In June, the Iraqi government has performed another round of repatriations from #AlHol. In my latest, I explore the issue of stigma and the
Key points:
1. The 50% of Al Hol residents are children, most of whom do not exceed the age of twelve years, continue to be exposed to forceful indoctrination and IS-inspired violence, and critical protection gaps exist across all sectors.
2. The obstacles encompassing repatriation processes to Iraq remain significant including including risks of violence and the lack of adequate preparations in terms of safety, lodging, economic needs, and social reintegration.
3. The attitude towards Al-Hol children is marked by ostracism both at the official and community levels. These perceptions force severe stigmatization and a high risk for children of becoming victims of secondary violence by communities, law enforcement, and military forces following their return, and inhibit and prevent social reintegration.
4. Since no attempt has ever been made to isolate extremists from IDPs, refugees, and victims of ISIS crimes, including minorities or ethnic groups, in Al Hol, all children bear the long-lasting shame and stigma of ISIS proximity, whether this perception of proximity is accurate or not.
5. Paradoxically, the same policies that discourage the return of families, the social, economic, and political ostracization, exacerbate factors that contribute to extremism.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Children in Syria and IraqCecilia Polizzi
Various terrorist and paramilitary organizations exploit children for their purposes. We can see teenagers among the ISIS, as well as among Shiite military groups, which declared “fighting ISIS” as their primary objective. There are also “children of ISIS” in Syria and Iraq, brought by their parents, who joined ISIS. Some of them were born there. Most of the children have lost, at least, one parent. They are deprived of material benefits, quality education, and health services; they don’t have a roof over their heads. Today, during the coronavirus pandemic, these children have faced a new challenge.
We asked Founder & Executive Director Working Group on Children Recruited by Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups Cecilia Polizzi to comment on the situation around the children involved in the conflict and brought there by their parents.
Information prepared by Angela Clarke, Brian Gregory and Christina Hayden as part of a Development Education project undertaken for a Postgraduate Masters in Art & Design Education at NCAD, Dublin, Ireland
The Experiences of Children in the Al-Hol Camp: Systemic Deprivation, Trauma,...Cecilia Polizzi
We are delighted to share the latest analysis by our research fellow, Esther Brito Ruiz. This publication expounds the impact of sexual and gender-based violence and trauma on the social development of young girls in #AlHol Camp and uncovers the gendered patterns driving the replication of #ISIL´s ideology.
The Lived Experiences of Children in the Al-Hol Camp: Sytemic Deprivation, Tr...Cecilia Polizzi
We are delighted to share the latest analysis by our research fellow, Esther Brito Ruiz. This publication expounds the impact of sexual and gender-based violence and trauma on the social development of young girls in #AlHol Camp and uncovers the gendered patterns driving the replication of #ISIL´s ideology.
Syrian women and girls coming to Lebanon are at increased risk of multiple forms of violence due to generalized insecurity and limited access to support. IRC’s rapid GBV assessment highlighted the myriad and severe protection issues women and girls faced before leaving Syria, and since arriving in Lebanon.
Serving Syrian Refugees: Practical Solutions for a People in Need, November 2015Brien Desilets
This issue paper assess the status of Syrian refugees and highlights innovative approaches to providing services including education, housing, renewable energy and social integration.
The Impact of COVID-19 on Children in Syria and IraqCecilia Polizzi
Various terrorist and paramilitary organizations exploit children for their purposes. We can see teenagers among the ISIS, as well as among Shiite military groups, which declared “fighting ISIS” as their primary objective. There are also “children of ISIS” in Syria and Iraq, brought by their parents, who joined ISIS. Some of them were born there. Most of the children have lost, at least, one parent. They are deprived of material benefits, quality education, and health services; they don’t have a roof over their heads. Today, during the coronavirus pandemic, these children have faced a new challenge.
We asked Founder & Executive Director Working Group on Children Recruited by Terrorist and Violent Extremist Groups Cecilia Polizzi to comment on the situation around the children involved in the conflict and brought there by their parents.
