Malika el-Aroud (Jihadi Militant, Belgium)

last updated: Jul. 27, 2021

FREED

Full name: Malika el-Aroud
Pseudonym: Oum Ubeida
Alternatives: N/a
Location: Belgium
Affiliation: Base Organization [al-Qa’ida], fmr Aroud-Garsallaoui Network [AGN], fmr Bassam Ayachi Network [BAN]

Malika el-Aroud (°1959) is a Moroccan-born Belgian Salafi extremist with a long and storied history of involvement in jihadi activities. She grew up in a traditional family, but was not religious in her younger years. Aroud partied hard, drank heavily, used drugs and acted promiscuously.¹ In the late 1990s, she came into contact with Bassam Ayachi through the Belgian Islamic Center [CIB; Centre Islamique Belge].² Under his influence, she became a devout Muslim.

Through the CIB, Aroud met Abdessatar Dahmane whom she later married in a ceremony presided by Ayachi.³ Dahmane was an al-Qa’ida operative and traveled to Afghanistan in the spring of 2000.⁴ Aroud followed her husband to Afghanistan in January 2001.⁵ Dahmane later died during the attack which killed Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Shah Massoud on Sep. 09, 2001.⁶ Months later, the widowed Aroud narrowly escaped capture as the Northern Alliance attacked al-Qa’ida positions in Jalalabad. She fled to Pakistan through the Tora Bora mountains. Al-Qa’ida operatives eventually dropped her off at the Belgian embassy on Dec. 18, 2001.⁷ Following her repatriation to Belgium, Aroud was charged with membership of the al-Qa’ida cell that organized and executed the attack on Massoud.⁸ In 2003, a Belgian court acquitted Aroud.⁹

In December 2003, Aroud married Tunisian Islamist Moez Garsallaoui at a ceremony in Brussels.¹⁰ The couple moved to Switzerland in 2004.¹¹ They subsequently set up and maintained jihadi websites, including the infamous Minbar SOS forum.¹² Through their websites and forums, Aroud and her husband distributed jihadi propaganda and recruited fighters for al-Qa’ida.¹³ At the same time, she reportedly served as a mentor to members of the Belgian jihadi network headed by Bilal Soughir.¹⁴ Swiss special forces arrested her and Garsallaoui during a raid on their home on Feb. 22, 2005.¹⁵ Aroud was released ten days later.¹⁶ Both simply continued their online jihadi activities following their release.¹⁷ A Swiss court gave her a six-month suspended prison sentence in June 2007.¹⁸

Following her conviction in Switzerland, Aroud returned to Belgium and settled in the Molenbeek suburb of Brussels.¹⁹ Garsallaoui traveled to Pakistan’s tribal areas in November 2007.²⁰ He quickly became a key coordinator for al-Qa’ida’s operations in Francophone Europe.²¹ Together, Garsallaoui and Aroud attempted to establish a Belgian wing of al-Qa’ida.

Aroud set up a cell which aimed to free incarcerated al-Qa’ida terrorist Nizar Trabelsi from a Belgian prison.²² The module had allegedly made vague plans to detonate bombs in the Brussels’ subway and likely wanted to attack an unspecified American installation.²³ Police arrested Aroud and more than a dozen of her associates on Dec. 21, 2007.²⁴ The militants were released the next day due to a lack of evidence.²⁵

After Aroud was set free, she continued to develop al-Qa’ida’s operations in Belgium. Aroud sought to assist the movement in its fight against American, Afghan and allied troops.²⁶ She also formed a new cell to launch attacks in Belgium.²⁷ Through Garsallaoui, the module was in contact with senior al-Qa’ida leaders.²⁸ Following close cooperation with American intelligence services, Belgian police simultaneously raided sixteen sites in Brussels and Liège on Dec. 11, 2008.²⁹ Aroud and some of her associates were arrested.³⁰ The cell was reportedly preparing to launch a suicide bomb attack at the time of the operation.³¹ In May 2010, a court sentenced Aroud to eight years in prison for leading and financing a terrorist organization.³² Her sentence was confirmed on appeal in December 2010.³³

Aroud was freed from prison on Dec. 14, 2016.³⁴ In late 2018, the Belgian government stripped Aroud of her Belgian citizenship and ordered that she be deported to Morocco.³⁵ Fearing mistreatment in her home country, Aroud demanded asylum in Belgium.³⁶ The bid was rejected in January 2019.³⁷ She nevertheless remains free in Belgium due to Morocco’s unwillingness to take her in.³⁸

