Brief Background

For over a decade, British born Tania Joya, was married to the most senior American member of the Islamic State; John Georgelas of Plano, TX. Their relationship and John’s commitment to the radical beliefs of Al Qaeda and Islamic State took Tania and her children through conflict zones in Egypt, Turkey, and Syria. She escaped with her American-born children from Syria via a human trafficker in September 2013.

Countering Violent Extremism

Using her vast experience inside Islamic extremist groups, Tania works with organisations to counter the forces fueling violent extremism using expert social media engagement, advocacy and civic engagement.

Deradicalization Consultant

By deradicalizing herself and escaping her husband, Tania learned how to reach those becoming radicalized and provide them an alternative meaning for their passions and their pain.

Motivational Speaker

Tania's harrowing escape from ISIS-held Syria with her 4 boys is a riveting story of strength, hope and love of freedom. After being chased, shot at and moved through a network of human traffickers, Tania kept her American citizen boys unharmed until they were back in Texas.

Media Personality

Tania's story has been featured in The Atlantic, The New York Times (Live), The BBC, The Times of London, and Texas Monthly. She is featured in Graeme Wood’s The Way of the Strangers: Encounters with the Islamic State (Random House, 2016). Her public speaking includes a recent appearance on Al Jazeera's The Stream and at The Edge of Texas hosted by Texas Monthly where she spoke to more than 150 paid attendees.

Mother of 4 boys

Tania lives in Plano, Texas raising her four sons up with the best of American values and ideals.

World Traveler

Tania's life experience has taken her around the World. She continues to travel for events and as a personal hobby.

More Background

From the Zahiri school of thought, Tania (along with John) rejected qiyas, aurf, and learned the points of ijma that was the consensus of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad. Zahiri fiqh made Tania a literalist interested in linguistics, small-government, low taxes similar to the Libertarian views in the United States.

Researching this, Tania studied the Founding Fathers of America, such as Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton. Through their logic and philosophy, she learned the concept of inalienable rights. Most of all she developed a burning desire for freedom as outlined in The Declaration of Independence and The Bill of Rights.

Tania escaped with her three children while pregnant with her fourth from Syria via a human trafficker in 2013. Now she’s studying countering violent extremism and de-radicalization. Tania has devoted herself to preventing the kind of radicalization that once seduced her.