Bilal Abdul Kareem Journalist
Testimony by Abu Ahmad Al-Muhajir al-Misri @Mohhager
Forward
Written By Bilal Abdul Kareem
Below is a testimony of a former Islamic State militia fighter and supporter. It is regarding the claim from ISIS members and supporters, that when the infighting first started between rebels and ISIS, some of the women from the Muhajirun were raped. Additionally Abu Ahmad lists other reasons he left the Islamic State militia as well. This is what he personally saw and witnessed. I myself was present in the Syrian territories during the time of the affairs that he makes mention of and many of those whom he mentions as well as events are familiar to me. Currently, ISIS is attacking Mujahideen positions in parts of Aleppo under the banner “Revenge for the Raped Sisters”. Below is his testimony:
ISIS Recruitment Tactic
“The first that told this lie was Abu Steef Al-’Iraqi when he came to us at the base belonging to Jaysh Muhammad. He would cry until we believed him. After this Abu Muhammad at-Tunisi came to me after I helped his wife and another brother reach a safe place (when the fighting first started between the rebels and ISIS), he also told the same lies until I strongly believed what he was saying.
He told me that the traitors in Tel Rif’at have raped the women of the Muhajirin (emigrants), and at that time I was a passionate ISIS-supporter, may Allah forgive me. I began to verbally attack anyone that talked about remaining calm.
When we left to confirm the issue, and searched for any sort of evidence of rape taking place, we couldn’t find anything at all. Every time Abu Steef came to me, he would say: “This time we have confirmation!”. However after investigating we couldn’t find anything related to the stories he told except lies. If you saw his manner when he told us this, your chest would inflame and you would search for a car bomb to explode yourself in it.
I was a translator for him to the brothers from Uzbekistan, among them was a brother named Abdul-Rahman who was fluent in English. I transmitted what he (Abu Steef) said so that they would leave Sayfullah (al-Shishani) and join ISIS. May Allah forgive me, for my emotions overcame me and I believed their lies and I became like a bewitched person supporting them.
During the last time I saw the one called Abu Steef, he had with him someone I believe to be an Amir (leader) who was also Iraqi. He wanted to leave with his family to Turkey, so he came to me so I would take him out. It was strange as it seemed he was trying to escape from something, he didn’t talk in front of anyone and he would plead with me that I kept the matter secret until he was able to get out.
False Rape
Abu Steef talked with me regarding a sister from Tunisia saying confidently that she is with so-and-so from the group Liwa al-Fath and she was being raped for more than 10 days. This made the whole world blacken out in front of me due to the grief and anger from what had (allegedly) taken place against her.
So I began to incite the brothers that we pledge to fight those that rape the women from the Muhajirin. At that time I fell for and was deceived by their lies as I trusted them! For by Allah, these people have mastered the art of of lying.
He said that the sister’s name was Umm Ya’qub at-Tunisiyyah, and go and you will find what I’m saying to be the truth. So I pledged to Allah with sincerity that I would charge against them until I am killed or I kill them.
We went to Tel Rif’at to search after the sister - and we from Jaysh Muhammad acted as a middle-man to exchange prisoners between ISIS and the other rebels. When we arrived we said that we want so-and-so (i.e. the sister) and it has come to us that she has been raped by so-and-so from Liwa al-Fath group.
Three youths from Liwa al-Fath that were Ansar (i.e. Syrians) said to us: “By Allah if this is true, we will wear explosive-belts and blow ourselves up by the one who did this and those that protected him.”
So the accused man was brought to us and said: “I’ll kiss your shoes, take her.” (a Syrian phrase meant to show extreme humbleness.)
We were surprised by all of this and why the man said these sort of words. But when we went to the sought after house, we knew the reason for this and our questions were answered. The sister (may Allah protect and forgive her) was wearing an explosive belt and a vest! Anytime anyone came near her, she would grab the detonators. Is someone like this going to get raped??
She said; “I want to see Shaykh Abu ‘Ubaydah al-Masri (leader of Jaysh Muhammad)”. So the Shaykh came to speak and guide her and to ask her to remove the explosive belt and not to be afraid since she is going to leave the place boldly and defiant.
She refused to remove the belt, so he told her that if any person makes a wrong move, you will pull your belt and we came (to Syria) to get killed by the hands of the disbelievers, not by your hands.
At the end of the story, we took the sister to A’zaaz to the house of Shaykh (Abu Ubaydah) and she stayed with his family. After she calmed down and trusted the wife of the Shaykh, he informed us what she had said to her. The sister - may Allah forgive her, cried and said: “Upon my neck is (responsibility for having spilled) blood, and I don’t know what I should do. Once when they came to me with food I became frightened and threatened to detonate the belt. And with them was a pregnant woman who had prepared the food, and when she heard what I said she panicked and miscarried her fetus because of me. And I don’t know how I compensate for this sin (kaffarah)”.
