Dreamed of A Better Life; Ex-ISIS Indonesia Misses Home
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7 February 2020 12:05 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An Indonesian citizen who was a former supporter of ISIS, Aleeyah Mujahid, not her real name, revealed her reasons for joining the militant group. As posted on her social media, Aleeyah decided to ‘disappear’ from her family and relatives in Jakarta back in December 2015.
The 25-year-old woman was determined to move to Syria and joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. “My reason? A better life. A better life for me is not about the economy, but my religious concern,” said Aleeyah on her social media. Tempo had obtained the permit to publish her story.
Graduated from Al-Mukmin Ngruki Islamic Boarding School, Aleeyah claimed she wanted to live among Muslims from across the world who were passionate about Islam and willing to obey Islamic laws based on the Holy Quran and hadiths in a bid to avert self from injustice. Besides, she desired to improve her relations with God and become a better Muslim woman.
A few months after living there, Aleeyah recalled that she had started to witness the depravity of ISIS, especially after the fall of Mosul at the end of October-early November 2016. She likened her experience joining ISIS to living with a gangster or mafia group in the name of Islam.
“It’s difficult to get out. They will never leave you alone,” Aleeyah said.
By the time ISIS was defeated in 2017, Aleeyah and her child were taken to a refugee camp and now they were in limbo in Rojava camp. For over two years, she prayed and hoped to be able to move to a better place or return home. “Alhamdulillah if the answer [of my prayers] is Indonesia.”
FRISKI RIANA