Zeinab Ahmad: Accused ISIS bride rejects terror group, says 11 years in Syria was 'hell'
An accused ISIS bride charged with slavery offences has given a grim account of her previous life in Syria with the terror group.
An accused “ISIS bride” rejects Islamic extremism and considers her time in Syria to have been 11 years of hell.
Zeinab Ahmad’s lawyer made the assertions on her behalf on Monday as her application for bail entered its third day.
“My client does not support Islamic State,” barrister Grace Morgan told Melbourne Magistrates Court.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.“She rejects Islamic State. She has a deep anger towards it and to those men who enforced its ideals upon her.”
Ms Ahmad, 31, was charged with slavery offences in May after returning to Australia with other so-called “ISIS brides” and their children.
It’s alleged Ms Ahmad moved to Syria with her first husband Dawod in January 2015 and he became a member of Islamic State before he was killed in a drone strike in May 2016.
Federal police allege it was while she was living with her family in 2017 that Ms Ahmad’s father Mohammad bought a teenage girl as a slave for $US10,000 ($14,000).
It’s alleged the girl was repeatedly raped and beaten by Mohammad, with the claimed attacks including an incident where she was hit and dragged down two flights of stairs by the hair.
The girl reported screaming loudly during the incidents so Ms Ahmad and the other family members would have known what was happening, the court was told.
It is not alleged Ms Ahmad assaulted the girl but the teen claims she was “treated very badly” by her.
Ms Morgan told the court the slavery allegations were denied but it could be years before the case reached trial.
She noted it was the first time the charge of crime against humanity for enslavement would be tried in Australia.
As a result, it was expected there would be pre-trial issues and public interest immunity claims made by Australian and international agencies, which could lead to lengthy delays, Ms Morgan said.
That meant Ms Ahmad’s time on remand could exceed any possible sentence, the barrister said.
The separation from her daughter was also a significant hardship for the young girl who already suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, the lawyer said.
When it came to being a potential risk to the community, Ms Morgan maintained her client did not hold extremist Islamic views.
The barrister earlier pointed to comments Ms Ahmad made to a psychologist, in which she described her time in Syria as being “11 years of hell” that she would not wish on anyone.
Ms Ahmad now refused to cover her face and wanted her daughter to attend a public school, where she could interact with multicultural students, Ms Morgan said.
After the lunch break and following questions from the magistrate, the barrister was even stronger in her assertions that Ms Ahmad rejected Islamic State.
“She is happy to be back in Australia,” Ms Morgan said.
“She is grateful for the freedoms that she and her daughter and her wider family, particularly her sisters, can enjoy.”
Ms Morgan maintained any risk Ms Ahmad posed could be reduced through strict bail conditions, including a curfew and a ban on using social media.
The prosecution, who oppose bail, will make submissions before Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan when the bail application continues on Tuesday.