Information prepared by Angela Clarke, Brian Gregory and Christina Hayden as part of a Development Education project undertaken for a Postgraduate Masters in Art & Design Education at NCAD, Dublin, Ireland
The Experiences of Children in the Al-Hol Camp: Systemic Deprivation, Trauma,...Cecilia Polizzi
We are delighted to share the latest analysis by our research fellow, Esther Brito Ruiz. This publication expounds the impact of sexual and gender-based violence and trauma on the social development of young girls in #AlHol Camp and uncovers the gendered patterns driving the replication of #ISIL´s ideology.
The Lived Experiences of Children in the Al-Hol Camp: Sytemic Deprivation, Tr...Cecilia Polizzi
We are delighted to share the latest analysis by our research fellow, Esther Brito Ruiz. This publication expounds the impact of sexual and gender-based violence and trauma on the social development of young girls in #AlHol Camp and uncovers the gendered patterns driving the replication of #ISIL´s ideology.
Syrian women and girls coming to Lebanon are at increased risk of multiple forms of violence due to generalized insecurity and limited access to support. IRC’s rapid GBV assessment highlighted the myriad and severe protection issues women and girls faced before leaving Syria, and since arriving in Lebanon.
Serving Syrian Refugees: Practical Solutions for a People in Need, November 2015Brien Desilets
This issue paper assess the status of Syrian refugees and highlights innovative approaches to providing services including education, housing, renewable energy and social integration.
A letter to the senior diplomat in the State Department on behalf of a family facing persecution in Iraq. The Halabi family has served, and still serves, both the Government or Iraq and the United States Government in teaching, athletics training and refugee support.
Under Siege: The devastating impact on children of three years of conflict in...UNICEF Publications
Syria’s children are living today through the most damaging conflict for children in the region’s recent history. More than 5.5 million Syrian children now see their future besieged by war. It is estimated there are up to one million children who live under siege and in hard-to-reach areas that UNICEF and other humanitarian partners cannot access on a regular basis. This report takes stock of the impact that three years of violence and rights violations have had on children, and it assesses the longer-term crisis facing the region.
Categorising or labelling large and diverse groups of people as vulnerable can lead to fragmented and
ineffective interventions, which ignore overlapping vulnerabilities and the changing nature of
vulnerabilities over time, even during one specific crisis”. To effectively and strategically respond to
the protection needs of populations across the conflict impacted region, decision makers must
determine which vulnerable groups are most in need of humanitarian support and what the factors
are that increase and compound their vulnerabilities.
Guidelines on Managing the Humanitarian and Security Dimensions in Northeast ...Cecilia Polizzi
The al-Hol and Roj camps present monumental humanitarian challenges and a significant security concern, with children suffering exceedingly severe living conditions, exposure to violence, vulnerability to exploitation, as well as radicalization risks. The repatriation of children stands as both a moral imperative and a crucial political necessity, serving children´s well-being and preempting potential regional destabilization.
The second volume of the CRTG Working Group´s Children Affected by the Foreign Fighter Phenomenon (CAFF) Series offers guidance on potential avenues to improve humanitarian and security conditions for children, address legal and judicial challenges, mitigate child radicalization risks, as well as steps to support successful repatriation procedures.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cecilia-polizzi-2a9663143_children-affected-by-the-foreign-fighter-activity-7150189589364736000-qJir?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Children Affected by the Foreign Fighter Phenomenon: Guidelines on Managing t...Cecilia Polizzi
Introducing the second volume of our Children Affected by the Foreign Fighter Phenomenon (CAFF) Series! The CAFF is an undertaking by the CRTG Working Group expounding the trajectory of child involvement with the Islamic State in relation to the foreign fighter phenomenon and offering solutions across sectors and disciplines.
This report should be of interest to states, their United Nations partners, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), along with the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) who are focused on providing support to children in al-Hol and Roj.
