Layla M

Imagine you were raised in a conservative evangelical Christian family and attended a Southern Baptist church. Your parents are devout Christians, but you feel that’s not enough. You desire a stronger sense of faith and decide to join a Fundamentalist Baptist community, which is far more rigid than typical conservative evangelicalism. As a result, you disassociate from anything related to the Southern Baptist tradition and anything outside your new faith.

Imagine being raised in a Latter-day Saints family with conservative values, growing up in a predominantly Mormon community like Provo, Utah. However, you feel it’s not enough and decide to leave the LDS community you grew up in for a fundamentalist Latter-day Saints polygamist, isolated community.

This is similar to the story of Layla M, a young Dutch Muslim girl from Amsterdam who transformed her Islamic beliefs into a more radical version. She married Abdel, a radical jihadist photographer, and moved to settle in a fundamentally jihadist region in Jordan.

Layla M is a movie I just watched—interesting. Most conversion stories are fascinating and often leave the psychology of religious converts unexplainable. People convert to new faiths for many reasons.

In Layla M's case, I’ve read a few reviews and arguments suggesting that she didn’t technically convert since she was already Muslim. Instead, she adopted more radical views due to jihadist propaganda she encountered through video channels and chat rooms she frequently engaged with.

Why did Layla adopt radical jihadist views as the new foundation of her beliefs? Some reviews suggest she was brainwashed by political and social justice propaganda.

In my opinion, that could be true, but I believe she became addicted to her faith and devotion. The more effort she invested in her beliefs, the more she lost touch with the simple basics of her faith.

It’s similar to mathematics. A student pursuing a master's degree in mathematics or engineering often immerses themselves in complex problems, like advanced trigonometry or other higher-level concepts. In doing so, they can easily forget basic math functions like multiplication, division, or simple equations. That’s exactly what happens to your brain when you become too deeply immersed in religion. Well, I was in a situation similar to Layla M’s—not exactly, because her situation was worse than mine, but somewhat similar. Long story!

The movie didn’t explain exactly how Layla was introduced to jihadism, but she was an 18-year-old high school student with many potential college scholarships. She was very active in extracurricular activities at her school and community. She also attended online Quran classes faithfully. These activities gave Layla a strong sense of pride and belonging. Layla had a passion for social justice and her faith on campus. Jihadism seemed to appeal to Layla due to the combination of religion and social justice, as these groups present themselves as defenders of social justice on behalf of Islamic beliefs. She brought up social justice issues with her family and friends, but they didn’t take them as seriously as her jihadist friends, with whom she frequently engaged online.

Given that the jihadist population in Amsterdam is a minority, Layla often received significant recognition—both positive and negative—for being a defender of Muslim social justice. Everyone, including the police in Amsterdam, knew Layla and treated her with a certain level of respect.

However, it was the complete opposite when Layla and her husband, Abdel, settled in Jordan. There, she was treated simply as another fighter. Not everyone recognized her, except for a female neighbor and friend, Oum Osama.

What’s interesting to me is that I noticed Layla didn’t wear a facial cover in the fundamentalist, jihadist-dominant region in Jordan, but she did wear it in her own family house, which was full of Muslim relatives. Even her muslim dad pressured Layla to take off her facial mask, but she refused. It makes me wonder why Layla doesn’t cover her face among jihadists, even around male fellow extremists. However, Layla did wear a headscarf throughout the movie, except in the bedroom during intimate moments with Abdel.

Layla's new life in Jordan

Layla adjusted to her new life as a housewife in Jordan. However, since her husband, Abdel, was busy with his work alongside fellow jihadists, he had little time for their marriage. As a result, Layla felt useless as a housewife, but her passion for community activities was still alive. To keep herself active, she attended Quran classes and got involved with children in need at a rescue camp.

Abdel had no issue with Layla attending Quran classes until she got involved with the rescue camp, which concerned him as it posed a potential threat to the jihadist mission. Abdel even questioned Layla about where the camp received funding for its operations—definitely not from the Jordanian government.

When it was time for Abdel to leave on a temporary mission, Layla had no idea why he was leaving. However, she was placed under house arrest by Abdel’s order. He even assigned a guard to watch over her—not only to protect her but also to ensure she didn’t leave the house. Layla was confused and uncertain about Abdel’s sudden departure.

The movie didn’t explain why or what caused Layla to become interested in checking her husband's laptop. However, she searched around the house for Abdel's hidden laptop and eventually found it under the couch in the living room.

When she accessed it, Layla discovered that her neighbor and friend Oum Osama's husband had carried out a suicide mission and lost his life. Shocked, she immediately ran to Oum Osama's house, only to find it empty. Does sending inexperienced and vulnerable men to the front lines in war truly serve the cause of social justice? That’s what Layla begins to question.

Abdel returns home without his beard, but the movie doesn’t explain why he shaved it. Perhaps it takes two or three viewings to understand the meaning between the lines.

Layla's reaction to Abdel is a mix of surprise and relief, but at the same time, she makes it clear that she wants to go home. In response, Abdel takes a passport out of his pocket, hands it to her, and says, "I love you. Take care of yourself."

Layla flew back to Amsterdam and informed her family of her return. However, she was apprehended by the authorities and questioned about her involvement with jihadists, especially Abdel, who was considered a person of interest. Layla remained silent and did not respond or engage in conversation with the authorities.

Unfortunately, the movie ended this way instead of concluding with a family reunion or a meaningful, emotional moment.

Layla M was a low-budget film with a successful outcome, winning the Academy Award for Best International Film at the Film Festival. It was directed by Dutch filmmaker Mijke de Jong. Layla M was the first film in which Nora El Koussour played the main character. Interestingly, Layla M was filmed in 2016, during the era when ISIS was heavily covered in global news.

I give this film five stars. I highly recommend it to those seeking to understand the diversity and cultures within the Muslim community, as well as the relationship between youth and jihadists. For those who are deeply interested in politics in the Muslim world, this film may serve you well.