Boko Haram relocates from Sambisa Forest to “Captured territories” in Borno State

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Boko Haram relocates from Sambisa Forest to “Captured territories” in Borno State

A senior official of the traditional council of Gwoza town in Borno State has disclosed that members of the Boko Haram sect are having a field day in territories they have captured and have turned the sacked Emir’s palace in Gwoza to their headquarters.

He said the militants are now relocating from their camp in Sambisa forest in Borno State to the territories they have annexed in the northern region.

According to witnesses, their move is predicated on unabated territorial conquests by the insurgents who have occupied the army base in Gamboru town in Borno State which they took over on Monday.

Speaking to AFP news agency, the official said: “As you are aware, part of the administrative unit of the palace was destroyed but the insurgents are using the remaining part as their headquarters,

“In the past few days, even the old people who could not move to anywhere were taken out by the Boko Haram. They put them in vehicles and drove to the outskirts of Limankara, 16 kilometres away and left them there. Both Limankara village, the police training school there, Pulka village and dozens of communities around Gwoza are all under the control of the Boko Haram.”

Villagers living close to Sambisa forest in Borno State said they saw a large number of the militants, leaving their camp and moving towards southern Borno with their families and possibly many of their hostages. The Southern Borno towns they are migrating to include; Gwoza, Buni Yadi, Ashigashya, Madagali among others captured recently.

A villager residing in Kirawa, a town on the Cameroonian side also said he had seen some suspected Boko Haram insurgents moving through Cameroonian territory to Nigeria with large amounts of cargo in tightly guarded convoys.

It was learnt that the insurgents have also taken over the Vocational Training Centre in Gamboru by stationing dozens of their fighters there and are dishing out orders to residents.

Meanwhile, sources revealed that hundreds of Cameroonian soldiers are on alert at the border between Nigeria and Cameroon, apparently prepared to confront the insurgents should they attempt to encroach into their territories.

Residents of Gamboru town informed that Nigerian soldiers are yet to return to the town after they fled to Cameroon following a fierce fight with the insurgents on Monday.

One of the residents who pleaded anonymity for security concerns said, “we have continued to be at the mercy of the Boko Haram insurgents who have taken absolute control of Gamboru.

“The insurgents are fully armed with sophisticated guns, armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and many other vehicles. They also have unlimited number of motorcycles. Some of them are currently patrolling Gamboru, but they did not kill anybody or attack our houses, shops and other personal effects.

“I cannot tell you how many these fighters are but I can say they are in hundreds because they have divided themselves into many subgroups. They are going round talking to people, saying those who are not willing to stay should quietly move out of the town, insisting that they did not come to kill us.”

Another resident of Gamboru who identified himself as Yero said they are still living in fear.

“Believe me the insurgents are in charge. When we heard about 10 simultaneous sounds of explosives this morning, we thought the insurgents had started destroying our town, but we later found out that the explosives were buried near the border between Nigeria and Cameroon. I think it was the insurgents that buried them to serve as traps, but luckily enough, nobody, either civilian or Nigerian troops passed through the area while fleeing to Cameroon at the height of the fight on Monday.”

He said that as at the evening of Tuesday, the Boko Haram insurgents did not make any attempt to confront the Cameroonian troops who were stationed around Fotokol, one of the major towns in Cameroon that is not far from Nigeria.The source said some displaced Nigerians are currently taking refuge near Fotokol, beyond the river that also serves as border between Nigeria and Cameroon.

Original Post by Daily Post

New Mexico Town Fights Court Order to Remove Ten Commandments

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New Mexico Town Fights Court Order to Remove Ten Commandments

The ruling to remove a Ten Commandments monument from Bloomfield, New Mexico’s City Hall lawn is on hold until an appeals court is able to hear the case.

“The city believes the Ten Commandments Historical Monument does not constitute government speech; rather, the city believes it has done nothing more than create a designated public forum in which private citizens have the opportunity to enact historical documents,” Bloomfield City Attorney Ryan Lane told The Daily Times.

The American Civil Liberties Union of New Mexico filed a lawsuit on behalf of two Bloomfield residents, who claim the monument is offensive and that it therefore violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

A federal court ruled against the monument, but Alliance Defending Freedom notified the court that the city would be appealing the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.

