[An Nahar] The number of Tunisian "Oh, yasss. Hardly any at all, really."
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, seemed to play down previous government statements that suggested "sex jihad" was more widespread.
"We all know Moslem wimmin ain't that loose by nature. If they were, we'd have to put sacks over them and not let them leave the house except in company of a male relative, and... and... never mind."
"At most about 15 Tunisian women went to Syria, most to care for fighters or to do social work," the official said.
"And to study Arabic."
But some of them were forced to have sexual relations with Islamist fighters once they were in the country, the official said.
"So it was just a little over a dozen, and they were forced, so it's really no big deal..."
"Four of them came back from Syria, and one is pregnant," he added. "The pregnant woman said that she was caring for fighters and had to have sexual relations with them."
"It's an Islamic thing. You wouldn't understand."
The official said, however, that women from Chechnya, Egypt, Iraq, France and Germany had traveled to Syria for "sex jihad."
"But not from here. Our wimmin are better'n those brazen hussies. Most of 'em are, anyway."
"They were targeted for indoctrination over the internet and by foreign sheikhs," he added, referring to information obtained from Tunisian women returning from Syria.
"'The internet made me do it!'"
Interior Minister Lotfi ben Jeddou told the National Constituent Assembly in September that Tunisian
... what used to be called "pulling a big train."
"After the sexual liaisons they have there in the name of 'jihad al-nikah' -- (sexual holy war, in Arabic) -- they come home pregnant," Ben Jeddou said at the time.
"Once they're knocked up they're of no earthly use to anyone."
Ben Jeddou did not elaborate on how many Tunisian women had returned to the country pregnant with the children of jihadist fighters.
... nor what he thinks about having the spawn added to the gene pool.
Jihad al-nikah, permitting extramarital sexual relations with multiple partners, is considered by some hardline Sunni Muslim Salafists as a legitimate form of holy war.
"Gotta keep the boyz content, y'know. If they keep it inside they'll explode. Well, they do anyway, but you know..."
Meanwhile,
...back at the barn, Bossy was furiously chewing her cud and thinking...
the head of the relief association for Tunisians abroad, Badis Koubakji, said "dozens of Tunisian women have come back" from Syria after carrying out the jihad al-nikah there and that "hundreds" were still there.
"They're just humpin' like little Islamic rabbits!"
Koubakji said there was a camp for the women in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib.
Kinda like the Japanese used to run in Korea, or the Nazis ran in Poland.
"It's a complete network and the interior ministry is not being transparent on this issue," he said on Sunday.
No!... Re-e-e-e-e-ally?
He said that these young women aged between 17 and 30 would not talk about their experiences because their families wanted to "preserve their honor."
Despite the profusion of baby bumps...
NGOs in Tunisia have urged the government to do more to tackle networks recruiting young girls to travel to Syria.