A farewell letter by an Australian ISIS bride has forged doubt on her claims that she was ‘trapped’ in Islamic State territory after attending a marriage and serving to Syrian orphans.
Kawsar Abbas, often known as Ahmad, 53, was charged with slavery offences after touchdown in Melbourne on Might 7 together with her two grownup daughters, Zeinab, 31, and Zahra, 33, and her eight grandchildren.
The three girls had been amongst 4 ISIS brides to return to Australia final week after spending seven years in Al Roj refugee camp in Syria.
Abbas left Australia for Turkey in March 2014 to affix her husband Mohammed Ahmad, who ran a charity in Syria which was suspected by Australian Federal Police of funnelling cash into IS – which the couple deny.
They beforehand claimed they solely crossed the border into Syria for his or her son Omar’s wedding ceremony, and had been blindsided after they realised he’d pledged allegiance to IS.
Nevertheless, a Fb submit on Abbas’ profile on March 7, 2014 – days earlier than she travelled to the battle zone – suggests she deliberate to remain abroad for a very long time, and makes no point out of a marriage.
Within the submit, which was a farewell to household and mates, she wrote: ‘Our unity has expanded into Syria and can solely increase additional by Allah’s will.’
On the finish of the submit, Abbas informed her family members that she hopes they are going to be reunited in ‘Jannat al-Firdaws’ – which is the afterlife within the Islamic religion.
Kawsar Abbas is pictured inside a jail van in Melbourne on Might 11, after being charged with slavery offences
Pictured: Zahra Ahmad leaving Melbourne Airport on Might 7. She has not been charged with any prison offences
The submit additionally learn: ‘Might Allah bless you all, as I put together to depart to see my family members as soon as once more alhamdulillah [praise to be God] I depart behind the family members which have been there for me in my darkest moments.
‘Actually no phrases can describe how I really feel however I ask Allah that you just discover this deed weighing closely in your scale. I’ll use this solely to multiply your considerate act in rewards inshallah [if God wills].
‘Might Allah give me the flexibility to be there for all of you. Might Allah ease your affairs and be with you all and bless you and your households. Mashallah [what God has willed] our unity has expanded into Syria and can solely increase additional by Allah’s will.’
She informed family and friends that she beloved them and requested everybody to hope for her.
‘I ask Allah to maintain our hearts steadfast upon all that pleases him and to just accept our deeds and to unite is in Jannat Al-Firdaws [the garden of paradise],’ she wrote.
Abbas additionally uploaded a photograph of a card showing to indicate she was gifted cash for the journey.
Family members commented on the submit, saying: ‘You are superior.’
One other stated: ‘Fantastically spoken Kawsar, you are an inspiration Mashallah Tabarakallah [what God has willed, blessed is Allah].’
Kawsar Abbas wrote a submit on Fb days earlier than she left Australia in 2014 (pictured)
Pictured: A photograph Kawsar Abbas uploaded on March 7, 2014, which seems to indicate she was gifted cash earlier than going to Syria
Melbourne to Syria
Posts from March and April present Abbas and her household had been reunited in Turkey.
They frolicked sightseeing in Istanbul, and appeared to go to some Syrian orphans on the finish of March.
Ahmad – who’s now in a Syrian jail – informed the ABC in 2019 that his household solely crossed the border into Syria for Omar’s marriage to a neighborhood teenage lady, which they declare wouldn’t have taken place in the event that they had been unable to satisfy their future in-laws.
He didn’t clarify why Omar, who had simply turned 18, was dwelling within the Syrian metropolis of Manbij on the time.
Ahmad claimed the household obtained caught in Syria in September 2014, when IS attacked the final exit in Kobane, stopping them from leaving.
Omar and their different son Ahmad have since died within the ongoing battle, together with 5 different members of their prolonged household.
Omar allegedly stored a Yazidi slave, who Ahmad informed the publication was handled nicely.
Mohammed Ahmad (pictured) went to the Turkey-Syrian border in 2012. He’s now in a Syrian jail
Pictured: Kawsar Abbas and Mohammed Ahmad’s son, Ahmad Ahmad. He died within the battle
‘IS-linked’ charity
Ahmad travelled to Syria in 2012 the place he claimed to have carried out help work along with his charity, International Humanitarian Help Australia (GHAA), which was registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Revenue Fee.
It was set as much as assist Syrian orphans, however Australian Federal Police suspected the charity’s actual goal was to funnel cash to Islamic State, which Ahmad denies.
The sister of Australian suicide bomber Adam Dahman helped with fundraising for a similar charity, and Australian jihadist supporter Kassab adopted it on social media.
GHAA additionally labored carefully with IHH – a charity which has been accused in Germany and Israel of getting hyperlinks to Hamas. Quite a lot of posts on GHAA’s Fb web page are reposts from IHH.
Ahmad introduced its closure in January 2015 ‘resulting from circumstances past our management’, nevertheless it’s believed their accounts had been closed by the Australian authorities.
Its registration was revoked by the ACNC in 2017 as a result of monetary statements had been by no means submitted.
Ahmad has persistently denied that GHAA was funnelling cash to IS, or had hyperlinks to terrorist organisations.
Kawsar Abbas’ daughter Zeinab Ahmad is pictured
Kawsar Abbas’ daughter Zahra Ahmad is pictured
Alleged slave merchants
Since being detained at Al Roj refugee camp after the autumn of IS in 2019, Abbas and her daughters Zeinab and Zahra have repeatedly pleaded for Australian authorities assist to return dwelling.
Abbas, her daughters, one other ISIS bride Janai Safar, 32, and their mixed 9 youngsters left the refugee camp in northern Syria in late April, however had been held up in Damascus for 2 weeks by Syrian authorities.
Safar landed in Sydney on Might 7 and was charged with getting into and remaining in a declared battle zone and with becoming a member of the terrorist organisation.
Abbas and Zeinab had been charged with enslavement and utilizing a slave after touchdown in Melbourne. Abbas was additionally charged with possessing a slave and interesting in slave buying and selling.
Zahra just isn’t accused of committing any crimes.
Courtroom paperwork allege Abbas enslaved, possessed and used a slave in Mayadin, Hajin, Gharanji, Bahra, Abu Hamam, Walaa and different locations within the Deir ez-Zor province of Syria between June 2017 and November 2018.
The paperwork additionally allege she was complicit in shopping for a feminine slave for greater than AU$14,000, and knowingly stored the lady in her dwelling.
Pictured: A court docket sketch of Kawsar Abbas in Melbourne Justice of the Peace’s Courtroom on Might 8
Zeinab Ahmad, 31, (pictured in a jail truck) will apply for bail within the Melbourne Magistrates’ Courtroom in July
Abbas and Ahmad allegedly ‘dedicated deliberately or knowingly as a part of a widespread or systemic assault directed in opposition to a civilian inhabitants’, in response to the paperwork.
They confronted Melbourne Magistrates’ Courtroom individually earlier in Might after they had been taken into custody on the airport.
The court docket heard the alleged sufferer, a Yazidi girl, was taken from her dwelling when she was a pre-teen lady in 2014 and offered as a slave to households of ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria.
Abbas and Ahmad had been remanded in custody till June when they’ll apply for bail.
The Day by day Mail has contacted Abbas for remark.
