It wasn’t always like this. There was a time when you saw women in Muslim-majority countries wearing swimsuits on public beaches, going to university. There was a time where Islamic countries were embracing progressive ideals, moving forwards not backwards.

It’s time to stop tiptoeing around the truth. Jihadists are not hiding their intentions—they tell us exactly what they stand for. And it stands in stark contrast to the values of tolerance, freedom, and coexistence.

At 19, my life was stolen from me. They found the perfect tool of control—a man who embodied terror.

For years, I was a prisoner in every sense. But motherhood awakened a fire in me. I wasn’t just fighting for myself anymore.