When I shared my blogpost on Web Series Review – Caliphate, my friend Arun suggested that we watch another web series called “The Freelancer”. This is an Indian web series. We started watching The Freelancer in the last week of November 2022, only for it to stop after the 4th episode and the story remaining untold. Amma watched this web series since it was in Hindi and she wanted to know if Aliya was rescued or not.
When I checked with Arun, he said that the rest of the episodes were to be released only by Dec 15th and that he had smartly stopped watching after the 3rd episode. 🙄 The web series was based on this book titled A Ticket to Syria. I immediately bought the book in order to figure out the ending. What a scary book, nicely written but scary as hell !!
And do watch The Freelancer web series, now that all the episodes are out. It’s a slick production and while names and nationalities have been changed, plus some creative liberties have been taken, the true story is brought out brilliantly.
A Ticket to Syria – Summary
Zahi is the young girl in the book who has been renamed as Aliya in The Freelancer web series. The other change is, Zahi’s story is based out of Maldives, while Aliya is based out of Mumbai, India.
Zahi leads a normal life till she goes on a vacation with her family. Instead of being on a vacation, they suddenly land up in Syria. She is unknowingly signed up for jihad and becomes a recruit of the Islamic State.
The author Mr. Shirish Thorat is a senior Goa Police officer who is an expert on terrorism and money laundering.
Some excerpts from the book about the Islamic State…. brace yourself, for it’s chilling.
“….The Islamic State offers thrills, adventure, and opportunity for heroism and violence, all of which appeal to a cadre of young men’s sense of masculinity. It doesn’t hold one’s past life against someone as long as they embrace and live by their interpretation of Sharia in this one. So, you could say that the Islamic State offers a reinvention of self. “
“..At its core, the Islamic State wants to restore the Caliphate, a centuries-old notion of a world governed by Sharia law and ruled by a caliph, someone considered to be a successor to the Prophet Muhammed’s political authority.”
To continue Zahi’s story, she somehow manages to get in touch with her brother who then contacts his friend “The Contact”. It’s scary to read about the life of a young woman in Al Raqqah, under the Islamic State. No freedom to use a mobile phone, regular searches and strict adherence to Sharia law that forbids being on social media, singing and dancing.
The Islamic State seems to be funding itself using Oil and drugs and has occupied large territories in Syria.
Once again the Yezhidis and their plight is mentioned in the book. Do read the following excerpt –
“… the Islamic State’s soldiers slaughtered entire villages, killing at least 5000 Yazidi men and boys, and abducting as many as 7000 women and girls as sex slaves. In the subsequent months the women and minor girls were sold and resold, even auctioned in sex slave markets.” My blood ran cold reading this despite having read The Last Girl.
The good news is Zahi is rescued and is now living somewhere under a different identity. May God grant her a long and happy life.
Do read the book and watch the web series The Freelancer. We really need to wake up and understand what terrorism is and the way it’s changing its face…. hoping for a day when young girls like Zahi are not forced into living a life that’s not their choice.
:(:(
Thanks for the review