Return From ISIS (full documentary) | FRONTLINE
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- Опубліковано 14 гру 2020
- How an American mom and her kids ended up in the heart of ISIS’ self-declared caliphate in Syria - and what happened when they came back.
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In November 2020, Sam Sally, also known as Sam Elhassani, was sentenced to six-and-a-half years in prison for financing terrorism - making her the first American woman brought back from Syria or Iraq and convicted on ISIS-related terrorism charges.
How did this American mother go from a comfortable life in Indiana to the heart of ISIS’s self-declared caliphate in Syria, with her husband a sniper for the terror group and her 10-year-old son forced to threaten President Donald Trump in an ISIS propaganda video shown around the world?
FRONTLINE tells the inside story in “Return From ISIS,” a documentary in association with the BBC that has been nearly four years in the making.
#Documentary #FrontlinePBS #SamSally
Watch "Return From ISIS" starting Tues., Oct. 20: to.pbs.org/3jecZef
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The kids in this documentary showed more character and had more wisdom than adults.
The adults brought the children in this documentary into sexual, physical, mental, and emotional abuse.
Just another day in the typical life of an American parent.
All humans love and will sacrifice *life and limb* for their children, they make amazing accomplishments and often will do literally the impossible for their children.
EXCEPT for Americans. They just drink, use drugs, then have sex with or beat their kids and tell them it was their fault. It's fucking disgusting. Their culture is sick and leads to this. And they think they're the "good guys" who should spread their "freedom to sleep with kids" all over the world.
Say what you will about Saddam, I don't think six year olds were being sold into sex slavery.
Also how she was like "Yeah, he was acting weird and I knew he was on a cocaine binge but I decided to move to IS-Controlled Syria with my children with him and sell my house and give him everything we owned and it was totally a good idea."
Literally no one would still be with a man who was abusing cocaine around their children, much less let him sell them to ISIL. "I knew he was lying to me." Yet she still took her kids with him. Yet she still BOUGHT A LITERAL SIX YEAR OLD SEX SLAVE FOR HIM, "with the intent of adopting her."
Yeah fucking right. Her story was so full of holes, she was just trying to get out of the war crimes and crimes against humanity she committed in the name of America and her Christian God.
"He was trying to sell me back to my family with videos of Matthew." Yeah and you did nothing to stop it, or say anything about it. You wanted your parents to pay a ransom for you and your kids to get you out of this innocently while funding and rewarding both IS and the man who "brought you into it." Which he didn't. She chose to go with him and sell all of her shit in America. Remember, "America is free," no one can force you to sell your property there, they worship their property laws as if they are God themselves.
I bet it was her own idea to get sold back to her family. And I bet she knew she would just get money from it, I bet she didn't even want to go home. She probably loved having a six-year old brown sex slave.
Look at Son My or Mahmudiyah. She wasn't tricked. Americans LOVE violating brown people. They think it's what their God wants.
people, especially americans, refuse to see what children are capable of. They all get treated like idiots because "the parent is always right" and that's got to stop.
Cell phones and too soft laws are making it wore. we have gangs of 13 yr old idiots around here stealing cars and theres literally NOTHING that can be done about it because under a law, no non violent 13 or under yr old child can be arrested, period. so they dont even try to catch them. and people getting hurt in car accidents doesnt count as a "violent crime".
its increased insurance rates, car accidents, rage, anxiety, decreased trust, increased racial and class divides..ive seen nextdoor posts at the ass where people are ready to shoot any kid that rocks up to their car.
Our kids CAN be better, smarter, kinder...but we have failed as a society and it's getting nastier by the day. I got yelled out for telling 3 minor girls to stop twerking for tiktok right in front of my house (making me look like a pedo house or something) and they got nasty.
saw someone walking their pit off a leash and told them they need to leash their dog as we have loose cats in the area, and they got almost violently nasty with me they started spitting while yelling it was TERRIFYING
Matthew was pretty eloquent
@@brandonlefton1346 -I am very impressed by this boy's intelligence and understanding of the mess his mother brought him into.
The kids and this wonderful journalist with balls.
The fact that this reporter worked for years on this and traveling thousands of miles back and forth, through areas destroyed by war and surrounded by terrorists. Then, the due diligence of finding every person and talking to them, even Matthew’s little friend 🥺
Great work! thank you for producing this Documentary.
Agreed. But it does fall short of one thing, something that isn't adressed...
Which is that the unfounded US invasion of Iraq led to the emergence of ISIS in the first place. All this suffering, the slave trade of Yazidis, all the blood spilled, all the atrocities committed from rape to torture to murder was, ultimately, brought to you courtesy of...
The United States Government.
Never forget that. I might add that all the US soldiers died for pretty much nothing. Maybe the US public should start thinking about that. And that lady depicted here deserves the death penalty for what she did imo.
The power of a Muslim man.
If you want unbias news. This is the place an channel!!!!
She didn't search for religion, she was seeking for social media contents.
What a fool
Western women on their way to find the worst men to be around💀meanwhile claiming the men in their country are too sexist, too weak, too bad challenge (impossible). Top level 🤡clownery. Fken hell even had to bring the poor kid into this crap show
The kid is way smarter and wiser than his mother is.
