Meknes- Moroccan British young singer Nawal Massad, was cleared by a London court of charges of funding the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).
Nawal, 27, a student and would-be singer of Moroccan origin, was arrested last January at Heathrow airport with 20,000 euros ($27,000) hidden in her underwear. She was accused of trying to smuggle the money to “terrorists fighting in Syria.”
But after a trial that started last month, the jury decided that Nawal was tricked by old schools friend, Amal El-Wahabi, also a British of Moroccan origin, whose husband, a Muslim convert, is fighting in Syria. Amal El Wahhabi was found guilty of funding jihadists.
After she left the court on Tuesday, Nawal said that she was physically and mentally weak because of the ordeal she went through since she was arrested.
“The last eight months have been surreal, now I just want to get my life back. I’m physically and mentally drained,” she said.
Last March, Nawal posted a status on her Facebook page where she defended herself of the charges pressed against and said that people who know her, know that she has no extremist views or supports terrorism.
“The police's suspicions have been based on the circumstance and anyone out there who knows me will know I do not have any extremist views or support terrorism nor do I have any jihadist affiliations.”
She also wondered whether the police would have acted the same way with her if she had a British-sounding name.
“I can't help but wonder if I had been called Natalie from Surrey whether the authorities would have pressed terrorism charges against me.”
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