Balkan Jihadis Return, Disillusioned with ISIS “Caliphate” (Balkan Insight)
Jovo Martinovic BIRN Podgorica
Some jihadis from the Balkans who travelled to the Syrian conflict zone to support Islamic State told BIRN that they returned home because they became disenchanted with the brutality, poverty and oppression.
Hilmi, an ethnic Bosniak, travelled to Syria hoping that life in Islamic State’s‘caliphate would be an ideal religious environment - but he managed to escape 16 months later, disillusioned with what he had found there.
“There was nothing there, no electricity, no books, no internet, nothing,” Hilmi told BIRN.
“I had some 400 euros of savings, which were quickly spent on food. Then I started getting around $50 per month as I reported myself sick. My wife was helping the older women so sometimes she would get some allowance. I was going crazy and all the time I was thinking how to save my family and run away from there,” he recalled.
“Look,” he continued, opening his laptop and showing a video.
“There is no nature, there is no grass, everything died, was abandoned; look at this skinny sheep...the only thing we could do is walk around a bit,”he commented, before going through photos of his family and friends, some of whom never managed to return from Syria.