10:41 When he said “She was like my mother- I want to go next to her.” That hit me right in the feels. This little boy has probably seen and heard unimaginable things. The kid is So sweet.
Sure. That's the same mother that was abused by her husband, tortured by Isis, and finally jailed by FBI and forced to take a please deal or never see her kids again.
same mother who watched 2 teenages get raped by her husband and had the audacity to say sorry I cant do anything
@@justme-wh5liShe is a terrible mother to put her kids in that situation and deserves to be in prison. The poor children are scarred for life because of her and her pos husband.
she wanted adventure but the she realised that adventure has gone too far.
not a motherly bone in her body, ESPECIALLY with what she allowed that guy to do to herself and her family, and all of those innocent people!
"Every child deserves a parent. Not all parents deserve a child"
Do you have any other fantasy based sayings?
@@hamzabouteraa2027 every UA-cam video has comments, not every video needs comments.
Hahaha lol !!!! Nice 1
Not all of them have comments. Hey man, you really should go get a job or something. Stop being a burden to society and come out and help. You do too much thinking and not enough money making.
@@hamzabouteraa2027 mad?
"It scared everybody, not just me." What a mature, selfless, empathetic response from a brutalized child. I hope he has a safe, peaceful life going forward.
thought the same thing...
Brave kid!!!
He's a stalwart young dude.
poor kid got contaminated with islam..needs to find salvation in jesus christ
Just watching it was scary actually.
What a selfish woman to put her kids through this.
Yes. Claiming she was taken against her will to Syria. Nonsense
Everyone that has too detailed story is a compulsive lier. That woman is a lier and she will lie until death.
She might have gone with her will but behind her will and her husband will there is a lot of brainwashing sessions. I have literally seen this in many movies, this is like one of the movies we watched
No sympathy for her or ISIS bcos they brutality murdered lots of Kurdish or Syrians.
What a great kid. My heart breaks for what he endured. I hope he grows up to be a kind-hearted person.
He is time bomb and nothing
@@karanraj9237He is no time bomb.
You wouldn't want to say that if he is your own son
I say AMEN to Wilcox's prayers and good will for the boy.
@@tunde6573 shut up time bomb supporter
pure selfish mom. Sam not a victim she was part of the problem.
Me too. You can tell he's broken, but I think he's on the path of recovery. I sure hope he pulls through. He's lived more life than even any adult should live. This mother should never be allowed to have children again. As a mother it goes against every natural instinct we have to not better protect our children from monsters. She failed not once, not twice, but three times. She should be ashamed of herself all in the name of " love" with a terrorist.
That kid is so well spoken. Sad that he had to go through that.
Sometimes you can turn tragedy into a unique insight to help others. His resilience & outlook. I hope he finds a way to use it along his journey!
Carter yes, some put it in comedy. Or other art.
As if she doesn't have agency over her own behavior... Idiot.
@@billyumbraskey8135 what are you replying to? Just in general?
That kid has underlying brainwashed ideology...he will with out any doubt go back to any fundamentalist ideology
She knew everything and still Dragged the children to Syria, what a mess.
200%!!
She's the definition of a traitor.
100 percent and she did this for thrill..wt a crazy lady.
@Que serra c'mon! She was in Love and willing to go to the end of the world.
A good case for pro sterilization for sure
Mathew is a really resilient kid, but behind those eyes is immense sadness. No kid should have to ever go through that.
This Frontline channel is just addictive.
I literally catch up with every documentaries daily.
That shows how great the job is done.
Thank you for this work.
💯
Watching Aham the little 8 year old boys face change while remembering his time with ISIS literally made me tear up because it's just so sad that a sweet and intelligent little kid like him had to live through such a horrible circumstance
What you witnessed is suppressed trauma. That body language is textbook perfect for demonstration trauma. That's EXACTLY what it looks like. People mistake it for the kid just brushing it off, and moving on. Not true. They are trying to process it, but can't. Therefore, the conflicted body language. These kids NEED therapy or their entire lives will be a struggle which will likely end in their early deaths, or the early deaths of others, or both.
@@frankwestphal8532 absolutely agree
What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
He is so intelligent and well spoken for a small boy. I wish he was also saved and brought to Europe or the US for a better life.
Agreed. He needs help. I hope at the very least he's in a safe place where people actually care about him and he feels loved.
Matthew is an unbelievably strong kid. Wish him nothing but the best and hope he can have somewhat of a normal life now. He seems very strong and seemed to be dealing with everything better than most could. Props to him saying its behind him and he now just wants to go forward. He really deserves a kick ass life for all the bs he had to deal with as a young kid. WHAT. A. BEAST.
she is evil. (sam)
@@hard-truthsbetter-than-swe6543Why? The other inmate said She got tortured, she still was a mom to the other kid who was bought for rescue. Neither her or her kid had free will-If you going to also say the kid was evil for making that propaganda speech and reciting what he’s do witj the suicide belt-like he wanted to do it? Then You’re crazy.
I think he has got a hugh problem to much bravado for a kid of his age.Maybe it’s just the American modern kid ???
This is what should be taught in history classes, the grit and understanding of a child to make it through one of the worst experiences they can have in life. He is an incredible to say the least.
My heart goes out to you friend.
