The French father of 2-year-old Assia has denied kidnapping charges after he took the girl to Syria and joined an armed rebel group linked to al Qaeda, saying he has acted in accordance with Islamic law. His ex-wife is suing for custody, reports FRANCE 24.
In a telephone interview with FRANCE 24's sister station Radio France Internationale (RFI) on Wednesday, Hamza Madhouj said his decision to move to Syria with his daughter was not a kidnapping. “Assia is not a hostage. I took my daughter with me, that’s completely different,” he said.
On October 24, 2013, Madhouj left his home in Lyon with his 18-month-old daughter. He drove through Italy, Greece and Turkey and joined Jabhat al-Nusra, a Syrian armed group affiliated with al-Qaeda.
Madhouj’s ex-wife Meriem Rhaiem has not seen their daughter since then. Rhaiem is suing Madhouj for kidnapping and he is now on Interpol’s wanted list.
“In our religion, there’s a command called hijra – it's an obligation for all Muslims not to live in a non-Muslim country. Her mother refused to follow us,” Madhouj argues.
Rhaiem and other parents of French children taken to Syria by relatives held a press conference on Wednesday, calling on the government to help bring them back.
Read more of this report from FRANCE 24.