A Journey from ISIS to New Beginnings: Former Recruit Shares Her Story

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.

Born in Pakistan to Somali parents and raised in Canada from the age of two, S. has lived through extraordinary circumstances. Her brother was shot and killed during her teenage years, leaving her devastated and seeking solace. She turned to religion and became more devout in her Islamic faith, seeking companionship among fellow Muslim girls.

S.’s outward expression of her faith brought attention from others, sometimes negatively. On one occasion, her family was attacked by a group who sprayed them with bear mace at a train station. Another time, while riding a train, two men made threatening comments about her presence.

S. recalls, “My family comes from a Muslim background. So I started practicing my religion more. And I started to become friends with other Muslim girls my age.”

Determined to deepen her religious understanding, S. attended a religious boarding school in eastern Canada. It was there she befriended a returnee from Somalia connected to al-Shabab, a rebel group affiliated with al-Qaida. Through these connections, S. faced pressure to leave Canada for a Muslim nation.

Although initially reluctant, she grappled with conflicting messages from Islamic scholars urging her to depart the West, fearing persecution. “I’m Canadian as it gets,” she said. “I was frustrated and confused.” As her associations became known, Canadian authorities began monitoring her activities, which heightened her discomfort.

In 2014, under mounting pressure and emotions, S. decided to leave Canada. She traveled to Turkey, believing she was aiding Muslims and practicing her faith more freely. Through connections, she joined a group heading to Syria, arriving eventually in Raqqa, the ISIS caliphate.

Once immersed in the reality of ISIS operations, she witnessed terrifying acts. Public executions and beheadings became regular sights. S. faced coercion to marry within ISIS but refused multiple offers, eventually planning her escape with another Canadian woman.

In an attempt to leave as Kurdish forces encircled Raqqa, a critical decision arose: surrendering and leaving ISIS or remaining. S. chose to leave, leading to refuge in Kurdish prison camps and ultimately survival.

S. recounts, “We had to flee. I gave birth while the hospital was bombed.”

While navigating adversity and eventual escape from conflict zones, S. found herself in precarious situations repeatedly, relying on quick thinking to protect her daughter and herself, especially when finally fleeing Baghuz, ISIS’s last stronghold.

Her journey took a new turn at Al Hol prison camp, where she cooperated as an informant, driven by a desire to assist authorities in rescuing children from extremist indoctrination. Her contributions were noted by individuals like Peter Galbraith, leading efforts to retrieve ISIS children.

Through efforts and risks, S. facilitated her daughter’s return to Canada with her sister’s aid, achieved eventually through coordination involving Iraqi Kurdistan support facilitated by diplomatic channels.

As life moves forward, S., now 35, maintains her day-to-day anonymity, focused on supporting her family and rebuilding her life, while continuing to provide assistance to law enforcement against extremism.

Reflecting on her return, S. says, “If somebody hears my story and they still view me in a bad light, they’re free to do that.”

Now, her daughter, embracing her studies in science with dreams of becoming a scientist or astronaut, exemplifies how their bond continues, moving beyond past hardships.