Two Australian ISIS Brides Deemed Extremists in Syrian Camp
Two additional Australian women, considered to be "extremists," are being held separately inside a Kurdish-run Syrian camp, as a group of Australian mothers urgently plead for their children to be allowed to return home. The head of Syria's Roj internment camp has revealed that the pair are housed away from the main cohort of 11 women and 23 children, who are at the centre of a deepening political stalemate over repatriation efforts.
Camp Director's Assessment of Behaviour
Roj camp director Hakamia Ibrahim stated that the overwhelming majority of Australian women detained in the Kurdish-controlled camp in northeast Syria have displayed no extremist behaviour. "In the camp, they (Australians) did not cause problems – except for two people, of course," Ibrahim said. "They are still among the extremists, from the extremist women." Speaking on Sunrise, security expert Dr. Josh Roose noted that these assessments appear to be based on prolonged observation of behaviour within the camp.
Dr. Roose explained, "The director or the commandant of that camp has basically said that there are two in particular women amongst that 11 who have been highly ideologically and religiously motivated in their actions, potentially seeking to corral and enforce laws, amongst others. They've been separated, whilst the other nine, by her account, appear to have been no problem at all."
Concerns Over Past Actions and Repatriation Challenges
However, Dr. Roose warned that behaviour in the camp is only part of the picture. The more difficult question revolves around what actions these women took during their time in the caliphate. "The key question here is, why did they go in the first place? Were they aware of precisely what was going on? And then when they were there, what actions did they undertake?" he said. "Did they become involved in enforcement of laws? Were they involved in the sexual enslavement of Yazidi women and girls? Or were they effectively tricked into going, which is effectively the claim made by themselves and their families?" The two women being held separately are understood not to be Australian citizens but are married to Australian ISIS fighters.
Heartbreaking Pleas from Children and Mothers
The revelations come as children trapped inside the Syrian detention camp are pleading to come home, with some mothers saying they would give up their own chance of freedom if it meant their sons and daughters could return to Australia. Six-year-old Layla, clutching a doll and a Hello Kitty bag, told The Australian, "I was born in here, which I hate. I hate it here." Her mother, Zeinab Ahmed, who wanted her daughter to answer questions to "humanise" their struggles, asked her what she wanted to say to the Australian government. "Please bring me home, and I'll buy an Avenger Kinder (Surprise). I want to go to a city in Australia, Sydney and Melbourne to visit my friend," she replied.
Eleven-year-old Baidaa told The Guardian through tears: "Why do I have to be in here? I don't want to live in a tent, I don't want to be in a camp, I don't want to be in a prison. I just want to be free and live in houses and live a normal life, not like here." Several of the 11 women have expressed willingness to remain in Syria if it meant their children could be repatriated to Australia and placed with relatives. A mother-of-three from Melbourne, Zahra Ahmad, told The Guardian she has "continuously asked for my children to be saved from this camp and from this continuous fear." She added, "They experience night terrors. Omar, my second-eldest son, bites his fingers till the tips bleed, and he doesn't sleep. They can't cope anymore, and they can't understand why they're kept in this situation. Please save the children; the children are innocent in all of this, and they need to feel safe and grow up in a safe and healthy environment. Our children need to heal and put this nightmare behind them."
Government Stance and National Security Concerns
Dr. Roose emphasised that the children are first and foremost victims who deserve consideration for their welfare. "It's through no fault of their own that they've ended up in this situation, and their welfare needs to be probably first and foremost amongst the considerations," he said. "It's a really wicked problem for the Australian government. You've got children who are Australian by citizenship trapped in these camps, but on the other hand, deep national security concerns that have to be balanced and weighed against that."
The Albanese government has repeatedly stated it will not assist in the repatriation of the women and children, despite passports having been issued and delivered to the group ahead of their failed departure attempt last week. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said: "If you make your bed, you lie in it." He added, "And as far as I'm concerned, I have nothing but contempt for these people." Pressed further, he told ABC radio: "I have contempt for their parents who have put these children in that situation. We have a firm position, which is that the mothers in this case who made this decision to travel overseas against Australia's national interest are the responsible ones who've put their children in this position ... We will do nothing to assist these people coming back to Australia." One of the 11 women is now subject to a two-year Temporary Exclusion Order while authorities investigate whether she can be charged with offences such as entering a declared terrorist area.
