Mariam Raad
Mariam Raad is an Australian woman, whose husband took her to war torn Syria, when he volunteered to fight for Daesh. She married Muhammad Zahab, a charismatic Australian teacher of mathematics, who counter-terrorism officials would later assert had successfully encouraged dozens of Australians to live in Daesh-controlled regions of Syria.[1][2] The pair married in Australia. Zahab would take on a second wife, Zahra Ahmad, also an Australian, before his death in combat, in 2018.
Raad and Zahab had four children together.
The Daesh regime collapsed in 2019, and Raad was one of thousands of refugees held in camps run by Kurdish militia. The refugees in these camps included many foreign widows and orphans of individuals who volunteered to live in Daesh territory who had trouble returning to the countries of citizenship, due to security concerns.
In October of 2021 the Australian Broadcasting Corporation quoted Raad over her concern that her 11 year old son, Dujana Zahab, would be taken from her, and sent to a prison for men, when he turned 12.[3]
On October 29, 2022, Raad and a three other Australian mothers, and their thirteen children, were repatriated.[4] The three other women were Bessami Assaad, Shayma Assaad, Mariam Dabboussy.[5] The women had all agreed to be subject to "control orders" - security measures that could include periodic check-ins with security officials, or wearing an electronic security anklet, prior to their repatriation.
Australian security officials arrested Raad, at her home, in Youngs, New South Wales, on Thursday January 5, 2023.[6] According to The Guardian, she was charged with "entering, or remaining in, 'declared areas' - in this case Syria, which was under the control of the terrorist group IS - in breach of federal law." On January 6 she was granted bail. So far, she is the only one of her cohort of four widows to face charges.
References
- ↑ Livia Albeck-Ripka (2019-10-21). "Desperate Pleas to Free Women and Children From ISIS Camps in Syria". The New York Times: p. A8. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/21/world/australia/isis-camp-syria.html. Retrieved 2020-07-22. "While many women from around the world joined the terrorist group of their own accord, the families of all the Australian women in Al-Hol say they were coerced by husbands and other family members. Many say they are related by blood or marriage to Muhammad Zahab, a Sydney teacher turned Islamic State fighter, who they say delivered them to Syria."
- ↑ Dylan Welch; Suzanne Dredge; Naomi Selvaratnam (2019-09-30). "Married to Islamic State: The untold stories of the women Australia doesn’t want back.". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-09-30/women-of-isis-reveal-australian-network/11549490?nw=0. Retrieved 2020-07-22. "Mariam Dabboussy is risking her safety to reveal how her brother-in-law Muhammad Zahab delivered her and her baby into the grip of the Islamic State (IS) group."
- ↑ Suzanne Dredge, Alex McDonald (2021-10-19). "More than 40 Australian children still languishing in Syrian detention camp". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2022-10-28. https://web.archive.org/web/20221028050813/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-10-20/more-than-40-australian-children-languishing-in-syria-camp/100530332. Retrieved 2022-10-29. "Australian Mariam Raad is afraid her 11-year-old son Dujana will be removed from her care when he turns 12 at the end of the month."
- ↑ Matthew Knott (2022-10-28). "Government begins repatriating relatives of Islamic State fighters from Syria". Sydney Morning Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/government-begins-repatriating-relatives-of-islamic-state-fighters-from-syria-20221028-p5btq1.html. Retrieved 2022-10-29. "Mariam Raad, 31, has four children aged under 11: Dujana, Haritha, JuJu and Sumaya. She is the widow of Muhammad Zahab, a Sydney mathematics teacher who became known as the most senior IS leader from Australia."
- ↑ Maryanne Taouk (2022-10-29). "'Willing to do whatever is asked': Women repatriated from Syria regret trouble caused". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2022-10-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20221029171117/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-29/australian-women-repatriated-from-syria-issue-statement/101593774. Retrieved 2022-10-29. "'We are willing to do whatever is asked of us by government authorities to ensure the safety of our families and the Australian community and we will fully cooperate with all Australian law enforcement agencies,' the women said."
- ↑ "NSW woman Mariam Raad granted bail after being charged with entering Islamic State territory". The Guardian. 2023-01-06. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/06/nsw-woman-mariam-raad-granted-bail-after-being-charged-with-entering-islamic-state-territory. Retrieved 2023-01-09. "She was charged with entering, or remaining in, 'declared areas' - in this case Syria, which was under the control of the terrorist group IS - in breach of federal law."
