The mother of Mohammed

Born and raised in Mudgee, Rabiah Hutchinson seems an unlikely jihadist. But this former country girl turned marijuana-smoking beach bunny and hippy backpacker is a veteran of the global holy war. To Western intelligence analysts she is "the matriarch of radical Islam" or, in the words of a former CIA agent, "the Elizabeth Taylor of the jihad. Sally Neighbour explores this mysterious black-veiled woman, with the broad Australian accent and fiery Scottish temperament, who has Western governments so unnerved.