Belgian IS Women Speak: Not Time Bombs, We Are Mothers

Four Belgian women who joined the Islamic State group in Syria between 2012 and 2015 have spoken publicly for the first time, insisting they are not security threats but mothers who made serious mistakes and now want to rebuild their lives in Belgium. Their testimonies, featured in the new VRT NWS podcast series “Vrouwen van IS” (Women of IS), come alongside a landmark assessment from Belgium’s security services that the feared “ticking time bomb” scenario has not materialized, with none of the 58 returned women found to have re-engaged with extremist networks.

Context: Belgium’s Foreign Fighter Legacy

Between 2012 and 2015, approximately 500 people left Belgium for Syria and Iraq to join extremist groups — including 112 women, making Belgium proportionally one of the largest per-capita contributors of foreign fighters to IS in Europe, according to VRT NWS. Many were recruited by Sharia4Belgium, a radical Islamist group active primarily in Antwerp and Vilvoorde that was dismantled in late 2012 when its leader, Fouad Belkacem, was arrested and convicted.

The women — using the pseudonyms Amira, Dounia, Zeyneb, and Katrien — each took different paths to Syria. Amira and Dounia were part of Sharia4Belgium and traveled with their husbands and brothers. Zeyneb was 16 and fleeing an abusive home situation when she fell under the influence of classmates connected to the group. Katrien, a convert to Islam, moved to Syria with her Dutch-Moroccan husband seeking what she described as freedom to practice her faith.

The Women’s Testimonies

In the podcast, the women describe their radicalization and the harsh realities they encountered. “If I look back now, I can see that I was radicalized. That didn’t happen overnight,” Dounia said. “I had questions about my faith, and eventually I was only surrounded by people who viewed it very strictly.”

Amira directly addressed the public fear surrounding returnees: “If we were really ticking time bombs, then that time bomb would have gone off by now. I have to be careful, because I can’t speak for every woman. But we now mainly want to live quietly and in peace, and seize the new chance we’ve been given.”

Zeyneb recounted the disturbing attitude of Belgian IS fighters toward attacks in Europe: “The Belgian IS fighters were very proud of the attacks in our country and France. That their own family could become victims didn’t matter to them. ‘They chose to stay there. If something happens to them, so be it.’ That was the reasoning.”

Katrien expressed remorse for the broader consequences: “I can’t rewind what I’ve done. But it has very serious consequences to this day. I’m also approached by other Muslims, because we made their religion look ridiculous, and caused all Muslims to be viewed negatively now. It’s been a serious life lesson.”

Dounia spoke of her guilt toward her children: “I feel enormously guilty towards my children. They’ve fallen behind compared to others; they still carry fears. I think I was so stupid to let myself be swept along by very wrong people. It was like I ended up in a cult.”

Three of the four women have completed their prison sentences; Zeyneb was acquitted due to being a minor at the time of her departure.

Security Assessment: A Feared Scenario That Never Materialized

Belgium’s Coordination Unit for Threat Analysis (OCAD/CUTA) has concluded that the feared doomsday scenario of returning women carrying out attacks has not materialized, as VRT NWS reported. Of the 58 women who have returned to Belgium, none have been found to have re-engaged with extremist networks.

“We are now fairly certain that virtually all of these women are on the right path,” Gert Vercauteren, head of OCAD, told VRT NWS, as Belga News Agency reported. However, Vercauteren cautioned against oversimplifying the women’s roles: “The image of women as ‘helpless sheep’ needs to be nuanced. Some may have followed their partner, but many women were themselves ideologically convinced.”

OCAD attributes the successful reintegration to a combined approach: criminal prosecution where warranted, paired with tailored support including psychological care, employment assistance, and family coordination at the municipal level. “Security services must act like a firefighter putting out the fire,” Vercauteren said. “But if you don’t address the cause, new fires will keep starting.”

Analysis and Implications

Belgium’s experience offers potential lessons for other European countries grappling with the return of IS-linked citizens. The successful reintegration of returned women supports arguments for rehabilitation-focused approaches over purely punitive measures. A new study by psychologists Gerrit Loots (VUB) and Hannan Jamaï, titled “Voor onze kinderen” (For Our Children), conducted in collaboration with 16 returned women, is set for publication on June 12, 2026, and is expected to provide further evidence for evidence-based reintegration policies.

However, challenges remain. A small number of Belgian women and children are still held in Syrian camps such as Al-Hol and Al-Roj, which have been described as breeding grounds for radicalization. The Brussels Court of Appeal recently ordered the Belgian state to facilitate the return of a Belgian mother and her 10-year-old daughter from Al-Roj, adding legal pressure to an already complex policy debate.

What’s Next

As the full “Vrouwen van IS” podcast series unfolds, it may further shift public perception of the women who left Belgium to join IS. The upcoming Loots and Jamaï study will likely inform future policy decisions on repatriation and reintegration. For now, Belgium’s security services maintain that the approach of combining accountability with support has yielded results — but they emphasize that continued vigilance and addressing the root causes of radicalization remain essential.

The podcast “Vrouwen van IS” is available on VRT MAX.