Who is Umm Hudaifa? What did she say about atrocities committed by slain ISIS chief Abu Bakr al Baghdadi?

In an interview recently from a Baghdad prison where she has been lodged awaiting trial over various terror-related charges, Umm Hudaifa revealed about her life with her husband Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi who was the chief of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). She became the first wife of Ibrahim Awad al Badri, who is more popularly known by the name Abu Bakr al Baghdadi and is the most popular head of the terrorist group. This interview was conducted by the BBC.

Who was Baghdadi?

The couple got married in the year 1999 soon after he finished his studies on Sharia law or Islamic law from the University of Baghdad. She describes him as being “religious but not extremist” during that period. Troubles seem to have begun after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. He along with a few of his comrades were picked up in 2004 and detained at Camp Bucca in the southern part of the country.

"Baghdadi was radicalized in prison"

While many have pointed out his connections with Al Qaeda, his wife believes that it was this prison term that radicalized him. He had signs of psychological distress and alleged sexual torture, which was seen in the Abu Gharib prison. It was after his sentence in prison, that he was involved in various extremist activities and became the head of ISIS in 2010.


In 2014, with the fall of Mosul in Iraq and other areas in Syria, the Islamic State was established in Iraq and Syria and soon sought allegiance from other Sunni extremist groups.

Umm Hudaifa's life with Baghdadi

In 2014, she was living in Raqqa which was an IS stronghold in Syria with her husband. Baghdadi was on the move continuously as the security forces were looking for him. On one occasion, he had sent guards to take away their children from her. She was also banned from accessing television and phones since 2007, something which she tried to access in secrecy.

Umm Hudaifa confirms atrocities

She also saw his ascent within ISIS and she claims to have witnessed the atrocities inflicted on those who opposed the terror group. She also saw several minority groups being used as slaves meant for sexual harassment.

She claimed to have confronted him on these killings and the future of their children who were often made to take up arms or married off at an early age.

Charges against Umm Hudaifa

She was arrested in 2018 from Turkey where she was living under a false identity. She was sent back to Iraq where she is currently facing a trial for various alleged terror offenses including facilitating harassment of women.

FAQs:

Is Abu Bakr Baghdadi alive?
He was killed by the US forces in a raid in north-west Syria in 2019. Further, the US forces conducted these operations under the code name Kayla Mueller.

Did Umm Hudaifa have any children with Abu Bakr Baghdadi?
Umm Hudaifa's eldest daughter Umaima is in prison with her while Fatima is in a youth detention center. Two of her sons died while fighting while the youngest is still in prison.