Halima Salman faces first US trial of a woman charged with ISIS membership

Halima Salman, a 27-year-old Brooklyn native, is currently undergoing the first U.S. trial of a woman charged with membership in ISIS. Prosecutors in Brooklyn allege that Salman was a trained combatant who wielded an AK-47 assault rifle in Syria. During the trial, federal prosecutors presented video footage of Salman handling a firearm in her husband’s home and a digital training certificate allegedly qualifying her to carry a Kalashnikov rifle and 250 rounds of ammunition.

In her testimony, Salman denied supporting the terrorist organization, stating, “I believe that ISIS did very scary things which deceive the way Islam is visioned.” She testified that her father moved the family to ISIS-controlled territory when she was a teenager and that she was forced into an arranged marriage at age 18. While prosecutors argue the evidence shows practiced ease with weapons, Salman’s defense has challenged the authenticity of the training documents and noted a lack of detail regarding her specific training.