The Mother of Mohammed

by Sally Neighbour

  Page 368, He had visited the country numerous times: Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD), Iran Report, vol. 5, no. 7, 25 February 2005, GlobalSecurity.org; A William Samii, ‘Tehran, Washington and Terror: No Agreement to Differ’, Middle East Review of International Affairs, vol. 6, no. 3, September 2002; James Risen, ‘A Nation Challenged: al Qaeda Diplomacy; Bin Laden sought Iran as an Ally, US Intelligence Documents Say’, New York Times, 31 December 2001.

  Page 370, Chalous was one of two locations: Windrem.

  Page 372, the Washington Post reported: Finn.

  Page 372, In 2002, sixteen detainees … handed over: Finn.

  Page 373, the Australian embassy: In response to my inquiry about Rabiah’s dealings with the Australian embassy, I received the following response on 29 January 2009 from Angus Mackenzie, Director, Media Liaison Section, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: ‘I can confirm that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provided extensive consular assistance to Ms Hutchinson and her children in 2003. I regret that privacy considerations prevent us providing further detail on her case or the nature of that assistance’. I have therefore relied on Rabiah’s account of what occurred.

  Page 374, the lawyer advised: Rabiah says she is unable to remember the name of the lawyer so I have been unable to verify his advice.

  Page 374, Jack Thomas had been arrested: Sally Neighbour, ‘The Convert’, Four Corners, ABC TV, 27 February 2006; and evidence presented at Thomas’s trials.

  Page 374, His account included details: Information provided by Jack Thomas to Australian Federal Police, and information obtained by the author during research for ‘The Convert’.

  Page 377, Deed of Undertaking: Document sighted by author.

  Page 377, The US President: ‘Canberra Prepares for Bush Visit’, Lateline, ABC TV, 21 October 2003.

  Page 378, JI bombings of the Sari Club: Sally Neighbour, In the Shadow of Swords, Harper Collins, Sydney, 2004.

  Page 378, ‘Either you are with us’: President George W Bush, Address to Joint Sitting of the United States Congress, 21 September 2001.

  Page 379, Statement of Grounds: Copy held by author.

  Page 381, Mustafa and Ilyas were detained by the Yemeni police: Patrick Walters, ‘Indonesian Link with Yemen Terror Suspects’, Australian, 31 October 2006.

  Page 381, detained after Australian security agencies passed on information: Tom Allard and Cynthia Banham, ‘True Blue Trio in Spy Agency Net’, Sydney Morning Herald, 31 October 2006.

  Page 382, released without charge: Martin Chulov and Natalie O’Brien, ‘Brothers Cleared on Terror Charges’, Australian, 4 December 2006.

  Page 382, Yemeni prosecutors said: Martin Chulov, ‘Yemen Frees Last of Aussies’, Australian, 18 December 2006.

  Page 382, freed because there was no evidence: Chulov.

  Page 382, refused to extend their visas: Natalie O’Brien, ‘Sons Flee after ASIO Grilling’, Australian, 4 February 2008.

  Pages 382–3, ‘Australian Mum Married’: Sally Neighbour, ‘Australian Mum Married into Al-Qa’ida: Long road from Bali to Kabul’, Australian, 6 November 2006.

  Page 383, interviewed on television: Jihad Sheilas, ABC TV, 5 February 2008.

  Page 385, ‘To the Muslim world’: Inaugural address by US President Barack Obama, Washington, DC, 21 January 2009.

  INDEX

  Note: some names used are pseudonyms, including those of some of Rabiah’s siblings and children, and appear here as given in the text.

