Top 5 Women From US & UK Who Joined ISIS: Shamima Begum, Hoda Muthana, Sally Jones And More
Between 2013 and 2019, hundreds of Western women traveled to Syria and Iraq to join ISIS, drawn by extremist recruitment campaigns that exploited social media, promising a life of honor, purpose, and belonging. These women, often teenagers, were targeted to become brides for fighters but also participated in propaganda, recruitment, and in some cases, armed activities. The fall of the ISIS Caliphate left many of them and their children in refugee camps like Al-Hol and Roj, where ongoing human rights challenges persist. Estimates suggest that between 664 and 746 women from Western Europe, the US, and other nations traveled to conflict zones, with the highest numbers from countries such as the UK, France, and Germany.
Here Are the Top Western Women Who Joined ISIS Over The Years:
Shamima Begum: UK Teen Who Joined ISIS
Shamima Begum left London at age 15 in 2015 to marry an ISIS fighter. She lost her three children and had her British citizenship revoked upon returning to a refugee camp in 2019.
Sharmeena Begum: First British Schoolgirl in ISIS
Sharmeena Begum left Bethnal Green, London, at age 15 in 2014, becoming the first British schoolgirl to join ISIS and inspiring friends to follow her into Syria.
Hoda Muthana: American ISIS Recruit
Hoda Muthana left Alabama in 2014 to join ISIS. She surrendered to Syrian Democratic Forces and expressed regret, seeking to return to the US with her toddler.
Sally Jones: The White Widow from UK Who Joined ISIS
Former punk musician Sally Jones traveled to Syria in 2013 to join her husband, becoming a social media propagandist with multiple Twitter accounts before his death in a US drone strike.
Daniela Greene: US Translator Who Joined ISIS
FBI translator Daniela Greene, a US citizen, married an ISIS operative in Syria in 2014, despite her previous role investigating the terrorist group with a top-secret security clearance.