After this another lie emerged of a sister being raped in Hareitan after her abduction. We gave her name and the name of her husband to a Libyan brother who was the Amir of Hareitan. The Amir tracked down the husband so we could find out the truth of the matter. After being informed the husband responded by saying “this is a big lie!”.
The truth was that his son was driving their car too fast in the area where the Liwa at-Tawhid group was in control, which made the Tawhid members frightened. Bear in mind that this was the time when car bombs were beginning to take place, so they fired at the tires (to stop the vehicle) but when they realized that there was a woman inside of it they asked for forgiveness and let the brother and his mother leave the area.
Lies and then more lies to raise the emotions from their members, something they succeeded in doing and their lies affected many. That which took place before is happening again and even increasing. At the beginning ISIS said that sisters from Holland were being raped and now German ones…!
Killings of Tel Rif’at
Tel Rif’at used to be called among the members of ISIS “The Islamic Emirate of Tel Rif’at” due to the city embracing them and marrying off their women to many of them. Subhan Allah, they married off their daughters to you and trusted you with their honor, so is it logical that they would then transgress against your honor (i.e. wives) O people of ISIS? And now, many of the girls from Tel Rif’at that married soldiers from ISIS are in a suspense like situation - they aren’t married nor are they divorced. (They are simply deserte). In what religion is this allowed?
Is it allowed for you to treat Muslim sisters the way you did? Would anyone of you approve of this happening to his own sister??
(After some disputes within the city between ISIS and it’s residents), I saw what I saw and heard what I heard from the injured members of ISIS regarding what took place. I saw ISIS bombing Tel Rif’at with mortars and grad-missiles while their own soldiers were still inside the city. So we spoke with one of the commanders of the assault, Abu Abdul-Rahman at-Tunisi, requesting that he should withdraw the brothers and stop the bombing of Tel Rif’at. He said: “We count them as martyrs and we will not stop bombing the apostates (murtadin)”.
70 brothers that he didn’t care for were killed that day, like they were worth nothing. Most of them died there due to your actions O Abu Abdul-Rahman. Hasbun Allah wa ni’mal wakil!
Were all of the people in Tel Rif’at apostates that you can bomb them with mortars and grad-missiles? The one responsible for the mortars was a Saudi brother who had previously made jihad in Iraq, and he was married to a local woman from Tel Rif’at. When he was ordered to strike Tel Rif’at with the mortars he fled to us and we escorted him out to Turkey so that he wouldn’t spill any Muslim blood, and after that he went to Raqqah.
Additional Reasons for my Leaving
I was responsible for ISIS injured, giving them sanctuary, protecting them and transporting their women. I was also a source for recommendation (tazkiyah) for whoever wanted to join ISIS.
Ask about me, for everyone that was injured in A’zaaz and in Shimareen and the hospitals in Turkey will tell you who I am, O soldiers of ISIS, and I haven’t said anything except what I directly experienced and saw.
The car bombs started to take place, and the one who started this was Abu Zubayr at-Tunisi who was with us in Jaysh Muhammad before joining ISIS. He was fooled by the lies of rape of the muhajirat.
And after this, I saw how they treated the prisoners and I saw how the security officers acted, by Allah it was just like the way the tyrants acted! They tortured and humiliated the brothers (prisoners).
Not to mention the ones from France (that are in ISIS) that threatened us with enslaving our women if they ever entered A’zaaz. This is after they used to be with us in Jaysh Muhammad, and one of them was someone that I used to share a house with and share the same food with, and he used to let me lead the prayer and I taught him how to read Qur’an. Then he left to join ISIS and made takfir on us.
And also the fatwas by (Abu Ja’far) al-Hattab (from Tunisia) which made permissible for them (to take from) the wealth of the general population and to steal the homes that they used to live in in A’zaaz, all under the argument that the people were apostates (murtadin).
There’s so so much that I have heard and seen, but Alhamdulillah that he opened my eyes to see the truth regarding them and that I didn’t pledge allegiance to them nor did I act the way they did with regards to them violating peoples wealth and blood. There’s a lot left to say and I will expand further on it for those that want it at the appropriate time.
These people are using the honor and piety of righteous members for their own profit. They instigate their members to kill those whom they deem to be against them. They have succeeded in their lies previously and today the scenario is being repeated in the form of the recent IS offensive against rebel-held Northern Aleppo (“Revenge for the Raped Sisters” campaign). They repeat it so often to encourage their members to put the sword on the necks of their Muslim brothers. If (may Allah forbid) tomorrow they enter Mare’, you will see much blood be shed and hear their endless justifications for it.
Finally
Others would ask me why and how I went from being an ardent supporter of them to being their enemy. Yet even these reasons are only from the few, the rest of them are more tragic, which I will tell in its proper time by the will of Allah.
O Allah guide them for verily they do not know.
O Allah forgive me for any harm I have done against the Muslims by word or action,
O Allah show me the truth to be truth and grant me guidance, and show me falsehood to be falsehood, and save me from it.
And now I have finished this story, clarifying the tools they use to fool their members. I swear by Allah that what I have said is the truth and Allah is the best of helpers against what they claim.
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