Media

This section collects articles, pictures & videos related to activities of the “Mothers for Life” network.

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"Wir wollen, dass ihr lebt"


Story by Raniah Salloum for Spiegel Online.

Tausende junge Männer aus aller Welt haben sich von der Terror-Miliz IS rekrutieren lassen, kämpfen in Syrien oder im Irak. Nun meldet sich eine Gruppe von Müttern zu Wort. Sie bitten ihre Söhne eindringlich, nach Hause zu kommen.

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Spiegel Online

„Wir sind das Leben, warum wählt ihr den Tod?“


Muslimische Mütter verzweifeln, dass ihre Söhne für den Islamischen Staat in den Tod ziehen. Sie appellieren an die Kinder, zu ihnen in die Familie zurückzukehren. Ein Dokument mütterlicher Liebe.

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Die Welt

‘Why Do All the Jihadis Come to Birmingham?’


Story by Katrin Bennhold and Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura for The New York Times.

"One problem, said Nicola Benyahia, who runs Families for Life, an independent organization that helps parents detect radicalization in their children, is the mistrust between Muslim communities and the authorities."

Our Mother for Life Nicola was interviewed for this New York Times piece.

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The New York Times

Trust Women 2016: Plenary - Is deradicalisation possible?


Watch our Mothers for Life Nicola discuss if deradicalization is truly possible at the Trust Women Conference 2016:

At the Thomson Reuters Foundation we act to promote socio-economic progress and the rule of law worldwide. We play a leading role in the fight against human trafficking. We use the skills, values, and expertise of Thomson Reuters to run programmes that trigger real change and empower people around the world. We tackle global issues. We achieve lasting impact.

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Thomson Reuters Foundation

To some Tunisians returning ISIS fighters are a threat. To others family.


As the Islamic State group faces serious losses in Syria and Iraq, some foreign fighters are returning home. Many come from Tunisia, which has a fragile democracy and very real security concerns. What fate do they face, and what does their return mean for the country and their families? Jeffrey Brown reports from Tunis for PBS News Hour.

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PBS News Hour

'They look at our children as monsters, and they're not,' argues mom of ISIS fighter

  • Posted: December 30, 2015
  • Source: PRI

What leads a young person, living what seems to be a "normal everyday life" in the West, to join an extremist group? Listen to our Mother for Life Christianne explain the radicalization process of her son.

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PRI

The Warning Signs Of Radicalization: A Parent's Guide

  • Posted: April 3, 2016
  • Source: NPR

Christianne Boudreau, co-founder of Moms For Life, an international family support group, talks about warning signs of radicalization by terrorist groups that parents should be aware of.

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NPR

Son died fighting for ISIS, mom wants to fight propaganda


Watch out Mothers for Life Karolina and Christianne help to build a global alliance of families against terrorism:

Relatives of fighters who joined the Islamic State militants and other groups came together at an anti-radicalization conference in Paris with hopes of reaching a turning point in the fight against extremism. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports.

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PBS News Hour

My Son, the Jihadist


I gripped the phone, trying to make out the words on the crackling line. There was a moment of silence before the voice at the other end spoke: “I’m sorry, but your son is dead.”

Our Mother for Life Nicola describes her painful story for The New York Times.

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The New York Times

Mothers of Isis recruits find healing and resolve through support network


Story by Raya Jalabi. As young men from western countries are fighting and dying for jihadi groups, mothers work to counter their recruitment efforts through Mothers for Life

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The Guardian

„Ich war bei seiner Geburt dabei, aber nicht bei seinem Tod"


Story by Markus Mena for Vice Germany.

Im Gespräch mit der Mutter eines deutschen Dschihadisten – „Ich war bei seiner Geburt dabei, aber nicht bei seinem Tod"

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Vice Germany

«Figlio mio, scusami, non ti ho salvato»


Story by Alessia Arcolaci for Vanity Fair. Christianne Boudreau ha scoperto grazie a un tweet che suo figlio era morto mentre combatteva in Siria, da quel giorno lotta per salvare i giovani che come lui decidono di arruolarsi e diventare foreign fighters

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Vanity Fair

Western mothers of ISIS militants use social media to woo children home

  • Published: June 3, 2015
  • Source: CBC News

A group of mothers whose children have joined the extremist Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group is reaching out online to persuade their sons and daughters to return home.