References[+]

References
↑1	CRUICKSHANK, Paul – “Suicide bomber’s widow soldiers on“, on: Cable News Network (Aug. 24, 2006), link.
↑2	CRUICKSHANK, Paul – “Suicide bomber’s widow soldiers on“, on: Cable News Network (Aug. 24, 2006), link; CRUICKSHANK, Paul – “Love in the time of terror“, in: Marie Claire (May 15, 2009), link & ROYEN, Marie-Cécile – “Malika el Aroud, la passionaria du salafisme belge“, in: Express (Dec. 12, 2008), link.
↑3	CRUICKSHANK, Paul – “Suicide bomber’s widow soldiers on“, on: Cable News Network (Aug. 24, 2006), link; CRUICKSHANK, Paul – “Love in the time of terror“, in: Marie Claire (May 15, 2009), link & ROYEN, Marie-Cécile – “Malika el Aroud, la passionaria du salafisme belge“, in: Express (Dec. 12, 2008), link.
↑4	CRUICKSHANK, Paul – “Love in the time of terror“, in: Marie Claire (May 15, 2009), link.
↑5	CRUICKSHANK, Paul – “Suicide bomber’s widow soldiers on“, on: Cable News Network (Aug. 24, 2006), link; CRUICKSHANK, Paul – “Love in the time of terror“, in: Marie Claire (May 15, 2009), link; SCIOLINO, Elaine & MEKHENNET, Souad – “Al Qaeda warrior uses internet to rally women“, in: New York Times (May 28, 2008), link & New York Times – “Terror arrests ahead of EU summit“, by Steven Erlanger (Dec. 11, 2008), link.
↑6	HAMEL, Ian – “La longue impunité de Malika, la marraine des djihadistes belges et français“, in: Point (Dec. 28, 2015), link; SCIOLINO, Elaine & MEKHENNET, Souad – “Al Qaeda warrior uses internet to rally women“, in: New York Times (May 28, 2008), link & Dernière Heure – “Le groupe de Malika El Aroud“, by Nawal Bensalem (Dec. 22, 2007), link.
↑7	CRUICKSHANK, Paul – “Love in the time of terror“, in: Marie Claire (May 15, 2009), link & SCIOLINO, Elaine & MEKHENNET, Souad – “Al Qaeda warrior uses internet to rally women“, in: New York Times (May 28, 2008), link.
↑8	CRUICKSHANK, Paul – “Love in the time of terror“, in: Marie Claire (May 15, 2009), link.
↑9	CRUICKSHANK, Paul – “Love in the time of terror“, in: Marie Claire (May 15, 2009), link & Dernière Heure – “Le groupe de Malika El Aroud“, by Nawal Bensalem (Dec. 22, 2007), link.
↑10	BESSON, Sylvain – “Fin de parcours pour Garsallaoui, ex-réfugié en Suisse tué par un drone“, in: Temps (Oct. 17, 2012), link; HELBERT, Frederic – “Vie et mort de Moez Garsallaoui, formateur de Mohammed Merah” on author’s personal website (Oct. 18, 2012), link; PLATTNER, Titus & GLAUS, Daniel – “Devenu terroriste par amour de la veuve noire“, in: Matin (Oct. 21, 2012), link; Express – “Moez Garsallaoui, mentor présumé de Merah, aurait été tué“, by Eric Pelletier (Oct. 17, 2012), link & Morgen – “België arresteerde een legende van al-Qaida” (Dec. 12, 2008), link.
↑11	HAMEL, Ian – “La longue impunité de Malika, la marraine des djihadistes belges et français“, in: Point (Dec. 28, 2015), link.
↑12	HAMEL, Ian – “La longue impunité de Malika, la marraine des djihadistes belges et français“, in: Point (Dec. 28, 2015), link; Morgen – “België arresteerde een legende van al-Qaida” (Dec. 12, 2008), link; Morgen – “8 jaar cel voor Malika El Aroud” (May 10, 2010), link; Redactie – “Malika El Aroud krijgt 8 jaar op terrorismeproces” (May 10, 2010), link & Swiss Info – “Islamist website owners found guilty” (Jun. 21, 2007), link.
↑13	Morgen – “8 jaar cel voor Malika El Aroud” (May 10, 2010), link; Morgen – “Procureur-generaal legt link tussen El Aroud en al-Qaida uit” (Nov. 08, 2010), link & Morgen – “Straf voor Malika El Aroud bevestigd” (Dec. 01, 2010), link.