Too many comments about how "gifted," "developed," and "mature" Matthew is. He's the victim of some of the worst atrocities known to mankind. Yes, he is remarkable. This is a brave face on PTSD. The wounds are on the inside.
He is a victim but he dont act like one, he left everything behind him, Kuddos for him.
I was going to say, the boy looks all strong but I really wish for him to get all the support needed to handle any PTSD issues that may manifest later on. I have seen people who "handled it well" for a while later shocking in a hurtful way how they went crushing at a certain stage in life because of unprocessed emotions and wounds. All the best to Matthew and his siblings! Prayers go out to them.
Everybody has to have a "Take"
"Just been here...is nice"
People have not paid attention enough. Matthew was thinking he was going home.
The experiences of these kids matured them way beyond their short lives. They’re so well spoken and mature for their age. I can’t even imagine the horrors they’ve seen.
That boy, Matthew, must have spent many hours in talk therapy. He has been able to put the whole awful experience into context, and I think he's going to be just fine. I can't say the same for his mother. Sam doesn't really take responsibility for what she did, nor has she learned very much from her years with ISIS.
I think it's also partly due to the fact that he's got a good group of people around him reinforcing the idea that what he experienced is extremely cruel and unfair. It's not the type of trauma that you can completely come to terms with as a kid but I guess that's a good thing because he has many years of a normal and supportive childhood ahead of him
They will rape murder, kidnapped other children in coming years keep my words
The never ending ISIS camps , those children have grown up never being outside the inhumane camps
What a tremendous 13 years old son. Very calm. Very "adult". Hope he is not suffering of PTSD. Glad he is back living with his father. Guess his father did a lot to keep him well grounded.
Mathew’s weight gain approaching obesity demonstrates underlying trauma.
You can handle a lot as a kid. Sad thing is that it all comes back when you're old.
Matthew is very stoic for such a young kid. Also, the way his dad looked at him while they were sitting by the lake at the end of the video was really sweet.
Much respect to the reporter and his team for all the traveling, interviews, and research they did for this documentary. I wish all the victims peace and comfort.
Which victims? The ones in jail or the ones outside?
It's rare I say this, but this is really great journalism.
Especially in the year of 2020 and now 2021
There's a lot out there. You just can't readily find it on broadca$t TV.
True !!
PBS Frontline is excellent
Probably because you don't consume real news...
"No matter how bad the situation is, you'll get through it". Such a powerful message, his unfortunately lost childhood, has made him wise.
Wishful thinking is not a way to live. Brave child with no other choice.
Our wars of those times were our SHAME!
I'm so glad that Matthew and her other kids are back to safety ❤️
My heart really breaks for little Aham and all of the kids that are stuck in those horrible circumstances 💔😪
Dang, I hope Matthew’s dad is as amazing as this comes across. He seems like he is giving his child so much space to healthily deal with something that almost NO ONE will relate to. Good for his dad ❤
Honestly when I heard that Matthew is with his real father and his siblings with their grandparents, I couldn't have been more relieved. Like the entire video all I wanted was for the kids to be in safe hands and be happy.
The parents who offered their children to ISIS are evil. The women went to ISIS be be with a man should be punished as harshly as the men. They aren't innocent victims!!
...the grandparents...the Jehovah's witness grandparents...that created their mother and turned her into what she is...those grandparents? You sure about that?
@@onlyonecannoli3952 Radicalism is scary stuff!! JW's thinking the world will end tomorrow created a nut who tried to fulfill their dream. Just lovely!!
@@onlyonecannoli3952 she is an adult and made those choices on her own. She didn't care much for her kids
@@onlyonecannoli3952 look, im no jehova witness follower, but they didn't create this woman that did this with her children. Islam did that to her, and Islamic extremists indoctrinated her and her children. Last time I checked, ive never heard of jehova witness terrorist cells blowing up buildings, strapping bombs to their kids chests and turning them into suicide bombers and wrecking entire nations all in the name of their prophet. So yea, im with "shonima" on this one, im happy to hear the siblings of Mathew are with the grandparents. Again, im not in line with what jehova witnesses believe, but its light years better than the alternative of being raised by Islamic extremists
That journalist really put in some work on that one. Great documentary. And I'm glad to see the son was able to move on from the terrible situation he was forced into.
No, the journalist did not. He came at this from a perspective of her guilt and everything he presented tended towards that conclusion. I don't find her necessarily sympathetic but his approach was flawed. I wrote a longer comment explaining why, you might want to read it. He presented information as facts. The opinions of her father and an ex-boyfriend with an ax to grind are not evidence. They are opinions. The only thing we can assuredly conclude is that she exercised poor judgment, poor judgement, however, is not intent to help ISIS.
@@Kyarrix stashing gold and cash in Hong Kong 3 separate times before leaving for syria shows she knew to me, but that's just my opinion
@@powruser0 I'll share what I wrote about it. I understand what you're saying but when a woman's husband says "we need to do this so that we can take our money with us" and the husband is middle eastern, he expects compliance. That doesn't mean she didn't know but it doesn't mean that she did. Here's my full comment:
The rush to judgment is wrong. Too many commenters are basing their assessment of her on the things her father and an ex-boyfriend said. Their statements regarding her character are not credible evidence. Her father says she was rebellious as a child, of course she was rebellious, they were Jehovah's witnesses. Most of us would be rebellious in that situation. Her ex-boyfriend talked about her liking cars and motorcycles, many people like cars and motorcycles. But it's presented as being suggestive of an inherently flawed personality.
