ISIS Mother Pleads to Return—to Alabama

 

We knew this would happen. All the men and women who were excited about fighting for ISIS wanted to be involved with the ISIS cause and they went to fight in Syria. And now one of them wants to come home with her child.

Hoda Muthana went to Syria in 2014; she was one of 1,500 foreign women and the only American staying in a Kurdish-run refugee camp. She was married three times and widowed twice. And now she has an 18-month old son. She is asking to return to the United States.

Her attorney claims she was brainwashed by ISIS. She wanted to “spill American blood”; she was known online as a prominent spokesperson for ISIS. Now she says that joining ISIS “was a big mistake.”

She told The Guardian that her parents were very conservative and limited her freedom in Alabama. She claims that contributed to her radicalization.

In a letter obtained by ABC News, these were the words she wrote:

Being where I was and seeing the ppl [sic] around me scared me because I realized I didn’t want to be a part of this. My beliefs weren’t the same as theirs. In my quiet moments, in between bombings, starvation, cold and fear I would look at my beautiful little boy and know that I didn’t belong here and neither did he. I would think sometimes of my family, my friends and the life that I knew and I realized how I didn’t appreciate or maybe even really understand how important the freedoms that we have in America are. I do now. To say that I regret my past words, any pain that I caused my family and any concerns I would cause my country would be hard for me to really express properly.

I think her choices were unwise and irresponsible. She has now put her own life and that of her child’s potentially in danger from Islamist radicals. We don’t know if she has outgrown her brainwashing. Would we be safe if we admitted her to the U.S.? What about her child?

My heart goes out to her and I say no. You can’t return.

Published in Islamist Terrorism
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  1. Larry3435 Inactive
    Larry3435
    @Larry3435

    Obama would have been happy to trade six terrorists from Gitmo to bring her back.

    • #1
  2. JustmeinAZ Member
    JustmeinAZ
    @JustmeinAZ

    Looks like she’s been able to find a goodly amount of eyeliner and mascara in her miserable accommodations.

    • #2
  3. Rodin Member
    Rodin
    @Rodin

    She made her choice. Let her live and die by it.

    • #3
  4. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    I wanted to present this story as dispassionately as I could, but I am so angry. It’s one thing to do stupid things because you’re rebelling against your parents. It’s quite another to go to the other side of the world and sign up to help a disgusting, murderous way of life, and then believe that is what G-d wants you to do. And then to spew their venom over social media, until it becomes inconvenient.

    If she wants to make amends, she should see if an NGO over there will hire her to help out those Syrians who are suffering in other camps. But I suspect that she thinks we should feel sorry for her and cave. Not this person. Uh-uh.

    • #4
  5. ST Member
    ST
    @

    Rush to judgment much?!?  Let’s see her in a bikini and evening wear before making the call.

    • #5
  6. ST Member
    ST
    @

    Or bring her back and shoot her for treason?

     

    • #6
  7. Vance Richards Inactive
    Vance Richards
    @VanceRichards

    Brainwashed? It wasn’t like she was kidnapped or anything. She willingly joined before they would have had a chance to brainwash her. 

    I don’t think, “Oops, sorry about that” is going to be enough at this point.

    • #7
  8. RushBabe49 Thatcher
    RushBabe49
    @RushBabe49

    No, No, 1000 times NO.  She should never be allowed back in the US for any reason.  I just read a story of a similar British woman who had her citizenship revoked when she wanted to return to Britain from ISIS.  Actions have consequences. Let her suffer.

    • #8
  9. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Vance Richards (View Comment):

    Brainwashed? It wasn’t like she was kidnapped or anything. She willingly joined before they would have had a chance to brainwash her.

    I don’t think, “Oops, sorry about that” is going to be enough at this point.

    Oh but, Vance, they brainwashed her on the Internet. <sarc off> She is not welcome here .

    • #9
  10. 9thDistrictNeighbor Member
    9thDistrictNeighbor
    @9thDistrictNeighbor

    From a must-read 2015 Buzzfeed article:

    In her first tweet from Syria, “Umm Jihad” uploaded a picture of four passports — American, Canadian, U.K., and Australian — being held by hands garbed in the black gloves worn by the most conservative Muslim women. “Bonfire soon, no need for these anymore, alhamdulliah [thanks be to God],” she captioned the image. Now that they were living under the Islamic State, no other nationality mattered.

    [snip]

    Hoda confirmed to BuzzFeed News that she was not telling the truth to her father about why she wanted the money ($2500). “It would never cross my mind to come back,” she said. “I wanted to see if he’d help me out during troubling times. It was just a test. I knew he wouldn’t send me anything anyway.”