  Abdul Qudus, 180, 182, 183

  Abdul Rahim Ayub (Rabiah’s third husband), ix, 165, 166, 172–3, 195–6, 202, 204; in Australia, 182, 183–4, 185, 187–9, 190, 192–3, 194, 198, 204, 251, 254, 262, 279; family of, 173, 174

  Abdul Rahman bin Ayub, 165–6, 175, 181, 203; in Australia, 279; in Pakistan, 204, 214, 215, 216, 240, 241

  Aboufadil, Nadia, 190, 193–4, 198, 201, 204; on Rabiah, 190–1, 192, 202, 281

  Abu Abdul, 233–4, 235, 238

  Abu Jibril, 137, 177; on Rabiah, 139, 144

  Abu Ubeidah, 213, 214

  Abu Walid al Misri (a husband of Rabiah), 320–1, 323, 324, 326–8, 334, 335–6, 368; as member of al Qaeda leadership, viii, 322, 328–31, 334, 335, 347; after September 11, 337, 339, 340, 341, 344–5, 346, 347, 357, 363, 364–5, 367, 369–70; as Shia, 368–9, 370–1; The Story of the Afghan-Arabs, 367–8

  Adawiyah, Rabiah al, 101–2

  ‘Afghan-Arabs’, 339, 347, 353, 354, 357, 366–7; and military training, 214, 231, 239, 244, 245; in Pakistan, 212, 213, 214, 217, 218, 225–6, 228–30, 235–8, 249–50; and Pakistani government, 245, 248, 253; under the Taliban, 292, 293, 296, 297, 304, 306–7, 308–9, 316, 319

  Afghanistan, 217, 242–3, 314; bloody power struggle and civil war, 242, 244, 246, 252, 297, 315, 327, 341–2; effects of war, 206, 212, 218, 235, 236, 244, 249, 288, 291, 296, 304, 325; and an Islamic state, 244, 252, 287, 290, 293, 294, 313–14, 316, 358; Jalalabad, 291, 292–3; jihad in, ix, 108, 202, 206, 211, 213, 217, 218, 222, 240, 249, 253, 287, 307, 318, 321, 328, 331; jihadist parties of, 214, 217, 218, 252–3, 341; Kabul, 244, 249, 292–3, 294, 296–7, 306, 354; Kandahar, 292, 294, 309, 320, 325, 331, 334, 337; Najibulla regime, 206, 212, 242; Northern Alliance, 287, 315, 318, 319, 339, 352, 353; Pashtun, 218, 243, 289, 292; after September 11, 301, 337, 339, 340, 341–54, 358–9; and Soviet invasion, 108, 124–5, 206, 211, 218, 321; Uzbeks in, 341, 343, 350, 352; warlords, 207, 208, 211, 212, 232, 242, 321, 359; see also ‘Afghan-Arabs’; mujahidin; Taliban

  Aisha (a wife of Mohammed), 111–12, 174

  Ali Gufron bin Nurhasyin (Muklas), 197, 239

  al Jazeera, 322, 326, 338

  al Qaeda, v, 240, 249, 309, 350; divisions in, 328–9, 330, 331, 334–5, 347; formed, 222, 231; and ideology, 329; leadership group, 266, 302, 303, 311, 328–30; after September 11 attacks, 307, 339, 342, 347, 351, 354, 363, 366; training camps, v, 231, 298, 319, 322, 330; see also bin Laden, Osama; September 11 attacks

  Aminah (Rabiah’s sixth living child), 212, 213–14, 262, 274, 283; adjusting to Australia, 254, 255, 256–7; in Egypt, 265, 269; fugitive in Afghanistan, 341, 348; in Iran, 364, 373; in Pakistan and Afghanistan, 285, 286, 289, 290, 297, 308, 339; in Yemen, 381, 382