She talked about being tortured in an ISIS jail under suspicion of being an American spy. That was substantiated but the interviewer still portrayed it as suspect. The little boy who was purchased as a slave regarded her as his surrogate mother and said that she was very kind to him and that he wanted to be near her.
The girl who was purchased as a slave, said that Sam told her she wouldn't be a slave and that she would be treated as a daughter. She viewed it as a rescue. The girl said that Moussa beat Samantha and abused her. The fact that Moussa also raped the girl cannot be held against Samantha. If you blame her for bringing the girl into their home, consider what had happened to her until that time and what would have happened to her in other households. It was and is a horrible thing, but Samantha was acting out of compassion and wanted to help. She also substantiated the fact that Moussa beat Sam to the point of screaming. And her son Matthew referred to Moussa being violent and mentally unstable.
Every point the interviewer raises, talking about her story unraveling and viewing everything with suspicion, each one of those points can be explained. She made a very poor choice in getting together with Moussa but that doesn't prove that she intended to help ISIS. All that it proves is bad judgment. We don't know how much she knew about where they were going. She was married to the man, she had a child with him and at that point she probably trusted him.
With respect to the videos the interviewer raised as though they proved certain guilt, it is entirely credible that she didn't pay much attention to what they were watching. It's reasonable that she went shopping or did something different while he was watching videos with his friends. The culture that he came from doesn't encourage men and women socializing together. It would have been viewed as odd for her to sit with the men and watch whatever videos they were watching.
The part of this that I find most objectionable is the interviewer's approach. Frontline generally does an excellent job but here there is the building of a case with each piece of information presented as more damning evidence. However, when you look at it, each point can be explained. But when she tries to explain, he presents it as though she is lying. By the time you reach the end of the video you're ready to lock her up and throw away the key.
At the end the interviewer tells us that she is lying, that she won't accept her guilt but he puts her in untenable position by asking her to say something that contradicts the terms of the plea agreement. She can't do that, if she does the plea agreement could be withdrawn.
I don't know if she is guilty, I don't know what she knew or when she knew it. We know that she exercised poor judgment. We can say for certain that she should have known things that she might not have known due to the kind of relationship she was in and the culture of the man she was married to. She shouldn't have been willing to move money illegally, but this is something that many people do and it doesn't prove intent to support ISIS, it proves bad judgment.
I've written this not because I find her to be sympathetic, but because I found the interviewer's approach to be lacking in objectivity and unnecessarily condemnatory. It is wrong on his part to offer hearsay and opinions from people who have an axe to grind as solid evidence while viewing her explanations as suspect and instructing the audience to do the same.
...
For context, I lived in the middle east for a few years. I know that culture. You might be right but the way the video presented the information was one-sided. Information that he presented as compelling evidence wasn't. I would have liked to have represented her in this, either her attorney did not do a great job or the government was determined to find someone to blame, perhaps both.
@@Kyarrix I thought the same exactly as I was watching this, but I too have had the benefit of living many years in another culture
@@gf3011 So have I. I lived for over 12 years in the middle East. And I'm looking at this from the perspective of someone who has lived in the middle East and is an attorney.
What that kid said in the end is just so mature. “You can pull through”. It’s a tragedy that he had to go through that at such a young age
I feel so bad for Matthew's daddy. This man had to patiently endure what his son's mother did to his son.
Are you a bad father or something? That's a weird thing to say.
@@Acr6gAttt-mq2hr Oh really, is that right? His son's mother took him across the world into the midst of bloodshed, and all he could do about it was pray and hope for the safe return of his little boy. How this conclusion of mine constitutes me being a bad dad in your eyes, reveals what sort of mind you have. How pitiful.
@@JustinDOehlke It's weird that you feel sorry for his "daddy" and not for him. Did the fact that Matthew was the one suffering just slip your mind? It speaks a lot to your background that you focus only on the dad's pain and skip over Matthew's. And why are you even saying "daddy"? It's so creepy.
@@Acr6gAttt-mq2hr Just because I didn't mention that, doesn't mean anything. Go kick rocks weirdo.
@@Acr6gAttt-mq2hrYou're the type of person on the internet that people hope to avoid. You just pick stupid fights for no reason, projecting ridiculous accusations.
That kid was very unlucky to have such a horrible mother, but at the same time he is amazingly brave & smart. Hope he grows up to be normal & happy.
Horrible mother? Because she went to live in an Islamic country which USA attacked and bombed and destroy
@@sufimuslimlion4114 yeah because ISIS is where all the mothers of the year take their children
Many of us actually *do* go on and have typical adult lives including advanced degrees, successful careers, marriages, kids, mortgages, car payments etc. However, apparently researchers are not at all interested in us-guess we’re not compelling enough. Instead, they confidently predict we’re gonna be a hot mess throughout our lives. Thanks, all you “researchers,” the Madame Cleo’s with their crystal balls of the Boardwalk Of Shrinkology.