    [snip]

    “Nothing is forced here,” she said, dismissing her father’s claims that she and other women in ISIS are forced into marriage. Even knowing that her union with a fighter would hurt her family, Hoda said she had no reservations on her wedding day. “I felt the most content,” she said. “I wanted to marry under an Islamic state rather than the West and since it means obeying Allah, what my parents think has no affect on me, I feel indifferent.”

    Since that article, she has married twice more.  Got pregnant. Had a kid.

    If Buzzfeed news could find her four years ago, I would hope the CIA would know all about her as well.  If she is let back in this country, it will be a travesty.

    • #10
  11. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    It’s tragic, but there are a lot of tragedies in the wake of Islamic supremacy. As a Christian, I advise her to take up her cross. And may God have mercy on her and her son. Because America won’t.

    • #11
  12. She Member
    She
    @She

    My sister and I have been talking about this, as there is a similar situation in the UK, where Shamina Begum, an ISIS bride (read: volunteer sex slave) has been begging to come home for the sake of her three-day old baby (read: “I’d like free health care on the NHS, courtesy of the British taxpayer, please”).  Prior to this baby, she had two others during her time in Syria, but they died of illness and malnutrition.  She’s 19.  She left home and went to Syria when she was 15.  She’s had three children.  Two of them are dead.

    Today, the British government stripped  her of her British citizenship. This was a surprise to many.  Her family is expected to appeal the decision, which has effectively rendered her stateless.  I guess we’ll see what happens.  She’d not be coming back if I were running the country (I daresay that much will be made of the fact that she was 15 when she left home).  She has remained intransigent and unapologetic for ISIS brutality.

    As for the US girl, (who’s 23 and was 19 when she ran away to freedom), and is currently on her third husband since she got to Syria (the first two are dead) perhaps she’ll come back and run for Congress in the great state of Minnesota, where she can serve alongside Ilhan Omar.  

    Apparently, there are some 1,500 of these women, many of them from the UK and US.  I expect this story will play for a while.

     

     

    • #12
  13. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    She (View Comment):
    Apparently, there are some 1,500 of these women, many of them from the UK and US. I expect this story will play for a while.

    Thanks for the information on the Brit, @she. I wonder how our own government will respond to Muthana. I do think we need to send a message to all the folks who went over there if they try to come back. I’m sorry they were so young and stupid. (Seems to be quite a bit of that stateside, too.) It is pretty surprising how the UK responded; then again, they’ve had quite a bit of unpleasant Muslim activity there.

    • #13
  14. fidelio102 Inactive
    fidelio102
    @fidelio102

    She (View Comment):

    My sister and I have been talking about this, as there is a similar situation in the UK, where Shamina Begum, an ISIS bride (read: volunteer sex slave) has been begging to come home for the sake of her three-day old baby (read: “I’d like free health care on the NHS, courtesy of the British taxpayer, please”). Prior to this baby, she had two others during her time in Syria, but they died of illness and malnutrition. She’s 19. She left home and went to Syria when she was 15. She’s had three children. Two of them are dead.

    Today, the British government stripped her of her British citizenship. This was a surprise to many. Her family is expected to appeal the decision, which has effectively rendered her stateless. I guess we’ll see what happens. She’d not be coming back if I were running the country (I daresay that much will be made of the fact that she was 15 when she left home). She has remained intransigent and unapologetic for ISIS brutality.

    As for the US girl, (who’s 23 and was 19 when she ran away to freedom), and is currently on her third husband since she got to Syria (the first two are dead) perhaps she’ll come back and run for Congress in the great state of Minnesota, where she can serve alongside Ilhan Omar.

    Apparently, there are some 1,500 of these women, many of them from the UK and US. I expect this story will play for a while.

     

    Fortunately the Home Secretary, Sajid Javid (one of the few intelligent ministers in the current sorry government), has decided to revoke Ms Begum’s British citizenship.

    UK taxpayers have enough on their plate without having to subsidize long jail sentences for returning Jihadists.

    Let them rot where they are. 

     

    • #14
  15. tigerlily Member
    tigerlily
    @tigerlily

    No.

    • #15
  16. Poindexter Inactive
    Poindexter
    @Poindexter

    Nope.

    • #16
  17. Nanda "Chaps" Panjandrum Member
    Nanda "Chaps" Panjandrum
    @

    ST (View Comment):

    Or bring her back and shoot her for treason?

    Bingo!

    Feeling a bit “final” with respect to consequences lately, around issues like this.

    • #17
  18. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Her child should certainly be allowed to return.  She can return if she details every element of every crime she participated in under oath, and accepts the legal consequences.  If she thinks there are circumstances that shouId mitigate her punishment, she can offer those too.  If that’s not good enough, I wish her luck where she is.  Her choices have consequences – ideally the consequences provided for under American law, not by the vagaries of life in war torn Syria, but consequences nonetheless.

