The Story of a Bedroom Radical

It has been nearly a year since Aqsa's family has seen her.

       In November 2013, Aqsa Mahmood a 19 year old Scottish girl, gave her father a long parting hug.  Muzaffar, her father, remembers that she looked especially beautiful that day, he remarked to his wife that something was different today.  The previous night, her and her sisters slept together in one bed and she gave a long farewell to her ailing grandmother.  Her mother knew something was peculiar that evening.  Khalida, her mother, noted that there was something different about the way she said "Khuda Hafiz" while departing.  Four days later, the family petrified, Aqsa called Scotland from the Syrian Border in Turkey.  She said that she would see her family on the Judgement Day, she aimed to be a martyr.  Aqsa had been influenced by watching online  sermons and coming in contact with people helping her to make the voyage to Syria.  

       Aqsa's father moved to Glasgow in 1970 and was a player for the national cricket team.  They were living the immigrant dream, they bought a house in an affluent neighbourhood, sent their children to an esteemed private school.  There were no signs that the teen had harboured any extremist thoughts.  However, when the civil war in Syria emerged, Aqsa became increasingly concerned about violence.  She began reading and praying the Quran more regularly.  She gave up music, fiction and didn't go out uch.  But the parents did not suspect anything.  Aqsa didn't even know which bus to take to downtown, that why parents were stunned to here when she was headed for Aleppo in northern Syria.

       "I don't know when she became this brave" says Khalida.  She was scared to speak out, scared to fly.  She brought her mother tea in bed and loved to assist her handicapped grandmother.  After arriving, Aqsa soon relayed to her family that she would marry.  She had to find a mahram, "That's the process here, they don't let a girl stay alone" said Aqsa.  Despite Aqsa's prominent role on social media, her father says he reads little, it pains him to read it.  "God only knows why she is doing this" says Muzaffar.  She is praying everyday that she will become a "shahid" or martyr.  

       The family hopes and prays that Aqsa will return home.  It is obvious that no family would like to see their child disappear to the hands of an extremest group.  I believe that school systems should be doing something to prevent any more children from vanishing to these extremest groups.  They should be trying to convey the more accurate image of what they are doing and emphasize all of the cons of the groups.  Unfortunately, when one victim becomes captive to a group like this, the impact snowballs onto more people than initially imagined.  For example, one of Aqsa's sisters is suffering from depression since she left.  Khalida says that Aqsa often sleeps on the floor in the cold and has suffered from pneumonia.  Both parents, of course, are worried that time is running out for Aqsa to return safely, however they are hoping that she, one day will return.  
 William Deo

Adapted from:
http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/05/world/europe/isis-bride-glasgow-scotland/index.html?hpt=wo_bn8