Islamic State: Up to 40 Australian women, including 'jihadi brides', supporting terrorist activity in Syria and Iraq, Julie Bishop saysBy political reporter Susan McDonald
Updated about 5 hours agoUp to
40 Australian women are known to have taken part in or supported terrorist activity in Syria, Iraq and Australia, including so-called "jihadi brides", Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says.
Ms Bishop confirmed the figure in Parliament while pointing to an "increasing number of young females" joining Islamic State, despite them being used as sexual slaves and in some cases
as suicide bombers."More women are either joining their foreign fighter husbands or apparently seeking to find partners, the so-called jihadi brides, or are otherwise providing support for terrorist organisations," Ms Bishop said.
She said [b]women now account for nearly one-fifth of all foreign fighters[b], with over 500 believed to have come from western countries.
"This defies logic... given we know the attitude of Daesh towards women," she said, using an alternative Arabic name for Islamic State.
"If the killings and executions aren't enough, Daesh has published instructions on the treatment of sexual slaves, which includes raping and beating women.
"Even children are not immune, with instructions encouraging sexual assault on girls who have not yet reached puberty."Ms Bishop urged families to help prevent their daughters being radicalised.
"Family and friends are likely to be the first to see changes in young people who are radicalising," she said.
"Family and friends need to reach out to young people at risk before it's too late.
"The Government will work with them."
She also said Australia had such stories, pointing to the 22-year-old woman from the Gold Coast who was murdered within days of arriving in Syria last year.
Amira Karroum travelled to Syria to join her husband Tyler Casey on the frontline, but was executed in Aleppo.
source Insanity torture and murder are integral components of the world's largest cult of killers(islam).
muslims are convinced they have the right to be satanic purveyors of unspeakable human rights atrocities against their fellow man.
islam, allah, muhammad,the qur'an and hadi'th, all unequivocally urge these inhumanities are the sanctioned consecrated path for muslims.