Pregnant American teenager who was forced to join Isis by father speaks out about her ordeal
'Be glad your head isn't chopped off,' fighters told the teen
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An American teenager who was forced to join Isis by her father, has spoken out about her ordeal after escaping from territory still held by the militant group.
"My father, of course, didn't tell us that we were coming to Syria," the 15-year-old told US broadcaster CBS News, on the outskirts of the Syrian city of Raqqa, which was until recently a stronghold for the militant group.
"When it was time to get out of the car, and cross the border, he was like 'you're going to Syria,' and it was a really big shock."
On their arrival, the teenager from Kansas said she was coerced into marrying another fighter.
She said her father had been killed and she is now living with several other women who have escaped Raqqa in recent weeks.
Describing conditions under the harsh rules of the so called Caliphate, she said: "We were prisoners. We were just quiet."
She added they were told: "Shut up, sit down you're in the house, be glad your head isn't chopped off."
Raqqa is expected to fall by the end of October, according to the United Nations’ special envoy to Syria, Staffan de Mistura. It is estimated that around 4,000 civilians remain trapped in the city.
Isis once controlled vast swathes of Western Iraq and Syria, but most of this territory has been recaptured in recent months by the US-backed coalition of Kurdish fighters and Syrian Democratic Forces.
Another Isis stronghold, the city of Mosul in northern Iraq, was declared "liberated" on 10 July.
The girl now hopes to be reunited with her mother, who she believes is still living in the US.
"I still have hope, hope to go to school, hope to be a normal person, hope to be a mother to my child," she said.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments