Although women are deemed to be inferiors in Islamic law, and are victims of honor violence, female genital mutilation, wife beatings, forced marriage, instant divorce, etc., it should not be forgotten that women have also served as jihad suicide bombers, and are quite active in Muslim Brotherhood circles as well. It must also be remembered that children are routinely indoctrinated by jihadist organizations such as Boko Haram, as well as in jihad training camps in the Palestinian territories. Given such, it should come as no surprise that:
The number of foreign women and minors who travelled to Syria and Iraq to join Islamic State has been significantly underestimated and could pose a particular security threat, experts have warned.
Researcher Dr Joana Cook, from the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King’s College London, warned that:
some women may now pose a particular security threat based on several factors. These include the physical security roles and related training that some women have undertaken in IS-held territory, and the potential to transfer or apply these skills in other locations, or to their children.
“Number of women and children who joined Isis ‘significantly underestimated,’” by Nadia Khomami, Guardian, July 23, 2018:
The number of foreign women and minors who travelled to Syria and Iraq to join Islamic State has been significantly underestimated and could pose a particular security threat, experts have warned.
According to a report from the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR) at King’s College London, 4,761 (13%) of 41,490 foreign citizens who became affiliated with Isis in Iraq and Syria between April 2013 and June 2018 were women. A further 4,640 (12%) were minors.
The ICSR researchers Dr Joana Cook and Gina Vale said 850 British citizens became affiliated with Isis in Iraq and Syria, including 145 women and 50 minors. Of the 425 who returned to the UK, only two women and four minors were confirmed. The figures are believed to be vast underestimates due to an absence of official government data, they added.
“The British citizens that have now been confirmed as returning to the UK have not been differentiated by gender, or age delineation, though women and minors accounted for 23% of British IS affiliates in Syria and Iraq,” said Cook.
“We believe some women may now pose a particular security threat based on several factors. These include the physical security roles and related training that some women have undertaken in IS-held territory, and the potential to transfer or apply these skills in other locations, or to their children….