How a young woman became an ISIS bride — and then an informant, helping save others
A Canadian woman shares her journey of being radicalized and joining ISIS after experiencing personal tragedy and Islamophobia. She eventually escaped and now works as an informant to help others avoid similar paths.
Why it matters
The story provides insight into the psychological and social factors that contribute to radicalization and the challenges of deradicalization.
WESTERN CANADA — Outside a tall apartment building we meet a slim, smiling woman dressed in a black shirt and jeans. She invites us inside, and we sit in a conference room, where she begins to tell her story.
We're not using her real name, or her home city, fearing her past could lead to repercussions. It's a past that led her into the arms of the Islamic State and brutal fighting in Syria. And to this day, she doesn't know how she survived.
She agreed to let us use her first initial, S.
She was born in Pakistan to Somali parents and raised in Canada since the age of two. She was a teenager when her brother was shot and killed by an acquaintance who was high on drugs. She was devastated and yearned for some kind of solace, some kind of peace.
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