“A passive monument accompanied by others acknowledging our nation’s religious heritage cannot be interpreted as an establishment of religion,” ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot explained.

“It’s our hope that the 10th Circuit will affirm, as the Supreme Court recently did, that adults ‘often encounter speech they find disagreeable; and an Establishment Clause violation is not made out any time a person experiences a sense of affront from the expression of contrary religious views…,'” he said.

Original Post by CBN News

Sex education ‘should be compulsory’ for 7-year-olds.

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Sex education ‘should be compulsory’ for 7-year-olds.

Christians have been giving their response to proposals by the Liberal Democrats for sex education to be taught in schools to children as young as seven.

They want to make “age-appropriate” lessons compulsory in all state-funded schools, as part of a “curriculum of life”, which would also include lessons on managing money and citizenship.

Their proposals will be included in the party’s manifesto at the next general election in 2015.

The idea has been backed by Labour, although the party accused the Lib Dems of failing to deliver it so far.

However, the Conservatives said they felt teachers knew best how to deliver such education, as opposed to politicians.

Christians have been sharing their thoughts on whether they would support the idea of compulsory sex education in schools from the age of seven.

Premier listener Kate is concerned it could confuse some children that young: “I think at seven, they should be concentrating on the ‘three Rs’ and teaching them to behave and love each other in a polite, nice way.”

Donald, who has experience working with young people at Christian schools, says his main concern is about how the lessons would be run and what would be in them: “What would the content of that education be? And who would be allowed to put together that content, in a democratic way?”

…read more

Original Post by Premier News

Second American jihadist killed in Syria,reports say

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Second American jihadist killed in Syria,reports say

A Syrian opposition group is reporting that a second American jihadist was killed in battle while fighting for the Islamic State, according to news reports.

This most recent report comes just one day after the U.S. confirmed that American Douglas McArthur McCain was killed in Syria fighting for the Islamic State. An anonymous member of the opposition Free Syrian Army told NBC that two Americans were killed in that battle. The name of the second American has not been released.

SEE ALSO: American reportedly killed while fighting for Islamic State terrorists

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Wednesday that the U.S. has no independent confirmation of reports of a second American killed while fighting with the militant group, The Associated Press reports. “We’re looking into it,” she said.

President Obama has ordered surveillance flights over Syria, as Congress has been pressuring the president to outline a cohesive plan for fighting the Islamic State.

Original Report by Washington times

Israel Taking the Lead in the War against Radical Islam

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Israel Taking the Lead in the War against Radical Islam

Israel is literally the West’s frontline in confronting radical Islamic groups, former Israeli National Security Advisor Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Yaakov Amidror said.

Less than a day after Israel agreed to an Egyptian-brokered ceasefire with Hamas, following 50 days of fighting in the south, an Israeli army officer was moderately wounded along Israel’s northern border on the Golan Heights by gunfire emanating from Syria.

Israel responded with artillery fire at a Syrian army post. Israel said it holds the Syrian army responsible for all cross-border fire.

Amidror, currently with the BESA Center for Strategic Studies, told journalists in a conference call on Wednesday that Israel may find itself leading the Western war against radical Islam.

“Israel might be literally the front of the West toward the radical Islam[ic] movements,” Amidror said. “It is true about Gaza, relating to Hamas, and it might be true about al-Nusra [Front] if they succeed to take control on the Golan Heights.”

But Amidror said it’s not just a threat to Israel; it’s a threat to the West.

“And I think that this is a very important issue to remember because those threats of radical Islam are not going to stop on the frontiers of Israel, but the West and democratic countries and others will have to face it near home sooner or later,” he said.

“In many cases in history they begin with the Jews and they continue with others,” he added.

The Syrian army has been fighting rebel forces, including the al-Nusra Front for control of southern Syria, along Israel’s northern border for the past two years.

Earlier Wednesday, some reports said al-Nusra had actually taken control of the Quneitra border crossing, normally manned by United Nations peacekeeping forces.

And it may not stop with the al Qaeda-linked al-Nusra Front on its Golan Heights border. The Islamic State (ISIS) may not be far behind.

