Rawdah Abdisalaam: Female ISIS Agent In The U.S. Discovered To Be Seattle Journalist
A head female ISIS agent has been identified as Rawdah Abdisalaam, a Seattle journalism student.
On Twitter, she is known as @_UmmWaqqas, and is pictured shrouded completely in black from head-to-toe. The account has been one of the more popular Islamic State accounts, especially among females, and has over 8,000 followers, according to Channel 4.
The account, which has since been suspended, openly defends ISIS brutality and calls the burning death of Jordanian pilot Moaz al-Kasasbeh “an eye for an eye.”
“I now get why they caged the man & then poured concrete on him… Whenever the Muslims are bombed in their homes they have nowhere to run,” another one of her tweets read. The account has had other usernames, including @Rawdah_Abdi and @Rodaa27.
#RawdahAbdisalaam another #ISIS agent freely roaming the country side in Denver. #Closetheborder
— Melpomene (@Melpomenemuses) April 30, 2015
According to News.com, Abdisalaam played a very significant role in recruiting young women to join ISIS. She posted “inspirations” quotes, practical advice about leaving for ISIS-occupied regions, and a willingness to convert people to Islam.
Friends of Rawdah are in complete shock. They say she grew up in the Western world and often posted pictures of her hanging out with friends, eating pizza, and other American activities.
“I’m actually lost for words,” Rawdah’s school friend, who wished to stay anonymous, said. “The [girl] you are referring to is a childhood friend. [The tweets] sound a little to extreme to be honest … this is so weird.”
Rawdah has been operating on several different accounts from several different locations. She was operating out of Seattle from as early as March, but her friends says she has moved, possibly to Saudi Arabia or Denver, Colorado.
In the ISIS travel guide, linked to by Umm Waqqas, Abdisalaam is listed as a key contact to help people join the Islamic State group, along with 17 other agents and middlemen. Seattle Globalist reports that she was in “close contact with people who have left Britain to join radicalized groups in Syria before and after their departures.”
Senior female IS recruiter Rawdah Abdisalaam aka @_UmmWaqqas unmasked,traced to #Seattlepic.twitter.com/YKMgvYBU4Chttp://t.co/pUkdXi7tz0
— -T- (@offshore_race) April 28, 2015
Rawdah Abdisalaam’s current whereabouts could not be verified at this time.
[Image via Twitter Screenshot/Channel 4 News]
