This is the fascinating story of Maryam Al Mansouri, a fighter pilot in the United Arab Emirates Air Force, who is fighting ISIS, and whose family estranged her and even published a letter condemning her.
Al Mansouri is a 35-year-old pilot who flies F-16 aircraft. .
""I dreamed of becoming a pilot when I was in school, but I had to wait until the country allowed women to serve as pilots," Al Mansouri was quoted as saying on the Daily Mail website.
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In an interview with CNN, the pilot said: "Since we are in a sensitive area, there is no difference between men and women, and everyone must bear the war effort.".
This week, the First Muslim Squadron led one of the strike missions against ISIS and bombed 16 of the organization's targets.
""This is an especially talented squadron, and she was appointed to command the attack formation," the United Arab Emirates ambassador to the United States told the media.
The family denies
But Al Mansouri's brave move did not receive support from her family, or more precisely, from her extended family - the clan as it is.
A statement issued by the Al Mansouri family, which is considered particularly privileged in the United Arab Emirates, reads: "In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, we disavow the one called Maryam Al Mansouri, as well as against anyone who acts against the Syrian people, including our daughter,NandDMaryam Al Mansouri.
"We ask the people of our country not to burden us with the consequences of someone called Maryam Al-Mansouri.".
In the statement, the family also declared that it unreservedly supports the Islamic State organization ISIS: "The family supports and is proud of all free people who aim to defend the honor of their people, and we are proud of the Sunni heroes in Iraq and the Levant.".
We do not know all the fighters. Allah knows where they are and what they are doing. All the dignitaries of the family have given their consent to this statement. The Al Mansouri family.".