The recommendations that follow include both potential avenues to improve humanitarian and security conditions for children, address legal and judicial challenges, mitigate child exploitation and radicalization risks, as well as steps to support successful repatriation of displaced populations and long-term security in the region.
We express our gratitude to Dr. Elie Abouaoun (DDS, MBA), Country Director Libya at the International Rescue Committee, and Mr. Zuhrab Saadi, Director of DAN for Relief and Development, for generously contributing their expertise.
Fourth Generation Warfare: An Analysis of Child Recruitment and use as a Sala...Cecilia Polizzi
The development of terrorism has been progressively characterized by the involvement of children. In the continuous and dynamic evolution of terrorist organizations, child exploitation has come to represent a fast-evolving operational, strategic and tactical component of Salafi-jihadism and emerged as one core overarching pattern in the rise of extremism, globally. In 4th Generation Warfare, the escalating nature of this phenomenon and its widening scope bring into consideration questions as to whether the exploitation of children in terrorist ranks is a mere aberration or an indication of the evolution of warfare and its changing requirements. As part of the ongoing effort to understand the causes, motivations and factors driving the accelerating nature and protracted dimension of child exploitation in terrorism, the ambition of this article is twofold: To investigate the causal complexities between the recruitment and use of children as part of Salafi-jihadist´s groups strategy of war and the tenets of 4th Generation Warfare; To provide new theoretical insights into the phenomenology of child exploitation in terrorism.
Edgecombe Community College GEO 111Stephen Herring, Instructor.docxtidwellveronique
Edgecombe Community College GEO 111
Stephen Herring, Instructor
April 1, 2015
Key Vocabulary for Study of the Middle East
Chapter 7 covers the Middle East, also known as Southwest Asia/North Africa
To understand this region you need to begin with the first round of colonial expansion under Arab influences following the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE. There was a division right after his death between the Arabs and the Persians over who would be the leader of Islam. This division led to the split between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. This split has many complex religious and cultural overtones, but it has been historically exacerbated by ethnic and economic tensions throughout the region between Sunni Arabs and Shiite Persians. Sunni Islam is largely influenced by ethnic Arabs and Shiite Islam is largely influenced by ethnic Persians. This is an oversimplification because many Shiite or Sunni Muslims are neither Arabs nor Persians, but this way of framing the conflict helps us to see the influences of Arab colonialism throughout the area.
Following the era of Arab colonialism we come into the period of European colonialism, a time when many of the present day nation states of the region had their borders drawn without regard to pre-existing tribal or ethnic allegiances. Look, for example, at Greater Kurdistan, a well- defined ethnic region which came to be subsumed within Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria.
The next item required for an understanding of the Middle East is the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the slaughter of over six million Jewish men, women, and children under the Nazi leadership of Germany during the Second World War. The Holocaust was the direct result of accumulating attitudes of anti-Semitism in the Christian West. There had been centuries of pogroms and outbursts of anti-Semitic violence throughout Europe prior to the Holocaust. The Holocaust brought about the realization that there needed to be a Jewish sovereign state, a Jewish homeland in the Biblical land of Israel. All religious considerations aside, this was initially a purely practical, secular observation, that there had to be an organized Jewish state in order that the Jews might defend themselves effectively against the threats of widespread anti-Semitism. This concept came to be known as Secular Zionism.
Various definitions are available for Zionism, but for our purposes it will be defined as the belief that there must be a Jewish sovereign nation in the Biblical land of Israel. Today within the modern state of Israel and elsewhere we have both secular and religious Zionists.
After the Holocaust Jewish people migrated back to Israel from all over the world. They claimed and settled the land of Israel. The problem with this was that there were already people living there who called the place Palestine. The Palestinians were forced to leave their homes and property as Israel expended through the 1950’s. The Palestinian refugees moved int.