    • #18
  19. Richard Easton Coolidge
    Richard Easton
    @RichardEaston

    Nope.  She chose the side of terrorists.  But perhaps she could marry her brother and run for Congress.

    • #19
  20. TBA Coolidge
    TBA
    @RobtGilsdorf

    As far as I am concerned she renounced her citizenship. Her son, through no fault of his own, is not an American. 

    I had initially thought perhaps we could take the child back, but the child was never an American in the first place – much like any other child born to Syrian nationals; he simply has no claim. 

    • #20
  21. JoelB Member
    JoelB
    @JoelB

    Perhaps, like Philip Nolan, in  Edward Everett Hale’s “The Man Without a Country” she has had a change of heart.

    • #21
  22. Franco Member
    Franco
    @Franco

    I’m not going to trust this woman to move freely inside our borders. We have enough people who are easily brainwashed here already.

     

    • #22
  23. Cato Rand Inactive
    Cato Rand
    @CatoRand

    Franco (View Comment):

    I’m not going to trust this woman to move freely inside our borders. We have enough people who are easily brainwashed here already.

     

    That’s the key.  Giving her freedom of movement in the US would be insane.  BTW – a bunch of European countries are dealing with the same issue and getting pressure from Trump to take these people back.  Their response – and I think it’s a realistic one – is that they’re not in a position to gather the evidence necessary to prosecute them and they don’t want to let them come back to roam free and become “home grown terrorists.”  That’s why I proposed “admit your crimes” as a condition to return.  We’ll get you out of Syria, but only if you voluntarily do your time when you get “home.”

    • #23
  24. I Walton Member
    I Walton
    @IWalton

    Give her a job, abroad, telling her story.

    • #24
  25. She Member
    She
    @She

    Cato Rand (View Comment):

    Franco (View Comment):

    I’m not going to trust this woman to move freely inside our borders. We have enough people who are easily brainwashed here already.

     

    That’s the key. Giving her freedom of movement in the US would be insane. BTW – a bunch of European countries are dealing with the same issue and getting pressure from Trump to take these people back. Their response – and I think it’s a realistic one – is that they’re not in a position to gather the evidence necessary to prosecute them and they don’t want to let them come back to roam free and become “home grown terrorists.” That’s why I proposed “admit your crimes” as a condition to return. We’ll get you out of Syria, but only if you voluntarily do your time when you get “home.”

    “Millions for defense, but not one cent for ‘time.'”  Support these women and men at taxpayer expense for the next 20 or 30 years of their lives?  No, thanks.  I might be able to go for “Welcome to Guantanamo Bay; we’ve thrown away the key,” but that’s about it.  If they love their infant children enough to surrender them, perhaps we could discuss taking the children in, but to use their children as PR and bait for why they must be allowed back is yet another reason why they should not be, IMHO.

    • #25
  26. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Cato Rand (View Comment):

    Her child should certainly be allowed to return. She can return if she details every element of every crime she participated in under oath, and accepts the legal consequences. If she thinks there are circumstances that shouId mitigate her punishment, she can offer those too. If that’s not good enough, I wish her luck where she is. Her choices have consequences – ideally the consequences provided for under American law, not by the vagaries of life in war torn Syria, but consequences nonetheless.

    I’d consider your option, @catorand, except I assume that she would go to prison. And that’s okay, but it would have to be prison for life, no parole. Then again, do I really want to pay for her imprisonment? I don’t know that I’d be willing to do that. I appreciate your weighing in, though.

    • #26
  27. MarciN Member
    MarciN
    @MarciN

    Franco (View Comment):

    I’m not going to trust this woman to move freely inside our borders. We have enough people who are easily brainwashed here already.

     

    That is a good point. Who could possibly say for sure that underneath, she does’t feel that the U.S. military victimized her and her cause, that’s she not trying to come into the country to exact revenge?  

    • #27
  28. Western Chauvinist Member
    Western Chauvinist
    @WesternChauvinist

    Should her son return to the US, who will raise him? The grandparents? Are they Muslim?

    Again, it’s tragic. He’s an innocent — for now. But I still say “no.”  

    • #28
  29. Susan Quinn Contributor
    Susan Quinn
    @SusanQuinn

    Western Chauvinist (View Comment):

    Should her son return to the US, who will raise him? The grandparents? Are they Muslim?

    Again, it’s tragic. He’s an innocent — for now. But I still say “no.”

    I believe her parents are Muslim, but were horrified by her decision to join ISIS. I would be willing to see them raise the child, but I don’t know if she would allow them to adopt him. He’d likely have a better life with them than with her.

    • #29
  30. Buckpasser Member
    Buckpasser
    @Buckpasser

    If we must, GITMO.

    • #30
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