Well, here we are, the survivors of shitty parents who made shitty choices and compelled us to participate because we are the most powerless, the most innocent, the most voiceless victims of Domestic Violence, wars between the parents, wars between countries etc. People talk the talk about caring for children but like hell they walk the walk. They warn the kids about “Stranger Danger” when the reality is the biggest threat to us is behind closed doors, be it to our “homes” or “countries.”
@@sufimuslimlion4114 yaa by joining the terrorist and risks her sons lives lol
@@sufimuslimlion4114 that's not why she went...She isn't even a Muslim
She can't say she didn't know what was happening. She knew.
100%
PBS doesnt want you to hate the traitor.
She was raised in a brainwashing cult laying all the groundwork. She’s a victim of her upbringing. I was raised in the JW cult, I am speaking from experience.
@@daBEAGLE1017 They are traitorous themselves... It helps.
@@fresatx yes they are.
This is one committed and exceptional journalist. God Bless this man who traveled to the Middle East numerous times to get the true story. Thank you for bringing years of commitment hard work, discovery, documentary and film into our homes for the world to see and appreciate the truth, whether good or bad.
I commend and respect her father for not enabling or making excuses for this woman smh. She's a terrible liar I feel sorry for her children.
I like abd agree with your comment. It is very refreshing to not have to hear a parent present their child as perfect when they have done abominable things in life and caused harm to others. There's not enough words for how tiresome that gets.
Matthew is such a sweet boy. Glad he's home.
So happy for him
impossible to imagine the hell he lived through at such a young age. incredible he’s brave enough to tell his story
His father seems like a good dad as well. It’s great that he found a home let alone got to go home to his actual dad.
Such a good kid! Really well spoken and polite. I sure hope he has a village of people around him to provide love, warmth, kindness, and comfort. Bless him.
@@JacksonRidge23 please stop with the hillary hive minded takes a village crap. It will take great guidance by the most important person now in his life, his father. Truly evil person to children into that mess. We can only hope for the best for these poor young souls scared by war.
She's obviously lying. She's not very good at it.
Hey that's Thanos' quote hahaha.
FZ
@@maverick6775 pppppppp0ppppp0
They choose to be religious frantics plus gain benefits, sympathies of the west & modern media,
This boy is amazing! “No matter how bad the situation is, you’ll get through it” ❤
I appreciate the work you put into making this! I know it was not easy, but the story is definitely needed to be told!
These men and women who joined isis and now want to come home acting like they are victims is pathetic.
I agree😣
Exactly!!!
Kill them.all of them
@JATT USA WALA don't come talk your ignorant bull! Islam has NOTHING to do with Isis idiology. Isis's evil ideology is UN-ISLAMIC! If you have no true knowledge then DONT spout your unintelligent filth online
I say that they should NOT be allowed back home. Why the hell trust them ??
You can absolutely tell Sam raised that little boy. With no formal schooling his English is amazing
What an amazing kid! So good to see him back home and with his father.
As far as Sam goes, I see no remorse whatsoever. I saw the attitude of someone who is just sorry she was caught.
What an in-depth, well researched documentary. That little boy that learned English at Mathew's house, God bless him. Bless Mathew and his siblings.they've been through alot. I wish them deep seated peace and healing.
I love Matthew and Aham they are so articulate you can feel their strength Matthew says you can get thru anything in life what pearls of wisdom at such a young age to me he is the true hero of this ordeal .
He is fine he will remain fine he's grounded
His father is making sure of that camping
and canoeing a good life he's very happy
and settled . God bless Juan
I’m so glad her father holds her accountable. She knew damn well what she was doing! She said she didn’t care if she went to jail. Then, cries innocent. Rot in prison. I hope to god she never sees those babies back, ever!
She left one cult to join another.
Agree, Kate... no more parenting for her
@@chexmix0101 you wish
@@johnharley3233 no chexmix0101 is correct
Don't you think she deserves a second chance?
This is how all journalists should be, not just telling the side of the story that pays the best or sounds the best!!! Thank you for your hard work!!!
Amazing documentary! Thank you for taking so many years to make this, so people can really learn something from it.
Matthew is such a sweet kind child. He’s so positive! I’m so glad he’s back with his biological father now!
Until you realize his dad ignored him his entire childhood and refused to even help bring him back to the usa and initially gave up custody once Matthew returned...oh and has another son he did THE EXACT SAME THING TO.
@@lorielhassani jeez, I’m so sorry for him and your family. I can’t imagine what you and your family have been through, with every aspect, including his biological father. I’m glad you’re disclosing the truth. I would be pissed if someone was painted in a heroic light, when they’ve been anything but. I wish you all, including the kids, the absolute best going forward.
@@lorielhassani oohh my goodness. I feel so sad for Matthew.
@@lorielhassani iam so sorry for what you and your family went through
@@lorielhassani if i may ask, how is matthew doing today?
"No matter how bad the situation is you'll always get through it." - Matthew. This child is gifted, ahead of his years and time. It is unfortunate about what he went through as a child and hope that he will get support to put it all behind. Special recognition to his Father for stepping up, May God give this family strength.
Well said.
I believe every boy needs a father or father figure mentor type in their life. His stepfather was definitely not that but his biological father seems to be his answer.
