In one corner of Europe stands a
female Robocop armed to the hilt, hell-bent on defending Western
civilisation. Only her eyes can be seen, staring out defiantly from
beneath her combat helmet and over her gauze face mask. A military
niqab of sorts.
In the other, a woman high on Isil rhetoric dons a suicide vest – about to blow. In the past 24 hours both of these women have made headlines, but gender aside, they have nothing in common.
In the other, a woman high on Isil rhetoric dons a suicide vest – about to blow. In the past 24 hours both of these women have made headlines, but gender aside, they have nothing in common.
The female police officer is a
member of Scotland Yard’s elite counter-terrorism unit, tasked with
forming a ring of steel around Wembley’s 80,000 football fans on
Tuesday evening.
The suicide bombstress (a blonde white woman according to eyewitnesses) is a jihadist who, that the same evening, killed herself in a north Paris suburb trying to protect Abdelhami Abaaoud, the alleged mastermind behind the Paris attacks.
The suicide bombstress (a blonde white woman according to eyewitnesses) is a jihadist who, that the same evening, killed herself in a north Paris suburb trying to protect Abdelhami Abaaoud, the alleged mastermind behind the Paris attacks.
Since last Friday, men
have dominated proceedings. It was men brandishing Kalashnikovs
shouting “Allah” as they gunned down innocent music fans in the
Bataclan theatre. It was men blowing themselves up outside a football
match. And it has been mostly been male world leaders deciding how to
respond to another male-led war.
But now women have entered the battlefield. Except one was as a truly emancipated fighter and the other was a slave. The contrast is striking and is a powerful metaphor for the vast differences between the caliphate and the West.
Isil treats people, especially its women, like fodder. While the British policewoman can go home at the end of a rewarding day’s work, let her hair down and drink three vats of white wine if she chooses, Isil’s women are expected to observe strict domestic roles and focus on producing the next generation of jihadi warriors in third-world conditions.
But now women have entered the battlefield. Except one was as a truly emancipated fighter and the other was a slave. The contrast is striking and is a powerful metaphor for the vast differences between the caliphate and the West.
Isil treats people, especially its women, like fodder. While the British policewoman can go home at the end of a rewarding day’s work, let her hair down and drink three vats of white wine if she chooses, Isil’s women are expected to observe strict domestic roles and focus on producing the next generation of jihadi warriors in third-world conditions.
However, the unnamed female
suicide bomber could represent a change of policy for the terrorist
organisation, under which women’s roles may expand beyond the
domestic. Of course women blowing themselves up isn’t anything new.
It’s a well-worn strategy used by many extremist groups over the years.
But until now, Isil’s instructions for women have been non-negotiable; men fight, women breed. The recently discovered mass graves of Yazidi women considered too old to be raped or sold as sex slaves, serve as a horrifying reminder of what Isil does to females who don’t kowtow.
But until now, Isil’s instructions for women have been non-negotiable; men fight, women breed. The recently discovered mass graves of Yazidi women considered too old to be raped or sold as sex slaves, serve as a horrifying reminder of what Isil does to females who don’t kowtow.
According to Nikita Malik, senior
researcher at the Quilliam Foundation, a counter-extremism think tank,
this is Isil’s first confirmed female suicide bomber and she could
provide the justification for future woman attackers: “She still
stayed within Isil’s guidelines. The organisation’s propaganda states
women can commit violence only if they are under direct threat. As she
was being attacked by disbelievers [French police], she was right to
act, according to Isil, and instantly becomes a martyr.
“But her actions might pave the way for other women in the caliphate to fight. We will be watching to see if this develops as a new plan.”
I have written before that we dismiss these Western women who travel to Raqqa (now more than 550) as mere “jihadi brides” at our peril.
We need only read their tweets to know how bloodthirsty they are. Last year after Isil released one of its gruesome beheading videos online, one woman wrote: “So I finally watched #IS latest video, OMG! …Gut-wrenchingly awesome.”
We also know that women make excellent suicide bombers, as they tend to arouse less suspicion.
But there is something perverse that as women step up to prove their murderous credentials in the caliphate, they only do so to drag themselves back to a dark society in which women have no rights.
Which brings me back to our female Robocop.
Next month, the UK celebrates 100 years of women in the police with the power to arrest. Female Robocop and her Western sisters have come a long way since then. We learn, vote, earn and lead. What a horrible irony that as we march towards greater and greater equality, Isil’s women have chosen the opposite route.
“But her actions might pave the way for other women in the caliphate to fight. We will be watching to see if this develops as a new plan.”
I have written before that we dismiss these Western women who travel to Raqqa (now more than 550) as mere “jihadi brides” at our peril.
We need only read their tweets to know how bloodthirsty they are. Last year after Isil released one of its gruesome beheading videos online, one woman wrote: “So I finally watched #IS latest video, OMG! …Gut-wrenchingly awesome.”
We also know that women make excellent suicide bombers, as they tend to arouse less suspicion.
But there is something perverse that as women step up to prove their murderous credentials in the caliphate, they only do so to drag themselves back to a dark society in which women have no rights.
Which brings me back to our female Robocop.
Next month, the UK celebrates 100 years of women in the police with the power to arrest. Female Robocop and her Western sisters have come a long way since then. We learn, vote, earn and lead. What a horrible irony that as we march towards greater and greater equality, Isil’s women have chosen the opposite route.
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