Woman held for offering to marry Daesh militant
Singapore — A 22-year-old Singaporean woman who was planning to go to Syria with her child and marry a Daesh fighter has been detained without trial, the city-state’s interior ministry said on Monday.
Syaikhah Izzah Zahrah Al Ansari, who worked at a community nursery, was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), the Ministry of Home Affairs said.
“Izzah was intent on joining Daesh and was actively planning to make her way to Syria, with her young child,” the ministry said in a statement, using another name for the Daesh group.
“She supported Daesh’s use of violence to establish and defend its self-declared ‘caliphate’, and aspired to live in it.”
Izzah became radicalised from 18 after watching propaganda videos from the extremist group, and had formed an extensive network of foreign contacts, including militants and supporters, the MHA said, some of whom had been killed in Syria or arrested for terrorrelated activities.
The daughter of religious teachers, she believed that having a husband who died in battle would give her “elevated status” and she could easily remarry in Syria, the MHA added. Her family tried to talk her out of it but to no avail.
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore said the incident demonstrated the threat of self-radicalisation is “very real”.
“An individual may fall prey to false narratives and teachings on the internet and social media, such that even a real life support structure may not be able to counter them,” the council said in a statement.—