Yasmine Mohammed: Educating Against Islamic Radicalism

Yasmine Mohammed, a former Muslim, uses her experiences to educate others about Islamic radicalism. Her journey began with a forced marriage to an al-Qaeda terrorist. “I had to accept being beaten by him, being raped by him, and my mom would give me religious justifications,” she shared. Mohammed’s mother told her she had no right to complain as she was considered her husband’s property.

Mohammed became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter. Her husband then spoke about taking their daughter to Egypt to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM). To protect her daughter, she realized she had to escape both her husband and her mother.

“There was nothing I could do except to get out. I had to get away from him and I had to protect my daughter,” Mohammed stated.

Raised in Canada in a secular Muslim family, Mohammed wore both the hijab and niqab during her life. Her mother’s radicalization played a significant role in Mohammed’s abusive marriage to Essam Marzouk, an Egyptian terrorist. Marzouk’s childhood struggles in Egypt, after moving to an affluent neighborhood, reportedly contributed to his radicalization.

Mohammed claims that radicalization is widespread, particularly in Ivy League universities in the U.S. She notes, “You’re going to see by far the biggest foreign funding is coming from Qatar,” attributing this to the propagation of radical ideology.

“Happening in all of these Ivy League universities, you’re going to see by far the biggest foreign funding is coming from Qatar,” Mohammed explained.

Yasmine Mohammed now advocates against the extremist ideology she escaped. She reflects on her past abuse and forced marriage to bring attention to these issues.