The Israeli daily Ha’aretz referred to unnamed officers of the IDF’s northern command, saying the Islamic State “is already knocking on the door of the Golan Heights.”

Amidror said Israel needs to make its position very clear on the northern border.

“As in the previous battles between the regime and the rebels, we are not in a position to determine the process in Syria, and we are not the one who should be [doing] the dirty [work] for the Assad regime,” Amidror said.

“We should be very clear about our red lines. No one will cross the border. If someone will try, we will kill him. And if someone will launch rockets or artillery toward Israel, our retaliation will be immediate whether it’s the Syrian regular army or the rebels,” he said.

“We should not interfere on the other side of the border to save one side or the other,” he added.

At the same time, Israel should continue to help in a humanitarian way by treating injured Syrians. Israel has already treated hundreds of wounded Syrians who have mysteriously crossed the border.

Original Content by CBN News

Al Qaeda magazine hints of attack on Vegas and military targets in the US

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A new English-language Al Qaeda magazine features a how-to article on making car bombs and suggests terror targets in the United States, including casinos in Las Vegas, oil tankers and military colleges, and implies that an attack is imminent as reported by Fox News.

The online publication, called “Palestine-Betrayal of the Guilty Conscience Al-Malahem” and put out by the media arm of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, calls for Muslims around the world to follow “the recipe” provided to set off car bombs in crowded venues. It includes a timeline of “selected jihadi operations” that the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), which first flagged the slickly-produced latest edition of the terror publication, finds chilling.

“The timeline concludes with the date 201?’ and blank spaces and question marks for the photo and information of the next attack — implying that it is coming soon.” said MEMRI Executive Director Steve Stalinsky.

There is a suggested list of targets for lone-wolf, or individually executed, terror attacks, including New York’s Times Square, casinos and night clubs in Las Vegas, oil tankers and trains, the Georgia Military College, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, and General Atomics defense contractor in San Diego.

“This recipe gives you the ability to make a car bomb even in countries with tight security and surveillance,” one article reads, before providing a “shopping list” of supplies needed to make such a bomb, including cooking gas, oxygen gas, a barometer, decoration lamps and matches.

There is also a list of targets in Britain including a military academy and the Marks and Spencers chain of department stores. The magazine calls for the stores to be hit on Friday during prayers so that Muslims won’t be affected.

Globally, AQAP calls for the targeting of tourist resorts frequented by Israelis, Britons and Americans.

In a nine-page spread entitled, “How to make a bomb in the kitchen of your mom,” the magazine details a do-it-yourself, illustrated guide on assembling a pressure-cooker bomb similar to the ones used in the Boston Marathon bombings.

“My Muslim brother, before you start reading the instructions, remember that this type of operation if prepared well and an appropriate target is chosen and Allah decrees success for you, history will never forget it. It will be recorded as a crushing defeat on the enemies of Islam,” the article says.

The “Palestine” magazine is a spin-off of AQAP’s Inspire magazine, which mainly encourages and instructs jihadi recruits to carry out lone-wolf attack in the West. This new magazine is meant to play upon the recent anti-Israel and anti-U.S. sentiments brought about by the conflict between Hamas and Israel.

“Both AQAP and IS, as well as every other Al-Qaeda branch and offshoot is relying on U.S. social media companies including Twitter and YouTube for their cyber-Jihad efforts,” said Stalinsky, whose organization monitors the online and media activity of Jihadi groups and reported on the release of this publication.

This list comes as U.S. intelligence investigates the increased chances of a terror attack on American soil as Islamic State militants continue on their rampage in Iraq and Syria.

On Tuesday, the Pentagon confirmed reports of the death on a Syrian battlefield of American Douglas McCain, of San Diego, who was recruited to Syria to fight for IS.Now, the Free Syrian Army is reporting that a second American may have died in the same battle.

“There could be some envy by AQAP that IS is now getting all the headlines,” Stalinsky said in response to the probability of an Al Qaeda-backed attack.

