She left Canada to support ISIS. Now she's back and trying to rebuild a life

NPR | By Tom Bowman,

Gabriel J. Sánchez, Andrew Sussman

Published September 12, 2026 at 4:01 PM CDT

A young Canadian mother shares her memories of being an ISIS bride, and her harrowing escape from the extremist group.

World

Tom Bowman

Tom Bowman is a NPR National Desk reporter covering the Pentagon.

Gabriel J. Sánchez

Gabriel J. Sánchez is a producer for NPR's All Things Considered.

Andrew Sussman