His mentor was a terrorist/murderer...your next school shooter
What God? There's like 50 if them apparently to history
This kid has been groomed by terrorists he’s a danger to society
I hope that Matthew has had ongoing intense therapy for all of the severe trauma that he experienced. I hope he's talking about it with his Dad on all of those marvelous hunting trips. What a story you have to tell, Matt. I can't wait to read your book!
Just think, these kids were the lucky ones. Just imagine the number of kids that went through hell and didn't make it out
idk, I'd say the ones that didn't make it are lucky to not have to deal with the ISIS aftermath ... growing up in a 3rd world nation & a war torn country is no prize peach or pie, pick your euphamism!
The boy, Matthew, is wise beyond his years. What an incredible story
He's aware of the reality of death now and so his childhood is over.
Wise beyond his years and childhood was taken away because of isis and his family.
Not only are Samantha's Dad and her former husband (Mathew's dad) brutally honest about how far she can go, they're definitely not gonna lie about it..... I appreciate that about them
Its good to see someone who isn't blinded by blood ties
@@sproutsisters5398 I think it is her father fault lol. he is strict and religious , that is why she fell for a religious and obey a man , if the parents were going easy on the kids , they wil be spoiled but would get themselves out of uncomfortable situation and relationship . also betraying your blood ties did result in her harming her own kids.
@@tomviktorsson5052 yes to this
@@tomviktorsson5052 I think this has nothing to do with religión, when she was with her ex-husband she wasn't a religious person, she was free from her parents authority however he said that she likes to be free, she likes te aventure.
@@aygul_01 How in the world did she think she would be free with ISIS especially as a woman? 😂 😂 Something tells me she’s one of those women who thinks they are really smart and they know everything about everything. Maybe she thought since she was an American they would treat her like a Queen?? I don’t know wth she was thinking. I’m an American woman and there is no way in hades I would go over there. I wonder if she even knew anything about the culture or religion. What kind of mom would take their children into a war zone? I just can’t figure her out at all.
This is one of the best documentaries that I have ever seen. Well done!
Matthew is one of the brightest, most intelligent, articulate and well spoken kids I’ve ever witnessed. It’s almost shocking how smart he is. It makes me sad for what he went through, but at the same time he seems so mature and well adjusted that I feel strongly he’ll be okay and go on to have an amazing life
That kid is wise!!
Gods Protection
Because he has that brown pride
@@zillaman7674 he's got common sense intelligence
@@vickygraham2444 believe me that is part of being brown
If ya wanna hang around
Lol
hes just parroting what his counselors tell him
"I feel sad that they would to that to a child" Matthew, a 13 year old.
Also, let's talk about how sweet Aham is. It's sad his mother was taken as a hostage.
Seriously!! That poor little boy. 💔 I hope he is okay now.
Me too, really. I felt for him so much @@user-mz2nl8wc3r.
It reminds me to put all my petty problems in perspective & to pray for children like these boys who have to grow up in the mess & stress the adults around them have made.
She wasn't hostage no one point a gun to her head. She chose to put her child thru that for him no sympathy for her
I hope aham is ok ❤️
Mathew , sweet Mathew , was the adult in all this. He was super zen and stable and played them like a fiddle. Wow. Massive respect and love to him. Hope he grows and enjoys a free life and thrives in it.
Matthew is such an incredible human being. Not a hint of bitterness in his voice, despite the horrible things he must have witnessed. Instead he has nothing but gratitude for what he has now. The world would be such a better place if more people like Matthew existed.
He absolutely is, you couldnt be more right
I could not agree more.
sam is evil.
his gratitude at the end brought me to tears.
you mean the kid who was literally talking about what he would do if he was supposedly kidnapped?
Wow. This is the most underrated video on UA-cam. Frontline has left me speechless again.
After watching this film, my heart is hurt to think how can a mother put her child through hell. Matthew had to go through much more than we have seen here because I had watched the reports from other countries even though I didn't quite understand the languages with help from Google Translate to get a general idea. I want to hug Matthew so tight and tell him that he is now safe from the monster mom who had no guilt about what she did from listening to and watching her body language through the interview. Sorry, to Sam's sister that I have to say this.
Your right!
My father always said that adversity builds character and he had suffered through polio at the tender age of three. Matthew oozes character! May God bless him always!
Matthew is an amazing kid. I know children can be resilient, but he impresses me more than almost any I’ve ever seen. I wish him a long life of peace, success, and much love.
Amen
I pray He also receives eternal life in Jesus name
Amen
But his mother is dumb 😂
sam is just EVIL.
The way Aham’s face lit up when shown Sam’s picture and how it quickly it downcast at the mention of ISIS really broke my heart😢. “She’s like my mother”.. “He’s like my brother” “I want to be next to her”.😭😭. Seeing the soldier take him from Sam was sad and he seems really intelligent “Not just me, everyone was scared of them, every day they killed people.” Damn, God bless his precious soul and protect him always, I pray his mom was found. ❤❤
Kerala story a truth film
@@kmt55 😂
@@Zara-ZAF you people only can laugh but always defend extremism, terrorism but anyone if they say anything about your people you cry and calling it Islamophobia.