Original Content by Fox News

Jentezen Franklin Partners with Los Angeles Dream Center to Launch Transitional Home for Young Adults From Foster Homes

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Jentezen Franklin Partners with Los Angeles Dream Center to Launch Transitional Home for Young Adults From Foster Homes

Megachurch pastor Jentezen Franklin of Free Chapel church partnered with the Los Angeles-based Dream Center to launch a transitional home for individuals between the ages of 18 to 23 earlier this week, where many will have a second chance to improve their lives as reported by CP

The Dream Center’s emancipating youth home located on The Dream Center’s campus, called Freedom House, is one of the 200 ministries that will benefit those who have been part of the foster care or probation system.

“More than a transitional home, we are believing Freedom House will be a place where students come to know the love of Jesus Christ, that He is our only hope and our Savior,” Franklin told The Christian Post. “…We are just so privileged to be a part of the dream … we can provide resources but we can’t do the other things that they do so well, the programs the facility.”

The housing center is being funded by Kingdom Connection Partners and Jentezen Franklin Media Ministries. Pastor Matthew Barnett, who is the founder of the Dream Center, told CP that he strongly believes “the hope of America is in dynamic partnerships of churches working together.”

According to CBS Los Angeles, about 40 to 50 percent of foster kids end up homeless or in jail after they turn 18. Franklin and Barnett are hoping to change that as their main objective is to help individuals make positive lifestyle choices that promote healthy physical and mental well-being.

Freedom House
(Photo: The Dream Center)

In addition to providing dormitory style housing for a year, the center will assist participants in renting their own apartments from program friendly managers in the local area for the second 12 months, notes Clinton Carlton, public relations director for The Dream Center.

Individuals will also have access to affordable secondary and post-secondary education opportunities, life coaches and mentors. In addition, they will learn job skills to equip them for entry-level positions that reflect their individual needs, interests and abilities.’

Carlton also says they will be guided on how to acquire independent living skills such as money management, conflict resolution, laundry, cooking, food preparation, decision making, and goal setting.

Freedom House will provide housing for 60 people who are expected to move in beginning in September.

The Dream Center serves over 80,000 people each month through its various outreach and service programs. It was founded in 1994 by Barnett’s father, Tommy Barnett, and is known to provide GED training, job training, shelter, and food among other resources.

The Dream Center now has more than 100 locations throughout the country, including Los Angeles, New York City, Dallas, Phoenix, and St. Louis.

Original Post by Christian Post

Resumption date for all Primary and Secondary Schools in Nigeria postponed due to Ebola Outbreak

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Resumption date for all Primary and Secondary Schools in Nigeria postponed due to Ebola Outbreak

The Federal Government on Tuesday ordered that all primary and secondary schools in the country should resume on October 13, 2014 because of the outbreak of Ebola in the country.

The Minister of Education, Ibrahim Shekarau announced the new resumption date after a marathon meeting with all the 36 state Commissioners of Education in Abuja on Tuesday evening.

Shekarau, who briefed journalists after the meeting, said all private schools in the country should also comply with the directive.

He added that schools should suspend their summer programmes with immediate effect.

According to him, each of the private and public schools will be required to train at least two desk officers in collaboration with ministry of health officials on how to handle Ebola.

He stated, “All state Commissioners of Education and I met this day 26th August, 2014 to discuss issues related to the reopening of schools for the new academic year (2014/2015) vis-à-vis the Ebola epidemic issue.

“The meeting was also attended by senior officials of the Federal Ministry of Health. At the end of the meeting, the following decisions were arrived at as preventive measures to ensure the safety and well-being of all students in our schools throughout the Federation.

“All Primary and Secondary schools, both Public and Private are to remain closed until Monday 13th October, 2014 which is the new school resumption date for all schools throughout the Federation.

“This is to ensure that adequate preventive measures are put in place before the students report back to school. All State Ministries of Education are to immediately organize and ensure that at least two (2) staff in each school, both Public and Private, are trained by appropriate health workers on how to handle any suspected case of Ebola and also embark on immediate sensitization of all Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff in all schools on preventive measures. This training of staff must be concluded not later than 15th September, 2014.”

“Each State Ministry of Education should appoint a designated Desk Officer not later than 1st September, 2014, who should also receive appropriate training and who must report on daily basis to the Honourable Commissioner on situation in the schools. The names of such Desk Officers, their phone numbers and e-mail addresses should be communicated to the Headquarters of the Federal Ministry of Education not later than 1st September, 2014.”