Link to article:

CBC News

Mothers call on children who have joined IS to come home


Canada is thousands of miles away from the war zone in Syria and Iraq - yet the self-styled Islamic State has recruited young fighters to join its cause. Can the lessons from the death of one young Canadian help prevent other tragedies?

Article by Dominic Casciani.

Link to article:

bigstory.ap.org

The Calgary mother fighting radicalisation in Syria

  • Published: May 5, 2015
  • Source: bbc.com

Christianne Boudreau

Canada is thousands of miles away from the war zone in Syria and Iraq - yet the self-styled Islamic State has recruited young fighters to join its cause. Can the lessons from the death of one young Canadian help prevent other tragedies?

Article by Dominic Casciani.

Link to article:

bbc.com/news/magazine-32539638

Christianne Boudreau at Anderson Cooper, CNN



Published via:

facebook.com/AC360

Mothers of Islamic State fighters: We want you to come home


“We did not want you to leave. We want you to return. We want you to live.”

Article by Rick Noack.

Link to article:

washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews

Article in The Mail and Globe


The Globe and Mail

Western mothers launch appeal asking their children who joined ISIL to come home.

Link to article:

theglobeandmail.com/news/world/western-mothers-launch-appeal-asking-their-children-who-joined-isil-to-come-home/article24770810

Huffington Post: Mothers for Life


Huffington Post Screenshot

Story by Julia Ioffe, Video and Photos by Emily Kassie.

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huffingtonpost.com/mothers-of-isis

Die Mütter von getöteten Dschihadisten fordern IS-Kämpfer zum Umdenken auf


In einem offenen Brief haben Mütter von in Syrien und im Irak getöteten Dschihadisten deren Kampfesbrüder aufgefordert, die Waffen niederzulegen. Der auf verschiedenen Social-Media-Kanälen veröffentlichte Aufruf wurden von Müttern aus sieben Ländern (Kanada, USA, Deutschland, Frankreich, Dänemark, Belgien und Schweden) unterzeichnet, die sich zu dem Netzwerk „Mothers for Life" zusammengeschlossen haben.

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Vice Deutschland

“Deradicalization” Is Coming To America. Does It Work?


Story by Priyanka Boghani for PBS Frontline about the work of our partner the German Institute on Radicalization and De-Radicalization Studies (GIRDS) in the United States of America.

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PBS Frontline

Christianne Boudreau lost her son when he went to fight with ISIS. Now she's doing something about it.

  • Posted: January 13, 2015
  • Source: PRI

Damian Clairmont seemed to be a well-adjusted, happy-go-lucky kid growing up in Canada. In his teenage years he battled depression, and even tried to take his own life. Although his mother Christianne Boudreau had brought him up as a Christian, she liked the changes she saw when he started attending a prayer service at a local mosque when he was 17 years old.

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PRI

Can you turn a terrorist back into a citizen?


Story by Brendan Koerner.

"A controversial new program aims to reform homegrown ISIS recruits back into normal young Americans." Read this ind-depth article about the work of the German Institute on Radicalization and De-Radicalization Studies (GIRDS).

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Wired Magazine

Can Denmark solve its Islamic extremist problem?


Watch the story of our Mother for Life Karolina:

Denmark, like other European nations, is struggling to stop its citizens from joining the Islamic State group and other terrorist organizations in Syria. Special correspondent Malcolm Brabant reports from Copenhagen on the story of a young man who left his home country to fight for the militant group, and how his mother is urging the government to do more to stem the tide of extremism.

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PBS News Hour

An honest conversation about Islam, Extremism and Terrorism - The Ambassador Lecture Series


Watch our Mothers for Life Nicola and Karolina share their stories at the Ambassador Lecutre Series.

The Ambassador Lecture Series hosted– Ajmal Masroor (British Imam, Broadcaster and Politician), Nicola Benyahi (Founder of Families For Life) and Karolina Dam (Founder of Sons and Daughters of the World). Video report by the UM student video team.

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Maastricht University