The former female ISIS brigade member calls herself Khadija, however this is not her real name. She is a defector and a marked woman because of this. The reason why she decided to tell her story is her wish to let people know what life inside ISIS is really like. She mostly addresses to young women who might get carried away by ISIS propaganda. However, she says they are not the real Islam.
Khadija grew up in Syria and she got a good education. She has a college degree and used to work as an elementary school teacher. Over three years ago, during the Syrian uprising she joined the masses of people who peacefully protested against the government of Bashar al-Assad. She said they would go to demonstrations, write on walls and have different outfits to change into. She describes that period of her life as “the great days”. What followed next were horrific murders, chaos and sheer violence.
Online, she met a Tunisian man to whom she grew close to. He even promised to marry her. However, this man was the one who lured her into ISIS. He convinced her that ISIS was not what people kept saying it was, a terrorist organization. He convinced her they were going to properly implement Islam.
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Her cousin was the one who helped her join the ISIS brigade for women. The group of women acts as ISIS police and punishes women who do not follow the law. The ISIS brigade for women is made up of approximately 25-30 women who patrol the streets of Raqqa. Women found inappropriate are punished. The head female member of the brigade is Umm Hamza. Khadija declared the following thing about her: “She’s not a normal female. She’s huge, she has an AK, a pistol, a whip, a dagger and she wears the niqab”. Upon her arrival in the brigade, Khadija was assured by Umm Hamza: “We are harsh with the infidels, but merciful among ourselves”. Inside the ISIS brigade, Khadija learned how to dismantle, clean and fire a weapon. Each month, she received 200$ and food rations. Khadija’s family sensed something peculiar regarding her activity and tried to warn her to stay away from the brigade.
Initially she was very seduced by the power she owned. However, after witnessing some gruesome incidents, like the crucifixion of a 16 year old boy as punishment for rape or the series of violent acts done to women, she simply began questioning her humanity and the doctrine of the Islamic State. After being able to escape, she fled to Turkey. Her family however remained in Syria. Now she regrets her actions while in the ISIS female brigade. She wants to have her old life back, when she used to be able to enjoy everything around herself.