Edgecombe Community College GEO 111Stephen Herring, Instructor.docxgidmanmary
Edgecombe Community College GEO 111
Stephen Herring, Instructor
April 1, 2015
Key Vocabulary for Study of the Middle East
Chapter 7 covers the Middle East, also known as Southwest Asia/North Africa
To understand this region you need to begin with the first round of colonial expansion under Arab influences following the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE. There was a division right after his death between the Arabs and the Persians over who would be the leader of Islam. This division led to the split between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. This split has many complex religious and cultural overtones, but it has been historically exacerbated by ethnic and economic tensions throughout the region between Sunni Arabs and Shiite Persians. Sunni Islam is largely influenced by ethnic Arabs and Shiite Islam is largely influenced by ethnic Persians. This is an oversimplification because many Shiite or Sunni Muslims are neither Arabs nor Persians, but this way of framing the conflict helps us to see the influences of Arab colonialism throughout the area.
Following the era of Arab colonialism we come into the period of European colonialism, a time when many of the present day nation states of the region had their borders drawn without regard to pre-existing tribal or ethnic allegiances. Look, for example, at Greater Kurdistan, a well- defined ethnic region which came to be subsumed within Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria.
The next item required for an understanding of the Middle East is the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the slaughter of over six million Jewish men, women, and children under the Nazi leadership of Germany during the Second World War. The Holocaust was the direct result of accumulating attitudes of anti-Semitism in the Christian West. There had been centuries of pogroms and outbursts of anti-Semitic violence throughout Europe prior to the Holocaust. The Holocaust brought about the realization that there needed to be a Jewish sovereign state, a Jewish homeland in the Biblical land of Israel. All religious considerations aside, this was initially a purely practical, secular observation, that there had to be an organized Jewish state in order that the Jews might defend themselves effectively against the threats of widespread anti-Semitism. This concept came to be known as Secular Zionism.
Various definitions are available for Zionism, but for our purposes it will be defined as the belief that there must be a Jewish sovereign nation in the Biblical land of Israel. Today within the modern state of Israel and elsewhere we have both secular and religious Zionists.
After the Holocaust Jewish people migrated back to Israel from all over the world. They claimed and settled the land of Israel. The problem with this was that there were already people living there who called the place Palestine. The Palestinians were forced to leave their homes and property as Israel expended through the 1950’s. The Palestinian refugees moved int ...
PREVENT Project: The Targeting of Children by Boko HaramCecilia Polizzi
Boko Haram insurgents abducted 276 girls from a school in Nigeria 10 years ago, sparking global outrage and the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.
Today, 89 girls remain missing, and 30 children were recently kidnapped in Katsina State. These events highlight ongoing challenges in securing the release of abducted children and the persistent threat of violent groups in the region.
The CRTG Working Group, monitors terrorist targeting of children in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin, understanding the strategic purposes behind such abductions.
Download the report here https://t.ly/iJdyf
This month marks a noteworthy achievement for the CRTG Working Group as we ob...Cecilia Polizzi
As we commemorate the CRTG Working Group inaugural five-year anniversary, I am pleased to share with you this message, where I reflect on our trajectory and lay my vision for the future.
On the occasion of this milestone, it is important to acknowledge how far we have come but also to recognize how much work remains to be done. The recruitment and radicalization of children is an increasingly pressing issue. The ramifications of inaction, as evidenced by the current manifestations of child involvement with terrorism and violent extremism, carry weight and substance.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has accompanied us so far on this journey. Vision, resilience, strategic thinking, empathy, and commitment to excellence are qualities that propelled CRTG Working Group throughout its first five years and which will continue to inspire us as we blaze new trails and rise to new heights.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cecilia-polizzi-2a9663143_a-new-chapter-for-crtg-working-group-a-message-activity-7177998957522919425-pPX8?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
We are thrilled to announce the onboarding of our new Non-Resident Fellow, Noor Huda Ismail, a catalyst for change in the realm of counter-terrorism and peacebuilding. His unique blend of academic rigor and on-the-ground impact has made him a global influencer, leaving a mark on the discourse surrounding extremism and rehabilitation.
