Risking death by stoning, they film what it is like inside the city run medieval style.
Women's secret films from within closed city of Islamic State
Publicerad 13 mar 2016 kl 06.04
AL-RAQQAH/DAMASCUS. Using hidden cameras two brave Syrian women show us what life is like inside al-Raqqah, capital city of terrorist sect ISIS in northern Syria.
They know they will be stoned to death if they are exposed.
They are willing to risk their lives to help the rest of the world understand.
Here, women's faces are so prohibited that they are even scribbled out on supermarket packaging.
Sharia policewomen patrol the streets in search of women who are not concealed behind double burqas.
And in this place, contraceptive pills that have been smuggled in are the only way to save a pregnant woman from being stoned to death.
"I want to live the way I want. I want to buy what I want. I want to go out alone, free and without having a guardian with me", says one of the women, Om Mohammad.
The winter rain falls onto the few people walking around on the streets of al-Raqqah.
The hidden camera footage shows men with semi-concealed Kalashnikovs over their shoulders – ISIS fighters.
They have made a pilgrimage to this place, convinced that they are going to establish God's State on earth – the Islamic Caliphate.
The result has become a hell on earth, not least for the women of the city.
The two Syrian women who we shall call Om Omran and Om Mohammad, which are not their real names, were willing to wear Expressen's hidden cameras, which have been smuggled in.
"We want the world to know," they say.
Over the course of several weeks, they have documented life in the completely isolated city of al-Raqqah.
Their videos are a unique glimpse into a bombed-out city.
"People are being forced to sell their blood; poor people are charging 1,000 Syrian pounds (approx. SEK 22) for a kilo of blood," Om Mohammad tells us.
There is not a woman in al-Raqqah who would dare to go out on the streets of the city on her own. It is strictly prohibited.
Anyone not following the rules is flogged or imprisoned. And if you are unlucky, the punishment is death. A woman must be accompanied by another woman or a male guardian.
Raqqa is known for its dam Sadd al-Furat which lies 276 metres over the ocean. It is over 4,5 kilometers long and 60 metres high. The dam is one of the biggest in the Arab world. It is thought that the ISIS leadership uses the dam both as shelter and as a prison for the most important prisoners – mostly foreigners.
She should avoid walking down the middle of the street. She should walk in such a way that does not draw attention – preferably by creeping along next to the side the buildings.
A woman may not speak loudly or show her hands and is forced to cover her entire body with a double burqa.
"Cover your eyes properly. We don't want the Hisbah women to see us. I don’t want us to get in trouble," Om Mohammed whispers to her friend Om Omran as they walk along al-Rashid Street in central al-Raqqah.
Hisbah is ISIS's female religious police force.
Armed, and with unlimited power, they patrol the city's streets to ensure that women are wearing the "right" clothing.
Om Omran has trouble meeting the ISIS demand that women’s faces should be completely covered up. Not just because she finds it uncomfortable.
"I can't see anything if I cover up my eyes. I have poor eyesight. How am I supposed to see if I cover my eyes?" she asks worriedly.
Om Omran and Om Mohammad stop one of the city's taxis. They climb into the yellow car.
The taxi driver explains that he cannot have a female passenger on her own in the car.
"If I do that, the car will be impounded, I'll have to pay a fine and I'll be punished. She'll be punished too – they'll flog her," says the driver.
Normally people dare not criticise ISIS and its bloody Sharia rule.
But Om Omran and Om Mohammad suggest that something has happened to make more and more people dare to talk about the everyday problems.
The driver explains how his daughter was going to be punished for not wearing a niqāb.
"The interrogator wanted to fetch her – she was going to get 30 lashes out on the street," he explains.
"'Am I not her father?' I asked him. He said, 'yes.' 'Then I'm the one who punishes her. You don't punish her. She's my daughter.'"
the rest and the video:
Women's secret films from within al-Raqqah of ISIS | Nyheter | Expressen
Women's secret films from within closed city of Islamic State
Publicerad 13 mar 2016 kl 06.04
AL-RAQQAH/DAMASCUS. Using hidden cameras two brave Syrian women show us what life is like inside al-Raqqah, capital city of terrorist sect ISIS in northern Syria.
They know they will be stoned to death if they are exposed.
They are willing to risk their lives to help the rest of the world understand.
Here, women's faces are so prohibited that they are even scribbled out on supermarket packaging.
Sharia policewomen patrol the streets in search of women who are not concealed behind double burqas.
And in this place, contraceptive pills that have been smuggled in are the only way to save a pregnant woman from being stoned to death.
"I want to live the way I want. I want to buy what I want. I want to go out alone, free and without having a guardian with me", says one of the women, Om Mohammad.
The winter rain falls onto the few people walking around on the streets of al-Raqqah.
The hidden camera footage shows men with semi-concealed Kalashnikovs over their shoulders – ISIS fighters.
They have made a pilgrimage to this place, convinced that they are going to establish God's State on earth – the Islamic Caliphate.
The result has become a hell on earth, not least for the women of the city.
The two Syrian women who we shall call Om Omran and Om Mohammad, which are not their real names, were willing to wear Expressen's hidden cameras, which have been smuggled in.
"We want the world to know," they say.
Over the course of several weeks, they have documented life in the completely isolated city of al-Raqqah.
Their videos are a unique glimpse into a bombed-out city.
"People are being forced to sell their blood; poor people are charging 1,000 Syrian pounds (approx. SEK 22) for a kilo of blood," Om Mohammad tells us.
There is not a woman in al-Raqqah who would dare to go out on the streets of the city on her own. It is strictly prohibited.
Anyone not following the rules is flogged or imprisoned. And if you are unlucky, the punishment is death. A woman must be accompanied by another woman or a male guardian.
Raqqa is known for its dam Sadd al-Furat which lies 276 metres over the ocean. It is over 4,5 kilometers long and 60 metres high. The dam is one of the biggest in the Arab world. It is thought that the ISIS leadership uses the dam both as shelter and as a prison for the most important prisoners – mostly foreigners.
She should avoid walking down the middle of the street. She should walk in such a way that does not draw attention – preferably by creeping along next to the side the buildings.
A woman may not speak loudly or show her hands and is forced to cover her entire body with a double burqa.
"Cover your eyes properly. We don't want the Hisbah women to see us. I don’t want us to get in trouble," Om Mohammed whispers to her friend Om Omran as they walk along al-Rashid Street in central al-Raqqah.
Hisbah is ISIS's female religious police force.
Armed, and with unlimited power, they patrol the city's streets to ensure that women are wearing the "right" clothing.
Om Omran has trouble meeting the ISIS demand that women’s faces should be completely covered up. Not just because she finds it uncomfortable.
"I can't see anything if I cover up my eyes. I have poor eyesight. How am I supposed to see if I cover my eyes?" she asks worriedly.
Om Omran and Om Mohammad stop one of the city's taxis. They climb into the yellow car.
The taxi driver explains that he cannot have a female passenger on her own in the car.
"If I do that, the car will be impounded, I'll have to pay a fine and I'll be punished. She'll be punished too – they'll flog her," says the driver.
Normally people dare not criticise ISIS and its bloody Sharia rule.
But Om Omran and Om Mohammad suggest that something has happened to make more and more people dare to talk about the everyday problems.
The driver explains how his daughter was going to be punished for not wearing a niqāb.
"The interrogator wanted to fetch her – she was going to get 30 lashes out on the street," he explains.
"'Am I not her father?' I asked him. He said, 'yes.' 'Then I'm the one who punishes her. You don't punish her. She's my daughter.'"
the rest and the video:
Women's secret films from within al-Raqqah of ISIS | Nyheter | Expressen