  Amir Andjilin (Bambang’s father), 60, 63, 65, 81, 82, 87, 128, 129, 132–3

  Amrozi, 239

  Arabia: the Quran and women’s rights in, 112–13

  Arifin, Zainal, 166, 279

  Atef, Mohammed (Abu Hafs), 311, 322–3, 330

  Australia, 21, 76; attitudes towards Islam, 100, 110, 185–6, 196, 277, 378, 383; indigenous Australians, 185; Jemaah Islamiyah in, viii, 262, 263, 330; jihadist movement in, 261–2; migrant communities in, 107, 120, 182, 191, 198, 262, 263; Muslim communities in, 98, 105–6, 107, 126, 179, 182, 187, 189–92, 198, 200–1, 206, 251, 259–61, 275, 277–8, 279; social and political change in, 28, 45; xenophobia in, 74, 80

  Australian, v, 383

  Awwas, Irfan, 136–7, 166–7; on Rabiah, 137, 140, 144

  Azzam, Abdullah, 213, 222, 231, 235, 236, 250

  Azzam, Umm Mohammed, 236, 237, 249, 286, 298

  Ba’asyir, Abu Bakar, 137, 140, 141, 148, 149, 165, 175; exile in Malaysia, 177, 179, 185, 197, 205, 238–9; imprisoned, 141, 142; Rabiah’s impressions of, 154–5, 156, 164; as teacher and scholar, 145–6, 153, 154, 157; visits Australia, 198–201, 202, 203, 262, 263; see also Islamic groups/movements; Ngruki Al Mukmin pesantren

  Bambang Wisudo (Robyn/Rabiah’s first husband), 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 67, 69, 84–5, 86–7, 90, 91, 127, 130, 142; arrested in Bali, 94; drug-taking and addiction of, 61, 67, 77, 78, 95–6, 130; family of, 60–1, 63–4, 68, 69, 77, 81–3, 85, 86, 91, 129–30, 131, 132; sentenced for drug offences in Sydney, 78–9, 80; in Sydney, 70–3, 76–81, 95–6

  Bearden, Milton, 232, 236

  Bergen, Peter, 235–6

  bin Laden, Osama, 242, 245; campaign against United States and the West, 294–5, 307–8, 330, 331, 334, 335; as financier and philanthropist, 213, 231, 232, 233, 235–6, 308–9, 310;
harboured by the Taliban in Afghanistan, 291–2, 298, 312, 314, 325, 331–3; as jihadist and leader of the ‘Afghan-Arabs’, 230–1, 237, 292, 294–5, 307, 338; as leader of al Qaeda, 231, 295, 307, 322, 329, 346; as Muslim hero, 206, 235, 295; and Saudi Government, 231–2, 238; after September 11, 338, 346, 347, 354, 366; in Sudan, 238, 249, 253; wives of, 232, 292, 309

  Bosnia, 260–1

  Buckley, Siddiq, 98, 99, 109, 259, 260; on Rabiah, 110, 120, 121–2, 260

  Buckley, Silma (later Ihram), 98, 100, 109, 122–3, 259; on Robyn/Rabiah, 99, 120, 122, 275

  Bush, George W, vi, 339, 363, 377, 378

  Cairo: Al Azhar preparatory school, 268–72; Al Azhar University, 217, 265, 266–7, 272; migrant community in, 267

  Canberra: Muslim community in, 126

  Chami, Sheikh Khalil, 259–60, 265, 275, 277

  Collins, Lynn, 44–5

  Cracks in the Foundation (Combating Terrorism Center), 328

  Daniels, Laurette, 22, 23, 25, 46

  Darwin, 182; Muslim (Indonesian) community in, 179–80, 182–3, 187

  Devi Suni Wisudo Putri (daughter and first child of Robyn/Rabiah), 73, 75, 78, 81, 87, 130, 159; ‘betrothed’ (at 10) to Abdul Rahman Ayub, 174, 175, 203–4 (at 15), 240, 241; birth of a daughter (Huda), 241; character of, 118, 192; as granddaughter, 82–3, 86, 88–9, 117; marriage, 241; in Ngruki (Java), 151, 157; in Pakistan, 241; return to Australia, 180, 181, 188, 204; sent to Malaysia to study, 205, 240; in Sydney, 92, 93, 97, 100, 107, 118, 257, 258, 269, 279; turns away from Islam and Rabiah, 257, 258–9, 264–5, 382

  Ecun (wife of Abu Bakar Ba’asyir), 148–9; friendship with Rabiah, 150, 151, 156, 163, 176, 198; on Rabiah, 150, 157, 161

  Egypt, 267; Islamist insurgency in, 265–6, 274; see also Cairo

  Feiz, Sheikh Mohammed, 279–80

  Goodacre, Ian, 37, 75; on Robyn/Rabiah, 37, 38, 43

  Goodacre family, 37, 43

  ‘Hamid’ (driver/guide), 340, 341, 348, 356

  Hanchard, Annmarie, 24, 25

  Haqqani, Jalaluddin, 321–2

  Hekmatyar, Gulbuddin, 207, 232, 242, 244, 363

  Huda Jehad (Rabiah’s granddaughter), 241, 257, 269–70, 382; fugitive in Afghanistan, 341, 348, 351, 358, 360; in Iran, 364, 373; in Pakistan and Afghanistan, 285, 286, 289, 290, 306, 308, 339; with Rabiah in Australia, 279, 283

  Hutchinson, Bessie (nee McCallum; Rabiah’s mother), 3, 5, 14, 16, 20, 23, 27, 28–9, 31, 80, 116–17; early life of, 6; hard-working, 10, 11, 76; (terminal) illness of, 71, 126, 186; leaves her husband, 10–11; lives with daughter ‘Susan’, 71, 76, 77, 93, 126; as parent, 9, 12–13, 14, 18, 20, 31, 41, 46, 70, 88, 90; relationship with father, 9, 11, 16, 17, 25–6, 38; relationship with partner, Fred, 37, 40, 45

  Hutchinson, Brett (Rabiah’s half-brother), 10

  Hutchinson, ‘George’ (Rabiah’s brother), 3, 4, 9, 11, 15, 77; relations with Rabiah, 29–30, 80, 186, 264, 279, 382

  Hutchinson, Jim (Rabiah’s father), 3, 5, 6–7, 8, 31–2, 40, 75, 80; drinking problem and violence of, 5, 9, 10, 32

  Hutchinson, Rabiah Maryam (Umm Mohammed; Robyn Mary Hutchinson): birth and background, 3–4, 39, 71; childhood in Mudgee, 5, 11, 13–14, 16, 17, 20–2, 24–5; affinity with animals, 5, 15; relationship with grandfather, 8, 17–18, 23, 38; short move with family to Sydney, 9; physique and appearance, 9, 30, 32, 88, 131; astigmatism of, 9, 18; strength of character and determination, 9, 12, 14, 19, 23, 25, 30, 33, 34, 39, 99, 102, 117, 181, 193, 248, 268–9, 373, 384; leadership qualities, 14, 30, 33, 35; education, 14, 20, 29, 33–6; short move with family to Wollar, 15–16, 297; values and principles, 4, 18, 20, 25, 34–5, 40, 44, 45, 57, 84, 96, 114, 117; loss of sight in one eye, 19; as trouble-maker, 19, 22, 25, 34, 35, 36; ill with nephritis, 19; interest in medicine, 19, 36; and Christianity, 20–1, 22–4, 41–2, 84; friendships, 21, 22, 33, 36, 39, 44, 46, 53–4, 55, 57, 60, 75, 77, 91, 94, 106, 114–16, 190, 198, 206, 230, 237, 249, 251, 279, 281–2, 286, 310, 311, 319, 348, 378; out of place and depressed in Sydney, 27–8, 29, 30, 32; volatile temper of, v, 30, 40, 87, 113, 117, 162–3; outspokenness and charisma, 30, 33, 45, 150, 180, 184, 190–1, 260, 278, 322; as (drug-taking) surfie teenager, 32, 39, 40, 41, 44–5, 76, 258; leaves school, 36; dyslexia of, 35, 108; works in a pharmacy, 36, 44; popular and attractive, 37, 134, 142, 143, 166; relationship with Ian Goodacre, 37, 38–40, 43, 62; turbulent home life in Sydney, 37, 40–1; leaves home, 41; depression/breakdown, 43; aspirations, 43, 46, 62, 67, 76; in Bali as backpacker, 47–50; talent for languages, 48–9, 132, 202, 250; appeal of Islam for, 51–2, 57–9, 60, 109–10; lives and teaches English in Jakarta, 52–3, 55–7; formal conversion to Islam, 62, 74, 90, 96–7; marriage to Bambang Wisudo, 61–3, 64–5, 66–9, 80, 85, 86–7, 96, 126, 127–8, 129; life in Sydney with Bambang, 70–2, 76, 77–81; birth of first child (Devi), 72–3; back in Indonesia, 81–92; teaching English again, 85, 91; goes into premature labour, 88; (dangerous) birth of second child (‘Mohammed’), 89–90; return to Sydney, 92, 93–7; on ‘rescue mission’ for Bambang in Bali, 94–5; seeks help from Muslim community, 97–9; life-changing commitment to Islam, 99, 100, 102, 105–6, 107–8, 114, 115–16, 120; active member of Muslim community in Sydney, 100–1, 105, 116, 117, 120–1, 260; changes name to Rabiah, 102; as reader of Islamic texts, 108, 111, 113, 123, 132; ‘control freak’, 117; as parent, 118, 122, 174, 175, 180, 181, 258–9; as volunteer teacher of Islam, 119–20; attitude towards Australia, 121, 178, 188, 193, 197, 252, 265, 276, 379, 381, 384; Islamic convictions of, vii, 123–4, 129, 138, 140, 144, 146, 149, 160–1, 168, 183, 187, 192, 194, 203, 227, 252, 258, 276, 290, 314, 369, 376; restlessness, 125, 282; in Indonesia to study Islam, 127, 132, 137, 140, 145; distinctive attire of, vii, viii, 128, 129, 132, 133, 139, 184, 274–6, 383; birth of third child (Rahmah), 131; teaches English, 131–2, 133; as Muslim activist and mentor (in Indonesia), 135, 136, 138–40, 167–8, 170, 172, 177 (in Australia), 182–3, 187–8, 190, 191, 197, 277–8; divorce from Bambang Wisudo, 142; marriage to Pujo Busono, 143–5, 151; bond with Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, vii, 146, 149, 157, 158, 160–1, 163, 168, 173–4, 176, 197, 202, 207, 283; teaches English and studies at Ngruki pesantren, 149–57, 161–4; divorce from Pujo Busono, 158–9; advocate of polygamy, 168, 194, 323–4; marriage to Abdul Rahim Ayub, 173–4, 177–8, 188, 193–6, 202, 203; lives in Darwin with family, 179–81, 184, 187; birth of fourth child (Mustafa), 181–2; gives birth to stillborn son, 185–6; difficult birth of fifth living child (Ilyas), 187; lives in Brisbane then in Melbourne, 188–96, 199–205; dangerous birth of sixth living child (Aminah), 189; studies Arabic, 189; divorce from Abdul Rahim, 203, 205; support for jihad, 206, 207–8, 218, 252–3; in Pakistan as jihadist with five children, ix, 212–16, 218–30, 233, 237, 242, 245–50, 253; works in hospitals and a girls’ school, 220, 221, 227–9, 233, 237, 240, 242, 243, 246, 249–50; and bin Laden, 232, 233–4, 236, 237–8, 253, 294, 295–6, 367, 368; marries again, 238; on fund-raising trip as ‘Afghan-Arab’, 250–2; lives in Sydney once more, 254–9, 262–3; with children in Egypt, 265, 266, 267–73; lives in Sydney again, 274–5, 277–82; runs weekend Islamic school, 277; in Pakistan and Afghanistan with four children, 285–7, 288–96, 299–300, 301–5, 308, 313, 315–25, 327–8, 329, 331, 333, 335–6, 339; medical work in Afghanistan, 293, 306, 313, 315; links with al Qaeda leadership, v, 294, 302–3, 319–20, 322, 380; intelligence agencies and, vi, 320, 374–6, 379–80; marriage (as second wife) to Abu Walid al Misri, v, 324–5, 326–7, 329, 331, 333, 339, 340, 344, 347, 357–8, 364, 365, 368, 371; and September 11 attacks, 335–6, 337–8, 367, 379; with children as fugitive in Afghanistan, v–vi, 339–41, 342, 343–5, 347–8, 350–60; with children in Iran, vi, 361–2, 364, 367–77; returns to and lives in Sydney, vi–vii, viii, 378, 379, 383–4

