The story was reported in CNN. It took place in the portion of Syria now controlled by the Islamic State or Daish.

There, 26-year-old Hanan (not her real name) lived with her father and mother. Her brother had been killed in previous clashes. Her father, distraught at the loss of his son kept his AK-47 in the house.

When the Daish forces entered the city, they went from house to house and finding a weapon in this one, they detained Hanan’s father.

Mother and daughter remained at home, frenetic and frightful of what would happen to the last male left in the family. Time passed and despite their fervent prayers, he did not return.

Finally, they decided to don their burkas and go to the headquarters of the group. This in itself was a difficult decision, the new rules enforced by the Daish police that continually patrolled the streets was that no women could venture out of their homes without a male guardian. All their male guardians were dead or detained.

 

Also read: ISIS is no Taliban

 

As Hanan tells it, on the way to the headquarters, they were stopped several times by the IS police squads that roamed the streets. They were fully covered, wearing full burkas and niqabs but yet this was not enough.

Each time they were stopped, they were asked why they were not accompanied by their male guardian and each time they responded telling the policemen that there was only one and he was in detention at their