↑14	Dernière Heure – “Le groupe de Malika El Aroud“, by Nawal Bensalem (Dec. 22, 2007), link & Libre Belgique – “Malika El Aroud impliquée dans l’affaire Degauque” (Oct. 09, 2007), by Christophe Lamfalussy, link.
↑15	PLATTNER, Titus & GLAUS, Daniel – “Devenu terroriste par amour de la veuve noire“, in: Matin (Oct. 21, 2012), link; SCIOLINO, Elaine & MEKHENNET, Souad – “Al Qaeda warrior uses internet to rally women“, in: New York Times (May 28, 2008), link; Dernière Heure – “Le groupe de Malika El Aroud“, by Nawal Bensalem (Dec. 22, 2007), link & Swiss Info – “Islamist website owners found guilty” (Jun. 21, 2007), link.
↑16	HAMEL, Ian – “La longue impunité de Malika, la marraine des djihadistes belges et français“, in: Point (Dec. 28, 2015), link; PLATTNER, Titus & GLAUS, Daniel – “Devenu terroriste par amour de la veuve noire“, in: Matin (Oct. 21, 2012), link & Swiss Info – “Islamist website owners found guilty” (Jun. 21, 2007), link.
↑17	PLATTNER, Titus & GLAUS, Daniel – “Devenu terroriste par amour de la veuve noire“, in: Matin (Oct. 21, 2012), link.
↑18	HAMEL, Ian – “La longue impunité de Malika, la marraine des djihadistes belges et français“, in: Point (Dec. 28, 2015), link; ROYEN, Marie-Cécile – “Malika el Aroud, la passionaria du salafisme belge“, in: Express (Dec. 12, 2008), link & Swiss Info – “Islamist website owners found guilty” (Jun. 21, 2007), link.
↑19	HAMEL, Ian – “La longue impunité de Malika, la marraine des djihadistes belges et français“, in: Point (Dec. 28, 2015), link.
↑20	BESSON, Sylvain – “Fin de parcours pour Garsallaoui, ex-réfugié en Suisse tué par un drone“, in: Temps (Oct. 17, 2012), link; PLATTNER, Titus & GLAUS, Daniel – “Devenu terroriste par amour de la veuve noire“, in: Matin (Oct. 21, 2012), link; Express – “Moez Garsallaoui, mentor présumé de Merah, aurait été tué“, by Eric Pelletier (Oct. 17, 2012), link & Morgen – “Brusselse terreurcel met Al Qaidatop gelinkt” (Feb. 12, 2009), link.
↑21	HELBERT, Frederic – “Vie et mort de Moez Garsallaoui, formateur de Mohammed Merah” on author’s personal website (Oct. 18, 2012), link; Express – “Moez Garsallaoui, mentor présumé de Merah, aurait été tué“, by Eric Pelletier (Oct. 17, 2012), link & Monde – “Moez Garsallaoui, Le contact des djihadistes français au Pakistan“, by Jacques Follorou (Oct. 19, 2012), link.
↑22	British Broadcasting Corporation – “Belgium foils al-Qaeda jailbreak” (Dec. 21, 2007), link; British Broadcasting Corporation – “Belgium frees jailbreak suspects” (Dec. 22, 2007), link; Morgen – “Toch aanslagen gepland volgens afgetapte telefoons” (Dec. 31, 2007), link; Morgen – “Zes leden Belgische tak al-Qaida aangehouden” (Dec. 12, 2008), link & New York Times – “Terror arrests ahead of EU summit“, by Steven Erlanger (Dec. 11, 2008), link.
↑23	Morgen – “Toch aanslagen gepland volgens afgetapte telefoons” (Dec. 31, 2007), link & New York Times – “Terror arrests ahead of EU summit“, by Steven Erlanger (Dec. 11, 2008), link.
↑24	British Broadcasting Corporation – “Belgium foils al-Qaeda jailbreak” (Dec. 21, 2007), link; Morgen – “België arresteerde een legende van al-Qaida” (Dec. 12, 2008), link; Morgen – “Zes leden Belgische tak al-Qaida aangehouden” (Dec. 12, 2008), link & New York Times – “Terror arrests ahead of EU summit“, by Steven Erlanger (Dec. 11, 2008), link.
↑25	British Broadcasting Corporation – “Belgium frees jailbreak suspects” (Dec. 22, 2007), link.
