In another shocking development connected to the Islamic State, an Australian woman and mother of two has abandoned her children in what seems like a bid to join the terrorist organization. The woman Jasmina Milovanov, left her children with a babysitter and never returned home.
Milovanov told the babysitter that she was going to pick up a new car. Later, her Turkish Australian ex-husband received a text message from her which mentioned that she was in “Sham” which is Arabic for Syria. Milovanov is believed to have travelled to Syria as a “Jihadi Bride”. She seems to have been lured by a Jihadi Bride recruiter Zehra Duman with whom she had links through Facebook. The matter is under investigation by the joint-counter terrorism team and nothing can be said until further details emerge. Duman, whose husband is believed to have been killed fighting for the ISIS in Syria, has been recruiting young women as Jihadi brides and sending them to Syria.
Hundreds of girls from across Europe and Australia are flocking to Syria and Iraq to become Jihadi Brides. Most of these are teenagers and are easily lured by promises from recruiters. Earlier this year three girls from England, roughly around 15 years of age, travelled to Syria in a similar bid. This is a worrying trend which poses a very potent threat of increased exploitation of women.
Milovanov has left behind her two children aged five and seven. Her ex-husband is in shock ever since receiving the text message from her. He says “The only thing I can think about is my children; I can’t believe she left these two beautiful children. My son was saying in the days afterwards that he hoped ‘my mum is OK'”.
According to reports, around 100 Australians are currently fighting for various groups in the Middle East, while 150 of their supporters are active within Australia. Prime Minister Tony Abbot warned his citizens about the homegrown terrorism issue getting worse and posing a major threat to Australia as a nation.
The pace with which recruitment for ISIS is being carried out in Europe and Australia is worrying and also points towards grave consequences in the near future.