"ISIS bride" Hoda Muthana is not seeking a free pass in exchange for returning to the United States, but she and her family do want her treated with all of the rights of an American citizen, her family's attorney, Hassan Shibly, said Thursday.
"People should not forget that Hoda herself is not saying that she should just come back," Shibly told Fox News' "America's Newsroom." "Everybody acknowledges that what she did was horrible, disgusting, unacceptable. But we also acknowledge that America is great because of her legal system. As an American citizen, she and her family simply want to face our legal system. She is willing to pay whatever debt she has to society, even willing to spend years behind bars."
Shibly said he has represented Muthana's family for the five years since she left to join ISIS at the age of 19.
Muthana must also "answer to God" for her decisions, said Shibly, but he does believe manipulation played a role for her decision to join ISIS and for the anti-American statements she has made.
He also said she may have "very valuable intelligence" that the United States can use, and he is also concerned about other people who have joined ISIS returning to the country as free people.
"I have three kids in this country, young Muslims, proud of their faith, proud of their citizenship," Shibly said. "The last thing I need is some scumbag monster hurting people in the name of my religion."
At the same time, it is being disputed that Muthana is an American citizen, as her father was a diplomat, and President Donald Trump has said she won't be allowed to return. Further, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo referred to Muthana as a "terrorist" earlier on Thursday.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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