Meet the Muslim teenager using poetry to stop young people turning to Isis
17-year-old Aouda Ketrouci's words were used as part of a viral video created by #RejectISIS campaigners. Here, speaking to the Independent just hours before the terrorist attacks on Paris, she explains how easy it is for confused teens to be radicalised - and how she thinks the problem can be tackled
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In the aftermath of Friday's terrorist attacks in Paris, a search for answers has begun. Details have already come to light, including most of the attackers’ identities. At least five of them were French, and had been converted to radical Islamism in the heart of Western Europe.
Poet and student 17-year-old Aouda Ketrouci, from east London, is part of the anti-radicalisation campaign, #RejectISIS. She describes how she too came into contact with people trying to radicalise her and other young Muslims in London.
Earlier this year, Aouda wrote poetry to address the process of radicalisation and the complexities that surround it. She explores how, though nearly all young Muslims acknowledge that extreme ideologies are wrong, it can be confusing to be presented with them when facing a host of other teenage dilemmas about personal identity - from body image and racial heritage to understanding your place in the world.
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