Bombs for brides: IS dowries revealed in Libya
September 22, 2016 03:15
Islamic State group marriage contracts unearthed by pro-government forces battling the group in Libya reveal that the jihadists offered their brides unusual dowries: machineguns and explosive belts.
Forces allied with the country's unity government discovered the archives as they searched buildings seized during their months-long battle to oust IS from its coastal bastion of Sirte.
The documents belonged to the jihadists' "Judicial and Complaints Department".
Published on pro-government forces' Facebook pages, they include marriage contracts and divorce rulings without any real name or personal information.
In one example from November 31, 2015, Abu Mansour, a Tunisian born in 1977, married a Nigerian called Miriam, in the presence of Sudanese and Malian witnesses.
In contrast to Islamic norms, Abu Mansour did not pay a dowry but vowed to pay compensation in the event of his death or the marriage being dissolved -- in the form of an explosive belt.
Fatima, from Nigeria, was promised a Kalashnikov assault rifle in case of divorce or if her husband, Malian Abu Said, died.
IS jihadists took over Sirte in June 2015 and imposed a reign of terror including executions in public squares.
They patrolled the streets in 4x4s to ensure that men were observing prayer times and women were not venturing out alone.
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