  Hutchinson, Roderick (Rabiah’s half-brother), 10, 40, 75, 383

  Ibn Taymiyya, 136, 327

  (Mohammed) Ilyas (Rabiah’s fifth living child), 187, 212, 213–14, 216, 221, 222, 262, 283, 383; adjusting to Australia, 254, 257; in Egypt, 265, 269, 271, 273; fugitive in Afghani
stan, 341, 343–4, 345, 348, 352, 353, 356; in Iran, 362, 364, 373; in Pakistan and Afghanistan, 285, 286, 289–90, 294, 297, 305, 339; in Yemen, 381–2

  Indonesia: Bali, 44, 47–8, 49; Bali bombings, ix, 149, 197, 239, 378; clandestine Islamist movement in, vii, 133–4, 135, 136, 138–40, 142, 149, 155, 164, 165–6, 170; entertainment, 47, 53, 54; government repression and arrests, 56–7, 68–9, 129, 135, 141, 158, 166–7, 170–2, 198; Hinduism in, 48, 49–50; Islam in, 49, 57–9, 68, 129, 140, 152; Jakarta, 53, 54, 68; Java, Javanese culture, 50, 57, 59, 63, 64, 66, 68, 74, 82–3, 86–7; Pancasila ideology, 135, 155, 169; political unrest and violence, 52–3, 57, 68, 135, 172; as secular democracy, 140; Solo, 140, 145, 153, 164

  Iran, 369; and al Qaeda fugitives, v, 363–4, 372; Australian embassy in, 373–4, 375, 419; Islamic revolution and state, 108, 124, 368; Mashhad, 371–2; as part of ‘axis of evil’, 363; Revolutionary Guards, 362, 363, 365

  Iraq: and Gulf War, 232, 233; invasion of, 378

  Islam, 59, 108, 379; bai’at (oath of allegiance), 158; conservative Muslim societies, 111, 139, 174; devout Muslims, 116, 134, 142, 173, 226–7; differing interpretations in, 122–3, 159, 327–8; divorce in, 113; as faith, 58, 111; hadith, 111, 113, 162, 267; Islamic rituals and practices, 51, 58–60, 99, 125; istikharah prayer, 125, 150, 173; jihad (as military struggle), 108, 123, 137, 201, 202, 327; marriage and marital status in, 112, 142, 173, 174–5, 205, 311, 324; muhajirin (migrants), 179–80, 182, 197, 219, 248, 267, 288, 304; Salaf al-Salih, the, 136, 139, 189, 226; schools of Islamic law, 59, 132, 315; Shiism, 159, 328, 368, 369; Sufism, 328; Sunnah, the, 59, 108, 110, 276; Sunnis, 328, 365; Sunni–Shia divide, 368, 371; tawhid, 132, 153; values in, 58, 109; Wahhabism, 275, 276, 329; women and, 58, 111–14, 124, 134, 145, 278, 333, 344; see also Islamic groups/movements

  Islamic Council of New South Wales, 119