@@Zara-ZAF the yezedi people situation getting worst , Pakistani hindu minority Bangladesh hindu minority also in Afghanistan total minority community being wiped out but can not see any protest even you people mark Nadia murad book the yezedi isi survivor as a islamophobic nice ummat brotherhood,but believe on karma when you say about rohingya and Palestinians muslim if others people make laugh on them and suppose someone make a film on them and we called it propaganda then what will be reaction from muslim ? Karma always hit back you belive or not you can see what is the situation of Afghanistani for the religious madness .
Made me cry so much hearing that poor sweet boy say those things
I feel sorry for the family members and the children. I don't feel sorry for those in other countries who joined Isis. Isis is known to be terrible. To raise kids like that must be horrific.
Your resilience, courage and very mature communication skills are so inspiring, Matthew. I am in awe of the incredible human that you seem to be, in spite of the horrific experiences that you've had to endure at such a young age. I wish you a peaceful, fulfilling life full of light and love.
"I feel sad that they would do that to a child"
This kid deserves all the happiness and joy in the world.
Heavy stuff. The kid looks like he’s doing ok. Hope he will be ok as he grows up.
He will need intense counseling.
He'll need to be able to talk about it and everything else going on with his life it's past and the present for the first time in his life it's going to be alright
I love this kid. Such a high level of EQ and self-awareness. He went along to get along and came out the other side.
And big big kudos to the producers and interviewer such a beautiful content. Excellent research and presentation.
Outstanding show. Good on young Matthew, he shows tremendous strength given all he has seen. His mother however is a pathological liar who deserves far more than 6.5 years for what she did in bringing those children into that mess.
No shit. Luckily she'll never, ever have any kind of custodial arrangements beyond maybe supervised visits from now on. She ticks every box for a nut job kidnapping and flight risk.
That kid did not raise himself.
@@minniemins2837 And that’s exactly why they become middle aged by middle school.
That kid is too far indoctrinated ! He will be killing Americans by the time he is 18 years old!
@@brian.a.bell.sr2968 what do you mean?
Blown away by Matthew and what wise young man he became. Really hoping all the best for him. Glad he's getting help and a chance at a life with his family.
Matthew is getting the benefits of nature with his father. Quiet, peace, time to think and feel. Probably the best for him, after all he’s been through. 🙏🏼
She is still assuming at this level that he was lying to her. She sounded foolish. She is a terrible mother and woman
To hear that Sam might have simply followed her husband, taken her kids and gone to Syria to fight for ISIS for the “thrill” of it is so disturbing. Those poor children being brainwashed and indoctrinated to become terrorists and suicide bombers is sickening. Thank goodness the children are safe now.
Makes ya think.....about what the "teachers" are doing when the entire school breaks out in the genocidal chant of "from the river....". When None of them even actually know what it means. Just apparently hords of literal brainwashed zombie robots. To be "turned on" whenever the left needs giant mobs of mindless violent idiots to quickly assemble, destroy, then disappear. And unfortunately I can see a lot those parents actively using this upon their own children. The....grooming aspect
Yes
her own family said she was trouble and was only after money. she is evil.
She also said that if she doesn't say what the FBI wants her to admit that she'll return to prison. So I feel that she supported her husband but didn't know that that support was going to support ISIS. I believe she was deceived.
@@SolutionsNotPrayers she was the one that recorded her son to do mock beheading videos. she very conniving
Thank you for this documentary. I felt so sad for the little Yazidi boy :( They deserve so much more. I wish there was a way for all of us to help them!
Same 🥺
Free Yezidi Foundation
Easily one of the best documentaries I’ve seen ever.
Matthew is an amazing and just matured young man. His simple but very powerful responses are mind blowing. I hope he continues to strive and enjoy his precious life. I wish him well.
She thought she could protect the girl from her husband? Lady you couldn't even protect her children from him. She knew exactly what she was doing.
Boom 💥 you're damn right !
That child will never be the same ever again… that’s heart breaking
With GOD'S grace nothing is impossible
One of the best intervju I saw, it, very very good job! Bravo and thank you
Hardwork while creating this documentary is commendable 🎉
" That you can pull through "...wow amazing answer. Matthew is an intelligent kid.
Thank you for all the fair and honest journalism. Frontline and pbs are the best 📺 on 📺 😊
Agree 💯 That's why I donate, it's not a lot but worth every cent 😄
I only watch and believe stories coming from Frontline.
Too bad PBS only gives one side of the stories that truly matter and hide the facts for those they dont want you to know.
The highlight of this for me is that brave boy, so well spoken and wise beyond his years.
What a remarkable young man Matthew is! At just 13 years old, he should get to still be a child, but he is the youngest man I have ever seen.
Its me or those kids are truly handling adversity more than many adults. Its so inspiring! They ll move on fearless with life they re blessed
We don’t know how they’re going to be when they grow up ...
Kids are very resilient 🥺 it’s saddening and admirable at the same time
It comes down to children being very good at adapting and in this situation specifically, them not having a choice. They had to accept the reality before them, if they didn't they knew they would likely be killed. ISIS made that very clear to them.
There are children that develop reactive attachment disorder. There is still a lot of research that needs to be completed about this disorder though. It sounded like he is ok though. His jovial speech with the upward tones and flection is telling. As well as a still affect. Most recover
Adversity is all they knew.
