Settlement in Raqqa

Abdalaziz Alhamza – Exclusive – Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently

Exclusive images show the spread of foreign fighters with their children inside the city of Raqqa
Exclusive images show the spread of foreign fighters with their children inside the city of Raqqa

They were outcasts by people inside their countries, and they were pursued legally and morally for several charges, including sexual harassment of children, robbery and rape, so they found a fertile environment for their activities at ISIS approach and a protector from punishment, their communities were unable to accept them, so they followed the way of extremism to move from societal harm to global terrorism.

They left their homes and headed to the city of Raqqa, to get the features and good treatment which they did not receive it in their own countries, despite of the well-being that may have been available to them, ISIS gave them power and domination to satisfy their sick souls, after they were seen as law-breakers, they have become today the men of law.

ISIS group always strove to give the sense of citizenship to its members, and to replace them with indigenous people inside the areas they control, although they do not belong to the city of Raqqa, under the lack of political, social and cultural links with residents, the group reinforced its attempts by paying high salaries for its foreign members and giving them houses to live in, as they provided features for those who brought their families with them and bore all family expenses to strengthen their alleged state.

Exclusive images show the spread of foreign fighters with their children inside the city of Raqqa
Exclusive images show the spread of foreign fighters with their children inside the city of Raqqa

As long as the geographical area is present and financial situation is in the best case, the group only lacks the loyalty of people which is unable to get it through intimidation and enticement, because of the rejection of Syrian people to the idea of having a new occupier after 4 years of their revolution against the Assad’s regime, however the group was able to gain the loyalty of foreign fighters coming from abroad, because they came willingly, and luring them by attractions which rejected by local residents who preferred their freedom.

Reporter of “Raqqa is being slaughtered silently” mentioned that members of ISIS roam freely with their families, you can see the fighter with his wife and sons in the streets of Raqqa wearing the group uniforms and carrying Kalashnikovs on their shoulders, even their children have become accustomed to carry arms, and this is what enhances some opinions of analysts that the group is eagerly looking forward to control the next generation of foreigners’ sons, it seems that the granting of several features to its members is the first step to attract children and control them, before they reach the stage of awareness and perception.

Foreign women take a share of the features which offered by the group, in the time which the group is preventing women from driving cars in Raqqa, they are allowing the women of Khansa battalion to drive

cars and wander around the city, in addition to paying salaries up to $ 1,500 per month, which is equivalent to the salary of Syrian employee for a complete year .

The recent task assigned to Khansa battalion is to offer marriage to ISIS fighters on the women in the city of Raqqa, and seduce them by considerable sums of money to accept that, they asked women who want to marry ISIS fighters to put a white veil under the niqab to be recognizable, which prompted a lot of women to wear engagement rings to avoid harassment from this battalion, and they offered large amounts of money on parents to marry off their daughters to ISIS members, unfortunately some families have accepted these marriages as a result of financial need.

ISIS has inserted Khansa battalion within its war against the international coalition, where the group of “Om Amara” has been formed which led by the British woman “Aqsa Mohammed”, all of their members are foreign women, which used by the group to lure young men and women from Europe to the city of Raqqa, in order to enrich the group with foreign fighters, by communicate with them and convince them to come and join the ranks of the group, where the reports refers that three girls who carrying British citizenship have joined ISIS ranks, after communicating with them via the Internet, Shamima Begum (15 years) and Khadija Sultan (16 years) and a third girl (15 years), and they entered a training camp inside a center affiliated to Khansa battalion.

Tim Ramadan

media activist from the city of Raqqa, student at the Faculty of Law at the University of the Euphrates. Director of the Media Office of Raqqa, founding member of "Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently", founding member of the documentary project of "Sound and Picture". I work in documenting violations committed by Assad's regime and ISIS group and extremist organizations inside the city of Raqqa, as I work in programming, design and visual media. I hold a certificate of coach in digital security, and a certificate of journalist coach, and a certificate in documenting violations against human rights, and a certificate in electronic advocacy. I underwent a training under the supervision of "Cyber-Arabs" in collaboration with the Institute for War and Peace "IWPR", about the management of electronic websites and leadership of advocacy campaigns, and a training of press photography under the supervision of the photojournalist "Peter Hove Olesen".

2 Comments

  1. Rafael-Olivier Somma
    March 24, 2015 - 8:45 pm

    I would have liked to write this article because it reflects totally what I think. It’s despicable that people from abroad are going to a foreign country and are imposing a ridiculous archaic way of life to a city that was once the most liberal of Syria. Free people from the West are going to a Caliphate to live enslaved. Even Anjem Choudary is not stupid enough to go to live in Syria because he likes the liberty of G-B. Also, I hope those three brainless teens will be raped, beaten and beheaded for their imbecility of going there at such a young age. I have no respect and no pity for them.

  2. Fi
    March 27, 2015 - 12:26 am

    Aqsa has spoken to her family here in Scotland and denies any contact with these girls. She says she does not even know who they are and tells her parents not to believe what the authorities are saying about her. The Mahmood’s familiy lawyer, Aame Anwer has also questioned this version of events stating that as Aqsa’s social media has been tracked and kept under surveillance it seems odd that contact with one of these younger Brititsh girls would not have been flagged up and the girls families and relevant authorities notified.

    I am keeping an open mind. I certainly would not expect Aqsa to tell the truth if she had recruited in a direct way, but on the other hand I find it odd that she would be able to for the above reasons. Unfortunately direct contact does not appear to be needed in order to recruit. Young women are attracted to the propaganda and to the world view presented by Daesh.

    I am very sad for Aqsa’s family. They are from Glasgow, Scotland, where I come from, and they are decent people who are not fanatics of any kind. They are appalled at the suffering their daughter appears to be inflicting on the people of Raqqa. Thank you very much for your reports. My hope for them and for Aqsa is probably not realistic, but it is this – I hope that she is not really a free agent but is acting under some kind of duress.

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