Daesh targets maids in recruitment drive

The arrest of a Filipina maid in Kuwait on charges of belonging to the Daesh terrorist group and her confession has revealed the way the organization lures maids into becoming accessory to their crime.
Daesh exploits the maids’ economic, legal and social status, lures them and communicates with them to later use them in violent operations.
Kuwait said on Friday it arrested Filipina Linavi Ozoilo whom it accused of joining the terrorist group through its affiliate in Libya and who planned to launch an attack. Authorities said she “confessed she was ready to carry out any terrorist attack once circumstances and means were ripe in order to undermine security and stability in Kuwait.”
Saudi Arabia witnessed a similar case in October last year, when security forces arrested a Filipina maid identified as Lady Joy Aban Bali Nang. She was in charge of sewing and preparing explosive belts after being recruited for the organization by a Daesh member called Yasser Mohammed Al-Barazi. 
Hamoud Al-Thayadi, a researcher on terrorism, told an Arabic news channel that Daesh tries to diversify its tactics when attracting elements — particularly housemaids — that it recruits to serve its aims.
In the Saudi case, Lady Joy Aban Bali Nang was recruited by a cell inside the Kingdom, Thayadi explained, adding that the cell exploited the fact that she had escaped from her sponsor to recruit her.
In the Kuwaiti case, the housemaid was recruited by the group from outside Kuwait and this is worthy of attention, Thayadi said as her husband was attracted to the group before she arrived in Kuwait and therefore she was also influenced by her husband who went to fight in Libya.
Thayadi said Daesh works on exploiting people who have certain circumstances, recruits them and then uses them by providing ideological justifications.
He noted that the danger here lies in the fact that it cannot be predicted who the elements for recruited will be. “The organization exploits gaps and weaknesses in society. It does not mind employing any element that it believes will serve its purpose,” Thayadi said.
According to Thayadi, the role of these elements is often related to logistics. For instance, Lady Joy sewed explosive belts while Linavi Ozoilo was taking photos of sites which the organization wanted to target.
Thayadi said that most of the time, such members do not stay for long in the organization as the latter quickly assigns a mission to them. Hence, this calls for social awareness to be able to identify them. He added that Daesh's exploitation of society's weaknesses makes it imperative for society to pay more attention to activities of housemaids and teenagers and resolve any social problem before it escalates.
Thayadi said Daesh depends on two instinctive aspects — sexual and brutal. The former depends on the idea of slaves and facilitating sexual practices and it’s used to attract young men while the latter depends on violence and the desire to practice it in its worst form.

Source: Arab News