Jihadi bride who converted to Islam was once a committed Christian, father says

Khadija Dare pictured here with her husband, Abu Bakr. Screenshot | Channel 4 News

The British jihadi bride whose four-year-old son recently appeared in an ISIS execution video was once a devout Christian who loved going to church, her father has said.

In an interview with The Sun, Sunday Dare, father of 25-year-old Grace, who now goes by the name Khadijah, said: "She was religious. She would read her Bible and pray all the time.

"We called her Grace after Amazing Grace the hymn.

"She went to church every week without fail, often three times. She was always smiling and singing at church, sat in the pews with all the grown-ups."

Khadijah, from Lewisham in southeast London, converted to Islam in 2010 and is believed to have been radicalised online. She fled to Syria in 2012 with her son, Isa.

There, she married Swedish ISIS militant Abu Bakr, who is since believed to have been killed. Khadijah has said on social media that she wants to be the first British woman to kill an ISIS hostage.

Isa appeared in a 10-minute ISIS propaganda video released by the militant group last week. It was titled 'A Message to David Cameron', and showed five hostages being killed.

Now dubbed 'Jihadi Junior', Isa said in the video: "We will kill the kuffars [non-believers] over there".

Sunday accused Islamic State of using his grandson as a "shield".

He told Channel 4: "He's my grandson. I can't disown him. I know him very well. He's propaganda. They are just using a small boy. They are just using him as a shield."

related articles
Young British women being groomed as \'jihadi brides\'
Young British women being groomed as 'jihadi brides'

Young British women being groomed as 'jihadi brides'

Three British schoolgirls \'Syria bound to join Islamic State\'
Three British schoolgirls 'Syria bound to join Islamic State'

Three British schoolgirls 'Syria bound to join Islamic State'

British militant\'s Islamic State execution video is propaganda, says Cameron\'s office
British militant's Islamic State execution video is propaganda, says Cameron's office

British militant's Islamic State execution video is propaganda, says Cameron's office

Syria: Priest released by Islamist militants two weeks after kidnapping

Syria: Priest released by Islamist militants two weeks after kidnapping

News
What do we know about Simon of Cyrene?
What do we know about Simon of Cyrene?

Easter may have passed, but some figures in the story stay with us long after the day itself. One of those is Simon of Cyrene - a man who appears for only a moment, says nothing, and then disappears. And yet, his story carries lessons we can hold onto all year round.

There may not be a Christian revival, but Britain’s traditional churches aren’t doomed
There may not be a Christian revival, but Britain’s traditional churches aren’t doomed

There are good reasons to doubt that Britain is experiencing a Christian revival today – but that does not mean it is dying out.

Pastor preaches in Bristol city centre despite fears of arrest
Pastor preaches in Bristol city centre despite fears of arrest

A pastor has returned to street preaching in Bristol city centre just over four months after he was arrested for his comments on Islam and transgender ideology. 

The biblical backstory of Iran
The biblical backstory of Iran

Iran is back in the headlines. The word “Iran” does not appear in the Bible, but the names of preceding peoples and empires occupying that land today are written into the biblical narrative. This is the story …