"There was not one dollar he would not spend on us"......telling words indeed. Clearly money is a key component in their relationship.
So sad to see this boy suffer because of his mother. He’s so intelligent and smart. I hope the family can heal. 🙏🙏🙏
I came across this randomly! What a crazy story. I am so happy her children are safe. I am speechless about Sam. So sad. NO words.... Welllll done documentary!!!
The first boy Aham was so adorable I liked him so precious I’m not all the way through this video so haven’t seen Matthew or Sam
Omg! That boy touched my soul! As a child abuse survivor myself he literally brought me too tears YES SIR! WE CAN PULL THROUGH! GOD BLESS YOU KIDDO! SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE A GREAT POP'S AND THANK YOU SIR FOR YOUR SERVICE!
Watching this show and I truly feel sad his terrific childhood experiences but also feel happy for him finally able to be home and live together with his father.
her baby still has a good head on his shoulder.... I hope he is truly okay
Good job Frontline PBS. Thanks for this work.
Once again, a brilliant doc by FRONTLINE.
Kid is only 13 and he’s speaking like he’s 50. Poor kid.
Wow - what a man in Matthew; the amazing growth the spirit accomplished through the worst of circumstances; wisdom really does come from painful healing
I liked the part where her husband was blown out of his shoes into a mist with pieces of beard floating in the air. Sam's Dad wasn't fooled, he knows BS when he hears it...he knows her all too well.
Us shooters call it the "pink mist'". That's exactly what it looks like
@@sg-cg6lr yup...real shit
Oh yeah . He knew she was rotten .
"No matter how bad the situation, you can always pull through ". I love Matthew's faith
The most beautiful part of this documentary is Matthew. Truthfully, this kid has such an inspiring character and amazing outlook on life. I wish him a life full of happiness.
This is an amazing documentary!
Samantha father is a solid dude, he told the truth unlike most parents who would lie how great their children are. I can't image what Sam put her family thru in the past. And even now smh
Just because someone has a history of irresponsible behavior doesn't mean that they can't be a victim of abuse.
Excuse me, what? He had a bad relationship with his daughter who wanted to run away from home as soon as she could. In my eyes he is THE ONE to blame for this whole tragedy. He must have been a terrible, ultra- religious, authoritarian father, so his daughter wanted to leave the house as soon as she could, with whomever she could find. Now her father can feel free to speak whatever he wants about his daughter, to get his revenge over her behavior... Did you consider that maybe she was a victim in her family? Just because a teenager is rebellious to ultra religious parents doesn't mean they are bad people. You people who say "Oh her Dad is such a great person, speaking the truth" I HOPE you DO NOT HAVE any children, especially children that might have a bit rebellious mind. I would feel extremely sorry for your children, to have parents as YOU.
@Intrepid Nomads you can't even have a discussion without disrespecting someone for their opinion. Why would you wish I never have kids? Your heart is dark and your mind is weak. So I guess you are the type of person that doesn't teach your child that every action has a reaction. Your kid will be 70yr old talking about he had bad parents so that's why he couldn't be to work on time, then he gets on the phone and bullies y'all to pay his rent, No type of accountability. Guess what I don't have parents but I know there are choices and decisions since I was 10. I didn't go to ISIS I went to college and CDL school and started my own trucking company. Her ex-husband said she loved to drive fast cars and popped wheelies, he believes she went there for the thrill. Sorry, I don't two throw pity parties for no grown healthy human being.
I think the facts coming from the formal (government) investigation that is ongoing is what matters. This journalist is just trying to get a story done (nothing wrong with that) As far as the father, who knows what his motivation is. For him to speak that way is beyond cruel toward his grandchildren, no matter what the sour relationship is with his daughter. I would not trust a "jehovah's witness" opinion that's for sure.
@@intrepidnomads I couldn’t agree more ….. and you don’t throw your kids under a buss
The Dad, so genuine. Just lays out everything as it is. No lies, doesn't give her a break, true Patriot
He's a Jehovah witness, another destructive cult. He's doing what his cult tells him to do. He probably abandoned his daughters when they got out of the first cult. They (JWs) literally despise patriotism... (Not saying she's a a victim, she definitely knows what she did, and worse of all, what se put her poor kids through because of her narcisism and imaturity)
Salute him.
Many dads love without limits, they can't help it. You have to tell it like it is, though.
Excuse me, what? Patriot? Because he had a bad relationship with his daughter who wanted to run away from home as soon as she could? And now he can feel free to speak whatever he wants about his daughter. Did you consider that maybe she was a victim in her family? Just because a teenager is rebellious to ultra religious parents doesn't mean they are bad people. You people who say "Oh her Dad is such a great person, speaking the truth" I HOPE you DO NOT HAVE any children, especially children that might have a bit rebellious mind. I would feel extremely sorry for your children, to have parents as YOU.
@@intrepidnomads maybe your dad tells the truth about you, might even be glad about it
These little kids speaking like adults truly breaks my heart. 😔 My little cousins, here in America, are their age and just seeing the huge contrast in their mature vocabulary and life experience is crazy. They shouldn’t be worrying about all that violence, they should’ve just been worried about playing and what snacks to eat. So heartbreaking. Matthew and his friend are so strong.🩶