They couldn’t be more different: two young women give insight in court about their experiences with the Muslim faith – one as a defendant on charges of terrorist financing and who only wanted to help women and children in refugee camps. The other is a divorced 19-year-old boy who has completely turned away from Islam.
A young woman – she is well-spoken and has her own online store – has to take a seat in the Wiener Landl. She is said to have donated a total of 660 euros to clubs to ransom captured IS fighters in Syria. She unconsciously swears by the judge. The 22-year-old only wanted to feed women and children in refugee camps. She didn’t know exactly what happened to the money.
“She is not a terrorist”
“She is not a terrorist. It has also not provided financial support to terrorists. She is of Shia faith. That is the only link you can make with the world described in the indictment.” She says she absolutely does not sympathize with IS. And a Muslim faith such as Shiism cannot be punishable under any circumstances. “The only thing that the officer of justice pulled out of the hat that accuses my client is a witness.”
And it is also charged in the terror trial against the 22-year-old. She enters the interrogation room wearing red lipstick, a striped summer dress and long loose hair; her behavior could no longer be contrary to that of the defendant. But it wasn’t always like this: in 2019, the 19-year-old converted to Islam. Why? “I had a desire to belong somewhere. Until then I was actually an atheist. I tried to find God.”
Married at age 17
She also met the defendant, who promptly referred the then 17-year-old to her brother-in-law. “She asked me if I wanted to get married. I said yes. She then created a group chat where I was asked questions. I saw him maybe three times before the wedding.” The marriage between the two only lasted eight months – ‘We weren’t the best couple.’
Probably also because her ex-husband was in custody for a while; The now 19-year-old and the 22-year-old no longer want to know why or whether he was convicted. But the judge is also interested in a completely different conviction: ‘Do you know why you have been convicted?’ he wants to know from the witness – ‘Because I donated to associations that supported IS.’ .
There is no intention to donate to IS
Probably one of the reasons why the 17-year-old turned away from Islam completely. This is in contrast to the 22-year-old suspect, who practices her religion in a conservative form. But – and her former sister-in-law is sure of this: ‘She always said that IS is bad and that I should stay away from it.’ And the jury agrees: the young woman is acquitted of the allegations.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
