Tunisian prisons hold several prominent political, security, and judicial figures who led the government in recent years. They are under investigation for serious terrorism charges, including “sending fighters to hotspots of tension”. It is one of the most significant legal cases to be opened since the Islamic Ennahda (Renaissance) Party left power.
The investigation involves more than 100 defendants, thousands of testimonies, and recordings dating back more than a decade when Tunisia became an exporter of male and female terrorists to join Islamic State (IS). Some went on to play important roles in the organisation, including the “sexual jihad” of women. Some then returned to Tunisia seeking reintegration. Others hope to do so soon.
Return and redemption
There may be a slim prospect of a ‘second chance’ for female IS fighters, however, as they are classed as a cross-border threat. Since the issue of returning IS women is linked to the case against the prominent figures, many Tunisian families anxiously await the outcome.
Many of the women are stranded in countries like Iraq, Libya, and Syria, where they have children. Often widows, the children’s fathers were typically IS fighters. Many use the legal argument that grants victim status to those who have been “deceived and exploited”. This potentially paves their way back via community rehabilitation programmes. In part, it helps to address the stigma.
Tunisia lacks official statistics on female jihadists in conflict zones or on female IS returnees. Authorities handle each case individually, based on investigations, intelligence, and international cooperation in combating terrorism.
Generally, female returnees face imprisonment or house arrest, even after completing their sentences. Yet, for the country’s security forces, these women hold valuable information, given their familiarity with the inner workings of terrorist groups, including travel, networks, financing, recruitment, and propaganda.
Leading by example
On a personal level, theirs are often stories of blood, loss, destruction, and dispersion that are now familiarly etched into the memories of hundreds of Tunisian families.
Olfa, a Tunisian mother whose story was the basis of Four Daughters, recently gained international recognition at the Cannes and Hollywood film festivals. The documentary highlights Olfa’s exceptional courage in exposing her daughters’ plans to carry out terrorist operations in Tunisia after they pledged allegiance to IS and travelled to Libya.
Read more: 'Four Daughters' explores themes of femininity under the Islamic State
Despite being threatened, Olfa handed her daughters over to Tunisia’s security forces, revealing collusion between security and judicial services that enabled them to rejoin IS. Olfa’s bravery not only provided valuable information but also served as a morale boost to families in similar positions, often living in fear and denial. It inspired them to come forward, help combat terrorism, and promote national reconciliation.
Four Daughters has also shed light on the complexities of terrorism and the importance of family support in preventing radicalisation. The story of Ghufran and Rahma has exposed the various facets of female jihad and the roles assigned to Tunisian female jihadists within IS. The documentary chronicles their journey from recruitment and training to organisation building and promotion of the caliphate state, to the group’s brutal expansion, and finally, to its demise.
Living with stigma
Tunisia’s Interior Ministry says less than 300 Tunisian women joined terrorist groups in Syria, Iraq, and Libya. Aged 16-45, it says more than half went to Syria. The Minister for Women, however, puts that figure much higher, at a more realistic 700.
Amna (a pseudonym), 35, tried to get to Syria in 2013. Her brother, who has assumed a paternal role for his four sisters, told Al Majalla that Amna is trying to reintegrate, but fear of judgment and stigma are preventing her from fully returning to her normal life.
Her husband had travelled to Syria in 2013 to fight. She tried to join him but was intercepted in Turkey and returned home. Amna's brother says her husband never fought and was instead sentenced to prison, then later placed under house arrest. The effects of her actions have been long-lasting. Two of Amna's family members were denied promotions in the security services due to her actions. Moreover, the stigma continues to haunt those who travelled abroad to conflict zones.
That stigma was perpetuated by the former Interior Minister, Lotfi Ben Jeddou, who in 2013 claimed that Tunisian women were engaged in "sexual jihad" in Syria, returning pregnant and sexually abused by multiple fighters. These statements had a lasting impact on the public perception of women who were involved with extremist groups.
