BELGIUM
– Not Sheikh Usamah bin Ladin and also not his deputy, Dr. Ayman al-Zawahri. In
fact the honor of having the title “al Qaeda’s living legend” was pinned onto a
female, a 48 years old Mujahidah who had just been arrested by the kafir police
of Belgium. She is Malika el-Aroud. Don’t know on what ground the security
apparatus of Belgium called Malika a legend of the “terrorist” network. Because,
either Usamah or Ayman, both had never mentioned Malika’s name.However, Malika’s late husband, Abdessater Dahmane, was an al-Qaeda fighter who had been willing to sacrifice his life to detonate a bomb in a martyrdom attack in front of an enemy of the Taliban and al-Qaeda, ie. the traitor Ahmad Shah Massoud from the Northern Alliance, seven years ago. Other than that, Malika had, in one interview with the CNN television station, openly declared her love towards Usamah and his struggle in fighting the Western kafirs.
Malika was not the executant of the martyrdom attack, but she was accused of being the intellectual actor who cleverly gave motivations to the people to execute a determined action. "She was really, really active as a Jihad fighter who gives motivations," Claude Moniquet, an observer from the European Strategic Intelligence and Security Center told Associated Press.
According to Moniquet, Malika was very diligent in writing messages and invitations in French language on the internet about the struggle against the West. By using the nickname Oum Obeyda, this lady who originated from Morocco was known for planning attacks “on certain targets in Europe, maybe in Belgium and not Afghanistan." "She was the one, who three weeks ago sent messages over the internet. She is very dangerous," Moniquet reported.
Malika’s love towards Sheikh Usamah could not be doubted anymore. Malika still loves him, even though Usamah had sent Abdessater Dahmane to a 'mission of death'. On 9th September 2001, two days before the "World Trade Center Tragedy", Abdessater rahimahullah and a companion carried out a martyrdom bomb attack. The attack which was done under the order of Usamah, killed the leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, Ahmed Shah Massoud.
A team of reporters from the CNN TV station met with Malika in February in a small Swiss town called Guin. She lived there with her new husband, Moez Garsalloui, a Tunisian. Malika is a type of a lady who says directly what’s in her head.
Malika is someone who believed so much on Usamah’s motto about jihad. Together with Moez, she administered a site to promote jihad. The appearance of the site made the Swiss authorities detain the couple for a few days. The site was accused of inspiring jihadi actions. The investigation on that case is still ongoing until now.
Malika wears a black jubah (robe) which entirely covers her body from head down to the feet, except for a bit of opening for the eyes. Her brown eyes were so expressive and especially in a dramatic way when being under the light during her first interview with the CNN. While staring sharply at the camera, she said, "Becoming a wife to a martyr is the highest point in Islam. For a woman, it is something unordinary."
Malika was born in Morocco but her family migrated to Belgium. Earlier, she was a rebellious and free-spirited teenager. At home, she was asked to wear Islamic clothings even though she was inconsistent with it. However, she eventually began to change and became a good Muslimah.
Malika’s eyes widened the moment she told the story about her late husband’s desire to meet Usamah bin Ladin, who at that time lived in Afghanistan.
"Abdessater dreamt of being under the commands of Usamah bin Ladin," Malika said. "Yes, he pledged his loyalty to Usamah. Yes it’s very true, that was his dream. His dream was about meeting with Usamah, shaking hands and surrender himself to the commands of Usamah."
Malika’s husband was someone who really loved Sheikh Usamah when the leader of al-Qaeda appeared on TV, calling for jihad against the US and other countries that are violent towards the Muslims.
In the book that she herself wrote, "Soldier of Light", Malika wrote "Abdessater felt that the messages from Usamah on the TV was dedicated to himself."
In mid 2001, Abdessater departed for Afghanistan. Malika said that Abdessater was in the process of looking for a battle arena, he liked Chechnya. However Usamah recruited him to be in al-Qaeda, and Abdessater was trained in Jalalabad.
When Malika went there to open an orphanage, she was surprised with what she saw. Poverty there was critical and destructions were rampant as a result of war. Malika and Abdessater blamed the US for applying sanctions on the Taliban. ,
Malika informed that she felt real happiness there at that time being together with his husband and bonded within a community. Not long after that, she realized that she was being in the middle of a clan, a clan of Usamah which also included Usamah's wives.
"I could not imagined how happy they were," Malika said. "They were too radiant. Otherwise Usamah would not have married them. I believe he [Usamah] did not act capriciously towards them."
Malika admitted that she had never met Usamah because the women do not socialize with men. But Usamah possessed a charisma which captivated Malika’s husband.
Abdessater Dahmane had never told his wife that he would perform a martyrdom bomb attack. However, Malika learned a lot from his husband sacrifices. Malika's voice quivered when she told the story of how the families around her came forward to congratulate her for the deed her husband had jus performed. Malika was so surprised.
Only a few weeks after her mourning, a messenger of al-Qaeda delivered a letter which contained US$ 500. Usamah, Malika said, wanted to pay a debt. There was also a recorded cassette included inside the letter and through the cassette, Malika listened to the last words of her husband. Abdessater said that he loved Malika very much. Nevertheless, at that time he was already "over the other side”
The killing was carried out on the order of Usamah bin Ladin. His mission was clear. Supports for the Taliban was required as an anticipative measure after al-Qaeda had attacked the US. Just like his wife, Dahmane, who was recruited by the Tunisian al-Qaeda, was very loyal towards Sheikh Usamah.
The times of Malika’s mournings was interrupted by the American campaign in Afghanistan. Malika then made hijrah to Pakistan and in an extreme fatigue, she walked into the Belgian Embassy in Pakistan to get back to Belgium.
However the pain did not end there. In Belgium, Malika was brought to the tribunal as she was accused of involvement in the killing of Ahmad Shah Massoud. But the case was closed in 2003 due to lack of evidence. This hardened woman was not afraid of facing the investigation on the website she administered. Malika invited the reporter of CNN to her bedroom to show how she administer the internet forum. From the computer screen of Malika, the CNN reporter saw a rather big photo of Usamah bin-Ladin.
"Easy for me to imagine the love of my husband towards Usamah because I also feel the same thing." Malika said. "A majority of the Muslim ummah loves Usamah. He was the one helping the oppressed people. He was also the one doing the fight against the world’s biggest enemy, the United States of America. Therefore we love him," she affirmed.