© Tania Joya TheLibertarian/ Facebook ·
Tania Joya, originally from Harrow in London, who describes herself as a former extremist, married American jihadi John Georgelas - whose convert name is Yahya al-Bahrumi - after meeting him online.
Having dedicated herself to extremism after meeting al-Bahrumi, she fled with him to Syria in 2014, along with her four children. Joya has since left the country, now living in Dallas, Texas. She claims to have a new focus in life; helping to de-radicalize terrorists.
Telling her story on ITV's Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, Joya left audiences both startled and horrified as she blasted Islam for "brainwashing" her, while also saying that she still loves her terrorist husband.
After Joya slammed the Quran as a "terrible book," Susanna Reid, co-hosting the program with Piers Morgan, asked the former jihadi bride if she still loved her ex-partner, who is still an ISIS fighter in Raqqa, Syria.
She replied: "I don't love him like I'm in love with him, but I love him because he gave me four beautiful children, lovely children."
When Reid pressed her further and asked: "You don't reject him as someone who is obviously part of a murderous cult?" Joya shrugged her shoulders and responded: "If he's caught, he needs to go to prison, of course."
At that point, an astounded Morgan asked her how she could condemn Islam while condoning her former spouse. Joya replied: "I love him like I love people.
"He was my best friend for 10 years. Even though he had his ups and downs, everybody has a good side, everybody has a bad side."
A furious Morgan replied: "You know what? ISIS terrorists don't have a good side and so, I'm afraid, we're gonna end the interview right there."
Joya's controversial remarks stirred massive outcry on social media, with some people arguing she should never have been given airtime.
Other accused her of lying:
Comment: An important point made in Stanton Samenow's book, Inside the Criminal Mind is that all criminals of every type believe they are basically good people. This view of the self is essential in being able to commit crimes, including ones against humanity. This same belief obviously also exists in those who purposely choose criminals as their mates, both with regard to their own self image as well as toward their chosen partner. As Samenow notes, it is this belief that poses the greatest obstacle for change: