Key Points
- Two Australian-based Yazidi refugees say they are concerned about the repatriation of IS widows.
- Both were severely traumatised by IS fighters in Syria.
- However, the father of a repatriated woman says the group pose no security threat.
Yazidi refugee Hayam Bakkir told SBS Kurdish she has been "very distressed" since she became aware of the Australian government’s plan to repatriate the widows and children of slain IS fighters.
In late October, four widows and 13 children touched down in Australia after being repatriated from the Al-Roj refugee camp in Northern Syria, where they had been kept for three years since the fall of IS-held Baghouz in Syria.
Her concerns coincide with a closed door meeting Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil held with Western Sydney mayors on November 25 in a bid to allay their concerns over the repatriation.
The women and children represent the first group to return as part of the federal government’s plan to re-settle a total of 16 women and 42 children to Australia, mostly in Sydney, in the coming months.
The Al-Roj refugee camp in northeast Syria. Source: AAP
'IS wives beat us'
She says she was also beaten for not converting to Islam while in captivity by the wives of IS fighters.
"When IS fighters weren’t home, their wives and children treated us very badly, and bringing them here, makes us very sad and depressed," Ms Bakkir said.
She said she feared a resurgence of "bad memories" if she was to cross paths with one of the widows in Australia.
“I’ve been seeing a psychologist for the past five years just to try and forget about it, and my psychological situation was just getting better but when I heard IS widows are being returned, it impacted on me very much,” she said.
They are the reason we are separated from our families; they humiliated us and raped our women and girls.Hayam Bakkir
“Yes, it’s true we have been freed from them for the past few years, but we will never forget what they have done to us, and bringing them here will make matters worse for us.”
Describing her treatment by the wives of her male captors as "unbearable”, Ms Bakkir questioned the government’s repatriation efforts.
“Why has Australia returned them?
"Thousands of Yazidi women and girls are missing. Why doesn’t the Australian government assist in resettling them (Yazidis) in different countries so they can live a peaceful safe life?”
'Yazidi refugees should be prioritised'
Fellow Yazidi refugee, Shamo Silo said while he respected all religions, “…the ISIS widows belong to an extreme organisation that has nothing to do with religion".
On September 24, 2019, Mr Silo and his two daughters were granted asylum in Australia and weeks later, they arrived in the NSW town of Armidale, which already had an established community of Yazidi refugees.
In October 2019, the family resettled in Wagga Wagga.
Originally from the Yazidi village of Kocho in Sinjar District, Iraq, Mr Silo and his family endured years of terror and abuse at the hands of IS, and his wife and son remain missing.
Shamo Silo (L) and his daughters Viyan and Iman arrived in Australia in 2019. Source: Supplied
Up to 200 Yazidi men were also killed in the nearby village of Tal Afar for refusing to convert to Islam.
Mr Silo said he feared the IS widows were “brainwashed”, and would not give up their ideology and that it was just a matter of time before they engaged in extremist activities on home soil.
“Some of them have been with this extreme organisation for more than 10 years, they have been brainwashed and it’s not possible for them not to do anything extreme in Australia,” he said.
“This extreme organisation is still running at Al-Hol camp, their husbands are either missing, dead or detained. We are pleading with the Australian government, not to bring these women here when it was their decision to be part of that extreme organisation.”
He called on the government to prioritise Yazidi widows for resettlement in Australia.
“(Yazidi women) are stuck in refugee camps in northern Syria. They need assistance; IS captured their husbands, and they’re either killed or missing,” he said.
“Many have been granted Australian visas, but because of the COVID-19 situation in the last couple of years, their resettlement has been delayed.”
'Nothing to fear' says IS bride's father
However, the father and grandfather of an IS bride and her children, Kamalle Dabboussy, recently acknowledged there were concerns in the community, but he said "overwhelmingly" the comments received by him and his family had been positive.
He was speaking after his daughter and grandchildren arrived back in Australia as part of the first group of repatriated families of IS fighters.
Kamalle Dabboussy Source: SBS
He said authorities have already questioned the women, and they would continue to do so.
"There are unknowns about the next steps. We will continue to work with all the authorities and services, and we will see where that takes us," he said.
A Department of Home Affairs spokesperson said Australia’s security and the safety of the Australian community are paramount.
"Informed by national security advice, the Government has carefully considered the range of security, diplomatic, community and welfare factors in making the decision to repatriate Australians," they said.
"As with the management of any national security issue, the Australian Government has a range of available measures to ensure the safety of the community, including control orders, disengagement programs and criminal charges."
