SOHR exclusive | “Children of ISIS members should be kept away from camps hosting women of ISIS families to avoid serious scenarios,” says Majid Al-Qaisi
As the file of children of ISIS members in Syria continues to arouse controversy, no workable solution looms on the horizon still, especially since international powers continue to abdicate all responsibility in the case of repatriation their little citizens (children of foreign ISIS members). These children are in need to be rehabilitated, after years of brainwashing, training on using weapons, involvement in killing, rape and humiliation of innocent civilians.
This issue is so critical, and it has to be dealt with as soon as possible, as the presence of ISIS members’ children in refugee camps and prisons threatens the national security of all regional powers.
In an exclusive SOHR interview, the retired general and strategist, Majid Al-Qaisi has denied reports circulated recently on media regarding the missing of children of ISIS members from Al-Hasakah prisons following latest large-scale attack by ISIS, noting that the transportation of children from the camps has aimed to rehabilitate them in other places away from the prison.
Q: Several reports have been circulated about the missing of a large number of children of ISIS members from prisons where ISIS members and some of their sons are held in Al-Hasakah, what happened there?
A: The reports of the missing of ISIS members’ children from prisons in Al-Hasakah are completely untrue. The children of ISIS members aged between 12 and 18 inhabit refugee camps, and they are transported to rehabilitation centres for several reasons, mainly keeping them from the extremist ideology which their mothers (the women of ISIS families) teach them. Another reason is manifested in providing protection for these children against ISIS women who force adults to have sex with them in order to give birth to more children. Several cases have been documented of children calling for help of security forces in the camp to rescue them from these women.
Children who had engaged in fierce battles alongside ISIS against civilians are usually transported to rehabilitation centres, including Huri Centre, before they are taken to private wards in men’s prisons when they reach 18 years old.
Q: There are reports of the presence of Yazidi children, who had been kidnapped by ISIS, among the children held in Al-Hasakah prison, how true are these reports?
A: Families of some of the Yazidi children who had been kidnapped by ISIS from their homeland in Sinjar were killed, and the children were subjected to systematic brainwashing by ISIS. Accordingly, these children have adopted ISIS ideology. Most of these children neither disclose their real identity as Yazidis nor their real names, even to relevant authorities.
Q: How can the file of holding children of ISIS members in prisons hosting fighters be dealt with?
A: The countries which the children, who are in training and rehabilitation centres and prisons, belong to have to check records set by the Autonomous Administration in order to repatriate them. These children have to get rid of the extremist ideology instilled in them and rehabilitate them in their homeland. However, these countries neither provide financial and material support to the Autonomous Administration for taking care of this large number of children nor offering experts to supervise programs rehabilitating them. Moreover, these countries have not responded to appeals by the Autonomous Administration to take their citizens, both ISIS members and their children.