With a Ph.D. focused on Indonesian Foreign Fighters, Dr. Ismail's journey has been both academically significant and personally profound. His dedication became evident during his journalistic stint when he discovered the involvement of a former schoolmate in the Bali bombings.
In 2008, Dr. Ismail founded the Institute for International Peace Building, providing solutions for the social rehabilitation of convicted terrorists. As an Ashoka Fellow, his influence extends globally, acknowledged through prestigious awards such as the EU Leadership and French Cultural Awards.
A true storyteller at heart, Dr. Ismail communicates the complexities of extremism through various mediums, including writings and documentaries like "Jihad Selfie" and "The Bride." His advocacy for a nuanced understanding of radicalization emphasizes countering online extremism and fostering communication changes that are crucial in our interconnected world.
Dr. Noor Huda Ismail's narrative serves as a compelling call to action, highlighting the essential role of rehabilitation and second chances in the journey toward sustainable peace. As a Visiting Fellow at RSIS | S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, he continues to shape meaningful conversations and drive initiatives in his areas of expertise.
Please join us in extending a warm and formal welcome to Dr. Noor Huda Ismail as our newest Non-Resident Fellow.
More Related Content
Similar to Al Hawl Shame: Another Layer of Dante ́s Inferno for Children | by Cecilia Polizzi | Jul, 2023 | Med.pdf
A letter to the senior diplomat in the State Department on behalf of a family facing persecution in Iraq. The Halabi family has served, and still serves, both the Government or Iraq and the United States Government in teaching, athletics training and refugee support.
Under Siege: The devastating impact on children of three years of conflict in...UNICEF Publications
Syria’s children are living today through the most damaging conflict for children in the region’s recent history. More than 5.5 million Syrian children now see their future besieged by war. It is estimated there are up to one million children who live under siege and in hard-to-reach areas that UNICEF and other humanitarian partners cannot access on a regular basis. This report takes stock of the impact that three years of violence and rights violations have had on children, and it assesses the longer-term crisis facing the region.
Categorising or labelling large and diverse groups of people as vulnerable can lead to fragmented and
ineffective interventions, which ignore overlapping vulnerabilities and the changing nature of
vulnerabilities over time, even during one specific crisis”. To effectively and strategically respond to
the protection needs of populations across the conflict impacted region, decision makers must
determine which vulnerable groups are most in need of humanitarian support and what the factors
are that increase and compound their vulnerabilities.
Guidelines on Managing the Humanitarian and Security Dimensions in Northeast ...Cecilia Polizzi
The al-Hol and Roj camps present monumental humanitarian challenges and a significant security concern, with children suffering exceedingly severe living conditions, exposure to violence, vulnerability to exploitation, as well as radicalization risks. The repatriation of children stands as both a moral imperative and a crucial political necessity, serving children´s well-being and preempting potential regional destabilization.
The second volume of the CRTG Working Group´s Children Affected by the Foreign Fighter Phenomenon (CAFF) Series offers guidance on potential avenues to improve humanitarian and security conditions for children, address legal and judicial challenges, mitigate child radicalization risks, as well as steps to support successful repatriation procedures.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cecilia-polizzi-2a9663143_children-affected-by-the-foreign-fighter-activity-7150189589364736000-qJir?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
Children Affected by the Foreign Fighter Phenomenon: Guidelines on Managing t...Cecilia Polizzi
Introducing the second volume of our Children Affected by the Foreign Fighter Phenomenon (CAFF) Series! The CAFF is an undertaking by the CRTG Working Group expounding the trajectory of child involvement with the Islamic State in relation to the foreign fighter phenomenon and offering solutions across sectors and disciplines.
This report should be of interest to states, their United Nations partners, the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), and Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), along with the nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) who are focused on providing support to children in al-Hol and Roj.
The recommendations that follow include both potential avenues to improve humanitarian and security conditions for children, address legal and judicial challenges, mitigate child exploitation and radicalization risks, as well as steps to support successful repatriation of displaced populations and long-term security in the region.
