The mother-in-law of Australian terrorist Khaled Sharrouf has issued a public plea to Tony Abbott to ask for help in bringing home her daughter and five grandchildren.
In her statement released on Tuesday night Karen Nettleton says her daughter Tara, who converted to Islam 10 years ago to marry Sharrouf, made the “mistake of a lifetime” when she chose to follow her extremist husband to the Middle East in February after he fled Australia to join Daesh, also known as ISIS.
In the lengthy plea, which was passed onto media through her lawyers, Ms Nettleton wrote that the suspected deaths of her son-in-law, Khaled Sharrouf and his best friend Mohamed Elomar made her fear for the safety of her daughter and grandkids Zaynab, Hoda, Abdullah, Zarqawi and Humzeh.
She said after getting a knock on the door to tell her the two terrorists were presumed dead her thoughts went particularly to her daughter and “widowed 14-year-old” granddaughter Zaynab, who she says was forced to marry Elomar a few months ago.
“My heart broke for [them], alone in a troubled and dangerous country, but I was so relieved by the news that they were alive and unharmed,” she said.
Zaynab is believed to have taken to social media site Kik on Tuesday to pay tribute to her husband with an image that reads: ‘I love my hubby’
Karen Nettleton and her daughter Tara as a child.
But in contrast, Peter Nettleton Sharrouf’s father-in-law welcomed reports that his daughter and granddaughter’s husbands had been killed.
“I was ecstatic when I heard he was dead. It’s great news,” Mr Nettleton told The Daily Telegraph.
Tara’s father has said he had not heard from his daughter in 10 years and had only ever seen two of his grandchildren.
Tara Nettleton’s children: Zaynab, Hoda, Abdullah, Zarqawi and Humzeh.
But Ms Nettleton – who flew to Malaysia in December 2013 with her daughter and five grandchildren to help them covertly travel to Syria to meet up with Sharrouf – said her family in Syria was now in more danger than ever and used her statement and never before seen pictures of her grandkids to try and convince people to let them come home.
“[They] more than ever need the love and care of their family to help them recover from the trauma, abuse and terrors of war they have experienced,” she said.
“Unlike millions of displaced people in Iraq and Syria, they have a place to come home to.”
Khaled Sharrouf and his children pose with semi-automatic weapons in front of an ISIS flag.
While the Australian intelligence officials said on Tuesday they were close to verifying the death of Elomar but details on Sharrouf remained unclear, Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop said no decision will be made on if Sharrouf’s wife and children can return to Australia until they have established reports of his death.
Karen Nettleton’s full statement:
A few days ago a man knocked on my door. I was scared. I felt as though I was opening the door to the ominous messenger who delivered telegrams to mothers and wives during wartime. The messenger told me that the man my 13 year old granddaughter was forced to marry, Mohamed Elomar, was dead. I was also told that Khaled Sharrouf, my daughter’s husband, was missing and presumed dead.
My heart broke for my daughter Tara and my granddaughter Zaynab, alone in a troubled and dangerous country, but I was so relieved by the news that they were alive and unharmed.
Some months back Khaled Sharrouf’s car was blown up, resulting in the death of the family inside, including a mother and children. They were friends of Tara. It seemed to me that the target was Khaled Sharrouf. As happens in the fog of war, civilians become victims, or as is so coldly stated, collateral damage.
I don’t want my daughter and grandchildren to be collateral damage in this shameful and tragic war. There are so many innocent victims dead, wounded or displaced.
Since my daughter has been in Syria, I fear watching the news. I am sure I am not alone. There are other parents in my situation in Australia and overseas. My heart goes out to them. Their lives and ours will never be the same.
Recently I made a public plea to the Australian government to assist in bringing home my daughter and grandchildren. I believe the Australian government has the resources and expertise to save its own citizens. With the deaths of Mohamed Elomar and likely Khaled Sharrouf, my daughter and grandchildren more than ever need the love and care of their family to help them recover from the trauma, abuse and terrors of war they have experienced. Unlike millions of displaced people in Iraq and Syria, they have a place to come home to.
My silence and reluctance to speak publicly has been because of an unbearable fear that if I speak out, I may further endanger my family. This fear is tempered by a deeper fear that if I do not speak out, and some other tragedy befalls them, I will not be able to live with myself. They want to come home. Our country is a country of many faiths and backgrounds. It is my belief that Australia is an open-hearted country. The time is ripe for compassion and empathy.
My daughter made the mistake of a lifetime. Today she is a parent alone in a foreign and vicious land looking after a widowed 14 year old and four other young children.
I accept that some will be critical of my daughter, who followed her heart and has paid an enormous price. I implore those people, including our Prime Minister Mr Abbott who is a man of faith, to remember John 8:7: ‘He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her’.
Mr Abbott, I beg you, please help bring my child and grandchildren home.
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