“All State Ministries of Education should establish a Working and Monitoring Team for effective supervision of school activities before and after opening of schools.”

“All Primary and Secondary schools, both Public and Private should be provided with a minimum of two (2) Blood Pressure Measuring Equipment by the State Ministries of Education. The State Ministries should determine the number of such equipment required and forward same to the Federal Ministry of Education not later than 1st September, 2014.”

“The Federal Ministry of Education will liaise with the Federal Ministry of Health to ensure that appropriate equipment are procured.”
All the above measures shall also apply in all Federal Government Colleges.

“All Private Primary and Secondary Schools must comply with the directives given under these preventive measures.
State Governments are called upon to support their State Ministries of Education with all necessary funds to ensure effective implementation of these preventive measures.”

“All Tertiary Institutions are advised to suspend exchange of staff and students programs, visits and major International seminars and workshops until further notice. They are also to monitor the movement of foreign students in their campuses. They are to liaise with appropriate Government Health Institutions to organize and ensure effective sensitization program for all their teaching and non-teaching staff.”

“The Minister of Education and all State Commissioners of Education will meet again on 23th September, 2014 to review the situation in all States”.

Worship Pastor and Recording Artist, Lincoln Brewster on “Cool” versus “True Worship”

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Worship Pastor and Recording Artist, Lincoln Brewster on “Cool” versus “True Worship”

Worship Pastor & Recording Artist Lincoln Brewster Weighs in on ‘Authentic’ Ministry: ‘Do What Works for Your Church’

Fierce battles over whether classic hymns or contemporary tunes should be the linchpins of Christian worship may have subsided, but the arena is still messy, according to worship pastor and recording artist Lincoln Brewster as reported by CP. Some Christians are more excited about turning up for a concert than they are about getting to worship on time, he says from experience. Others have placed facilitating genuine God-connections on the back burner for the sake of being “cool.”

Brewster, in his 40s, was such a maestro on the guitar as a youth that by the age of 19, he was considering a major recording contract. But he passed on the golden opportunity for what he believed was a more sure-fire deal — serving at his local church. He has since released seven albums in partnership with Integrity Music, and has produced for the label such worship anthems as “Everlasting God” and “God You Reign.”

Bayside Church in Granite Bay, California, where Brewster has served as the worship arts pastor for the last 14 years, describes him on its website as “a multi-talented guitarist, singer and songwriter” who “speaks to the hearts of people who are hungry for non-traditional, passionate worship.” His accolades surely attest to his skills, but Brewster, a married father, is reluctant to take on the “rock star” title.

He’s all about keeping his music ministry authentic, especially when it comes to leading people into God’s presence during worship. Brewster’s approach isn’t very complex, he explained in a recent interview with The Christian Post: he leads people to sing words that are both inspiring and motivating.

“Really just songs that are saying ‘I love you’ and ‘thank you’ to God,” Brewster told CP. And whether he’s serving at his home church or performing on the road, his end-goal is the same — which is [that] people would connect with God and ultimately come to know Him.

But leading people in worship is a bit different than putting on a show at a concert, he explained, stating that the “expectation level is different.”

“If somebody has bought a ticket to come to a concert, they expect a certain thing,” he said. But he invites God to work in those venues, too.

“I’ve believed since I very first got into worship ministry that God would use the parts of what I do that are maybe fun to watch to open the door to be able to speak to people and minister to people and kinda tear the walls down,” said Brewster. “People come into church with lots of walls up. Typically, people don’t come into concerts that way for the most part. They’re ready to rock n’ roll, they show up on time.”

For church? — Not so much. “I try to encourage any church that we go minister at, to show up on time. That’s an appointment with God,” he said.

Pointing to John 4:24 — ‘God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth’ — Brewster emphasized the need for authenticity in worship, calling that particular aspect “huge.”

As for critics hung up on style more than substance, Brewster said, “We can tend to make too much out of the packaging and not enough about what’s inside of it.”

Yet the trend he finds most troubling that he has picked up on during his travels doesn’t have much to do with music as it does with church in general.