↑26	Morgen – “België arresteerde een legende van al-Qaida” (Dec. 12, 2008), link & Morgen – “8 jaar cel voor Malika El Aroud” (May 10, 2010), link.
↑27	Morgen – “Zes leden Belgische tak al-Qaida aangehouden” (Dec. 12, 2008), link.
↑28	Morgen – “Brusselse terreurcel met Al Qaidatop gelinkt” (Feb. 12, 2009), link.
↑29	Morgen – “Toch aanslagen gepland volgens afgetapte telefoons” (Dec. 31, 2007), link; Morgen – “Zes leden Belgische tak al-Qaida aangehouden” (Dec. 12, 2008), link; Morgen – “Al-Qaidaleden lopen nog vrij rond in Brussel” (Feb. 26, 2009), link; Morgen – “Spionage van NSA verijdelde aanslag al-Qaida in ons land“, by Luc Beernaert (Jun. 19, 2013), link & New York Times – “Terror arrests ahead of EU summit“, by Steven Erlanger (Dec. 11, 2008), link.
↑30	Morgen – “Al-Qaidaleden lopen nog vrij rond in Brussel” (Feb. 26, 2009), link.
↑31	CRUICKSHANK, Paul – “Suicide bomber’s widow soldiers on“, on: Cable News Network (Aug. 24, 2006), link; British Broadcasting Corporation – “Belgium convicts eight on terrorism charges” (May 10, 2010), link; Morgen – “Franse terreurverdachten hebben banden met El Aroud” (Dec. 17, 2008), link; Morgen – “Brusselse terreurcel met Al Qaidatop gelinkt” (Feb. 12, 2009), link & New York Times – “Terror arrests ahead of EU summit“, by Steven Erlanger (Dec. 11, 2008), link.
↑32	British Broadcasting Corporation – “Belgium convicts eight on terrorism charges” (May 10, 2010), link; Cable News Network – “Belgian police arrest al Qaeda legend” (Dec. 11, 2008), link; Morgen – “8 jaar cel voor Malika El Aroud” (May 10, 2010), link & Redactie – “Malika El Aroud krijgt 8 jaar op terrorismeproces” (May 10, 2010), link.
↑33	Morgen – “Straf voor Malika El Aroud bevestigd” (Dec. 01, 2010), link.
↑34	Laatste Nieuws – “Zwarte weduwe Malika El-Aroud vrijgelaten” (Dec. 14, 2016), link; Libre Belgique – “Malika El Aroud, l’épouse d’un des assassins du Commandant Massoud, a retrouvé la liberté” (Dec. 14, 2016), link & Morgen – “Zwarte weduwe Malika El-Aroud vrijgelaten” (Dec. 14, 2016), link.
↑35	Dernière Heure – “La veuve noire du djihad et le porte-parole de Sharia4Belgium vont être expulsés” (Oct. 13, 2018), link; Morgen – “Zwarte weduwe van de jihad krijgt geen asiel” (Dec. 20, 2018), link & Nieuwsblad – “Terroriste die geen asiel krijgt bij ons, tegen rechters: fusilleer me dan maar” (Jan. 10, 2019), link.
↑36	Laatste Nieuws – “Zwarte weduwe van jihad vraagt politiek asiel aan” (Nov. 05, 2018), link; Morgen – “Zwarte weduwe van de jihad krijgt geen asiel” (Dec. 20, 2018), link & Nieuwsblad – “Terroriste die geen asiel krijgt bij ons, tegen rechters: fusilleer me dan maar” (Jan. 10, 2019), link.
↑37	Libre Belgique – “La veuve noire du djihad Malika el-Aroud est exclue du statut de réfugié” (Jan. 30, 2019), link & Nieuwsblad – “Terroriste die geen asiel krijgt bij ons, tegen rechters: fusilleer me dan maar” (Jan. 10, 2019), link.
↑38	Nieuwsblad – “Zwarte weduwe van de jihad mag terugkeerwoning verlaten: Onmogelijk om mensen die hier niet mogen zijn terug te sturen” (Mar. 01, 2021), link; Radio-Télévision Belge de la Communauté Française – “La veuve noire du djihadisme Malika el Aroud ne sera pas expulsée, Faute de coopération du Maroc” (Mar. 01, 2021), link; Standaard – “Marokkaanse onwil belet uitzetting zwarte weduwe van jihad“, by Mathias Vanderaspoilden (Mar. 02, 2021) & Tijd – “België krijgt Mama Jihad maar niet uitgezet“, by Dries Bervoet (Mar. 01, 2021), link.

Malika el-Aroud (Jihadi Militant, Belgium)

Recent Posts

Archives

Categories