s made out to be.
“The reality is that for women and girls it’s incredibly difficult to leave Isis because of the control the group exerts on their movements.”
The role of women is strictly limited to that of mother and wife within the terror group, with the exception of designated tasks as Sharia police and nurses where required.
Upon arrival they are married off to ISIS fighters, handed to a new husband if the first one dies, or passed around as a “sexual present” if unlucky.
Researchers at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue said that, much like their male counterparts, female ISIS recruits have the tendency to feel isolated and maintain a conflicting identity, a sense of Muslim persecution and idealistic goals of a Utopian “caliphate” where they feel they belong.
The reality is that for women and girls it’s incredibly difficult to leave Isis because of the control the group exerts on their movements
Sara Khan
ISIS’ targeting of women is a crucial aspect of its plan to create a functioning “Islamic State”, with future generations raised and moulded to its ideology.
In its annual report on terrorism in the European Union, Europol reveals that, while the number of foreigners joining ISIS is decreasing, women make up an increasingly “significant percentage”.
The security agency said: “An increasing proportion of women have travelled from some EU member states – for example from the UK, Belgium and, more markedly, the Netherlands.
“Women may also seek to radicalise others, take part in on and offline recruitment, and actively finance and facilitate terrorist groups and departure to them.”
This role is enabled by ISIS, which allows foreign brides Internet access on the premise they will use it to contact “sisters” at home.
Ms Khan said: “They only escape they get is online and they are given that access to have the opportunity to go and chat with other British women and radicalise them.”
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