“I think that church in general in the younger generation, the biggest core value unspoken is cool,” said Brewster. “That’s problematic.”

“When cool becomes more important than people, we are really missing it,” he added.

“I get that there’s a way to do things that keep church relevant, where people [don’t] go, ‘Oh, that’s corny, I don’t want to be a part of them.’ To me, when it prohibits ministry, it’s gone too far probably.”

At the end of the day, it’s the “foundation things” that matter most to him — community, authenticity, and being challenged and encouraged.

“It could be the coolest thing in the world, but if you don’t have that, [you can’t keep people],” he added.

But neither should Christians place “right worship” so high on a pedestal that it overshadows the purpose of worship altogether.

“I heard Abraham Laboriel, Sr. say this one time,” said Brewster, referencing remarks made by the renowned bassist. “He said, ‘We worship because we must.’

“And it really is true, it’s who we are. We will worship. The problem is, we worship everything. It’s a focus issue most of the time. Even in the case of hymns, many people worship the hymns. There [are] church splits and worship pastors getting fired, all kinds of craziness because of songs. Even if the person’s really got the right heart and going after the right things, it becomes about style. That’s kinda sad I think.”

Original Content by Christian Post

Muslim Women Offer “Sexual Jihad” to ISIS fighters for Sexual Comfort

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Muslim Women Offer “Sexual Jihad” to ISIS fighters for Sexual Comfort

Muslim women sympathetic to the cause of the Islamic State, better known as ISIS, are reportedly offering up their bodies for sex to comfort militant members of the group in a practice known as Jihad Al-Nikah, or sexual jihad. According to a 16-year-old girl who was repeatedly subjected to the practice, it is nothing more than rape that made her so sick, she passed out.

Senior intelligence officials in Malaysia, told The Malaysian Insider that at least three Malaysian women had travelled from that country to the Middle East to join ISIS specifically for sexual jihad.

The controversial practice began in 2013 after a Wahhabi edict called for Sunni Muslim women to present themselves for sexual jihad in order to boost the confidence of men fighting Bashar al-Assad’s rule in Syria, according to the Insider.

“These women are believed to have offered themselves in sexual comfort roles to ISIS fighters who are attempting to establish Islamic rule in the Middle East. This concept may seem controversial but it has arisen as certain Muslim women here are showing sympathy for the ISIS struggle,” an unidentified intelligence official told The Malaysian Insider.

The official said one of the Malaysian women travelled to the Middle East last December.

“The woman, in her 30s, went to Turkey before meeting up with middlemen who helped her to complete her journey to Syria via land routes,” said the official. Another woman in her 40s also joined ISIS in April.

The source pointed out that Muslim women were travelling from several countries to join ISIS for the sexual jihad.
“Intelligence exchanged with other countries revealed that Sunni Muslim women from Australia and the United Kingdom had also joined up with ISIS,” said the official.

The official explained that shortly after ISIS took over the city of Mosul in Iraq, where all the Christians were reportedly chased out in June, the militants issued a conscription of sexual Jihad.

Shortly after the town of Mosul in Iraq was captured by ISIS forces, people were ordered to send unmarried women to jihad for sex,” said the official. “In its proclamation, ISIS threatened to impose sharia law on all those who failed to comply with the edict or decree.”

A teenage girl from Syria, however, who was offered up for sexual jihad by her father to rebels linked to Al-Qaeda, described her experience last year as brutal rape which she was forced to endure repeatedly even though it made her sick.

“While I was taking a shower, a man came in and he was about over the age of 50 and he was wearing nothing but normal clothes….he started to come close to me in the bathroom but he didn’t care … the room was small and I was screaming and yelling…so he grabbed me by the hair and took me to the room,” she explained in a YouTube clip.

“I was screaming, yelling my father could hear me but never hesitated to do anything or come to take the man away from me. He (man) did what he did, unstrapped and at the same time another man came. The first one was not even done yet and another one [came] into the room,” she continued.

She explained that she lost consciousness and eventually fell ill after she was raped repeatedly. She explained that she was eventually saved by Syrian soldiers after she called for help at a check point while on her way to a sexual jihad with her mother later on.

See Video Below

Original Post by Christian Post

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