The Malaysian Insider – 19 hours agoRELATED CONTENT
- Malaysian women join Middle East jihadists as ‘comfort women’, reveals intelligence …
Malaysian women are believed to have joined the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (Isis) forces to offer Jihad Al-Nikah or sexual jihad, senior intelligence officials told The Malaysian Insider.
Authorities confirmed that three Malaysian women have journeyed to the Middle East to join up with Isis forces.
Jihad Al-Nikah refers to a controversial concept where Sunni women allegedly offer themselves in sexual comfort roles to fighters for the establishment of Islamic rule.
The concept originated from a Wahhabi edict around 2013, that called for Sunni women supporters to come forward for sex jihad and boost the morale of fighters battling against Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria.
"These women are believed to have offered themselves in sexual comfort roles to Isis fighters who are attempting to establish Islamic rule in the Middle East.
"This concept may seem controversial but it has arisen as certain Muslim women here are showing sympathy for the Isis struggle," an intelligence official told The Malaysian Insider.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official said one of the Malaysian women had travelled to the Middle East in December last year.
"The woman, in her 30s, went to Turkey before meeting up with middlemen who helped her to complete her journey to Syria via land routes.
"Another Malaysian woman in her 40s is believed to have linked up with Isis forces sometime in April this year," the source said.
The intelligence official said Malaysian women were not the only ones who were performing sexual jihad as there were also other Muslim women involved.
"Intelligence exchanged with other countries revealed that Sunni Muslim women from Australia and the United Kingdom had also joined up with Isis."
The intelligence official said Isis had issued a decree or edict in June this year ordering for the conscription of Jihad Al-Nikah or sexual jihad.
"Shortly after the town of Mosul in Iraq was captured by Isis forces, people were ordered to send unmarried women to jihad for sex," the intelligence official revealed.
"In its proclamation, Isis threatened to impose shariah law on all those who failed to comply with the edict or decree," the official added.
The intelligence official said British counterparts had revealed that more than 600 British Muslims are believed to be fighting for Isis.
"This figure also includes British Muslim women who are not fighting on the front line, but are still involved by performing sexual jihad.
"Australian intelligence officials have revealed that more than 100 Australian Muslims are in Syria fighting alongside Isis," the intelligence official said.
Although Putrajaya had initially revealed that about 30 Malaysians might have travelled to the Middle East to fight for Isis, the actual figure is believed to be higher.
"Checks with our foreign counterparts and intelligence disseminated reveal that there may be up to 50 Malaysians in the Middle East," the official told The Malaysian Insider.
So far, three Malaysians have reportedly died in Syria while fighting against the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Mat Soh, 52, was reportedly killed after being hit by a tank shell during fierce fighting between Isis and Syrian forces last week.
In June, 26-year-old Ahmad Tarmimi Maliki died after a suicide incident which killed more than 20 Iraqi soldiers at their base in al-Anbar in May.
The identity of the third Malaysian who perished in the incident has yet to be confirmed by authorities here.
Since the conflict in Syria erupted in March 2011, more than 190,000 fatalities have been reported thus far, according to the United Nations.
The most gruesome murder occurred on August 20 when Isis released a footage of a jihadist, who spoke with a southern English accent, beheading American photojournalist James Foley.
Foley was captured in Syria in late 2012. The video footage showed him being murdered in the desert.
The video, entitled "A Message To America", was posted on YouTube in a warning to US President Barack Obama over air strikes against the militants in Iraq.
Before he was killed, the 40-year-old war reporter was forced to read a statement that blamed America for his death. – August 27, 2014.
