From Germany to “The terrorist's mother

Christian was Sabine Lappe's beloved son. One day, however, the sweet boy became a hierarchist and went to war in Syria, where he lost his life. His mother has decided to tell his story about Deutsche Welle.

One Saturday morning early 2015 at 5:45 p.m., the phone rings at Sabine Lappes' home. Anyone who calls so early... was mad at her. Christian, her 27-year-old son was on the phone. “Mama we are in Turkey, waiting to take us to Syria”, he gives the news. Along with his wife Yasmine, he had decided overnight to join the militias of the so-called “Islamic State “”. Sabine Lappe begged her to come back. No, we're not going back, we're going to go there, where the most word of Allah” is, he told me, recalls Sabine Lappe.

Sabine Lappe is a woman in her 50s who lives alone in a two-bedroom apartment in Dortmund. The Christian photograph does not have on the walls, only one of his kaftans, whom she has decided to leave hanging behind the door forever. Sabine Lappe does not come out of the house willingly. Outside she's the terrorist's mother. Although no one mourns her she says: “I love my son, although there was nothing left of that Christian who was. ”

Convert mother to son

Christian was an intelligent child, eager to learn, the scalp, confesss his mother. But his childhood was not easy. Christian grew up without a father, later fell into bad company, became addicted to drugs, yet Sabine never left her son alone. As a teenager, Christian became ill, and no one could find diagnosis. At 20 years of age one night, he had so much stomach pain that Sabine Lappe decided to call an emergency. Doctors state a chronic inflammation of the colon, Morbus Crohn.

After the narchosis, Christian made a promise, recalls Sabine Lappe. He wanted to thank God for this second chance of life. Until then, Christian knew no religion, much less salafism. His family was Catholic, though not practical. After several operations, Christian felt better. He decided to return to school, finish his seniority, and later study psychology. But at school he met some Moroccan and Turkish boys, boys who enthusiastically confessed to Islam. He came home one day and said he was thinking of converting”. It was 2012, the mother remembered. Sabine Lappe was now in a personal crisis after her partner died. She herself was looking for meaning in life. This was the reason for approaching Islam. Six months after the boy, Sabine Lappe was also converted to the Muslim religion. She says that faith made a well - balanced “ ”.

First Differates

Sabine Kappe when she goes out of the house, but not with a nikkab. The face holds him up. It doesn't go, she says, we're in Germany anyway. But at this point, disputes with the boy began. “He took a radical stance very soon”, recalls Sabine. He became angry when Mother went to the market, talked to the seller, and even held his hand. “This isn't allowed, Mom, this thing is spent, banned-” upset Christian. But this did not allow Sabine Lappe. I give my hand to whoever I think I should give it, so it's here, a Muslim not. But Mr. Müller, where I've been buying tomatoes for 15 years, I can't say all of a sudden, I'm sorry, I can't shake your hand anymore, because I've become a Muslim. ”

A Appointment With Effects

Shortly before graduation, in 2014, Christian became acquainted with his later wife, Yasmine. A Moroccan-German girl from a troubled family, Sabine says. I actually introduced them to each other” Sabine Lappe later realized that Yasmine wanted to marry and have someone with whom she could go to Syria. “Christian totally fell in love with this girl, who accepted her as she was. With rashes, Morbus Crohn disease and hospital stay.” Half a year later, two young people get married at a mosque in Frankfurt. As 2014/2015 changed, Sabine Lappe heard that Christian and Yasmina wanted to join the IS, she recalls. I didn't believe it, she was still a child”, Sabine says.

But both had already begun preparations to leave Germany. Christian knew boys from the sausage scene in Germany. Before leaving the country, he was also placed in the focus of the German Constitutional Protection, reports Sabine Lappe. After leaving for Syria, contact was difficult. From time to time, Sabine Lappe phoned the boy, then texted whatsapp. It was Christian who wrote the first of different phones. He was in Rakka, Idlib, Abu Kamal and once again in Iraq. ”

Cut hand

Sabine Lapé says that he has tried to persuade the boy to return, but he was given his decision in hand. Mother recalls that only when she saw a video, “thought her son was a stranger.” It was September 2016, a year after Christian left Germany, she remembers. Through the IS platform, Furat Media published a movie. There Christian says he's got a new name, Abu Isa- Al-Alman and calls for assassinations in Europe. The video also shows a man's hand tied and a falling axe. It's not clear whether it's Christian who cuts that man's hand, but a sight is clear. Christian gives a kiss to the head of a tortured man.

Sabine Lappe recalls that the world changed for him from that day on. In a phone call she fights with the guy about the video, and he tells her that “she didn't get the trust right.” In her confession, Sabine Lappe uses only the name Christian, not the name he gave himself in Syria, Abu Isa. For me he was and he remains Christian.” Later the mother takes a picture, where the couple proudly pose, Christian with Kalashnikov, Yasmin completely covered - they let him know that Jasmine is expecting a child. Sabine Lappe recalls that she was dragged into her stomach by this news, but nothing changed to Christian. He even became more radical.

The Mother of the Terrorist

In August 2017 she hears from her son for the last time. He told him he wants to fight and that he loves me.” Sabine Lappe thinks she had a bad feeling about this call. On September 19, Mother receives a call from Yasmine. “She proudly told me that Isa is now Shahid, a martyr. He's gone to war for Allah.” Sabines Lappes' voice changes. In a bitter tone she says. “No, Christian didn't go to war for Allah, but for Al-Bagdad and his criminals. “ “at such a time, you can't think about”, she says.

Today Sabine Lappe feels lonely. The pharmacy shot that they didn't serve, but they asked her to leave. She notes, as people look at her with fear, she is now the mother of the terrorist, a mother who has failed.

/DW/