We express our gratitude to Dr. Elie Abouaoun (DDS, MBA), Country Director Libya at the International Rescue Committee, and Mr. Zuhrab Saadi, Director of DAN for Relief and Development, for generously contributing their expertise.
Fourth Generation Warfare: An Analysis of Child Recruitment and use as a Sala...Cecilia Polizzi
The development of terrorism has been progressively characterized by the involvement of children. In the continuous and dynamic evolution of terrorist organizations, child exploitation has come to represent a fast-evolving operational, strategic and tactical component of Salafi-jihadism and emerged as one core overarching pattern in the rise of extremism, globally. In 4th Generation Warfare, the escalating nature of this phenomenon and its widening scope bring into consideration questions as to whether the exploitation of children in terrorist ranks is a mere aberration or an indication of the evolution of warfare and its changing requirements. As part of the ongoing effort to understand the causes, motivations and factors driving the accelerating nature and protracted dimension of child exploitation in terrorism, the ambition of this article is twofold: To investigate the causal complexities between the recruitment and use of children as part of Salafi-jihadist´s groups strategy of war and the tenets of 4th Generation Warfare; To provide new theoretical insights into the phenomenology of child exploitation in terrorism.
Edgecombe Community College GEO 111Stephen Herring, Instructor.docxtidwellveronique
Edgecombe Community College GEO 111
Stephen Herring, Instructor
April 1, 2015
Key Vocabulary for Study of the Middle East
Chapter 7 covers the Middle East, also known as Southwest Asia/North Africa
To understand this region you need to begin with the first round of colonial expansion under Arab influences following the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE. There was a division right after his death between the Arabs and the Persians over who would be the leader of Islam. This division led to the split between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. This split has many complex religious and cultural overtones, but it has been historically exacerbated by ethnic and economic tensions throughout the region between Sunni Arabs and Shiite Persians. Sunni Islam is largely influenced by ethnic Arabs and Shiite Islam is largely influenced by ethnic Persians. This is an oversimplification because many Shiite or Sunni Muslims are neither Arabs nor Persians, but this way of framing the conflict helps us to see the influences of Arab colonialism throughout the area.
Following the era of Arab colonialism we come into the period of European colonialism, a time when many of the present day nation states of the region had their borders drawn without regard to pre-existing tribal or ethnic allegiances. Look, for example, at Greater Kurdistan, a well- defined ethnic region which came to be subsumed within Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria.
The next item required for an understanding of the Middle East is the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the slaughter of over six million Jewish men, women, and children under the Nazi leadership of Germany during the Second World War. The Holocaust was the direct result of accumulating attitudes of anti-Semitism in the Christian West. There had been centuries of pogroms and outbursts of anti-Semitic violence throughout Europe prior to the Holocaust. The Holocaust brought about the realization that there needed to be a Jewish sovereign state, a Jewish homeland in the Biblical land of Israel. All religious considerations aside, this was initially a purely practical, secular observation, that there had to be an organized Jewish state in order that the Jews might defend themselves effectively against the threats of widespread anti-Semitism. This concept came to be known as Secular Zionism.
Various definitions are available for Zionism, but for our purposes it will be defined as the belief that there must be a Jewish sovereign nation in the Biblical land of Israel. Today within the modern state of Israel and elsewhere we have both secular and religious Zionists.
After the Holocaust Jewish people migrated back to Israel from all over the world. They claimed and settled the land of Israel. The problem with this was that there were already people living there who called the place Palestine. The Palestinians were forced to leave their homes and property as Israel expended through the 1950’s. The Palestinian refugees moved int.
Edgecombe Community College GEO 111Stephen Herring, Instructor.docxgidmanmary
Edgecombe Community College GEO 111
Stephen Herring, Instructor
April 1, 2015
Key Vocabulary for Study of the Middle East
Chapter 7 covers the Middle East, also known as Southwest Asia/North Africa
To understand this region you need to begin with the first round of colonial expansion under Arab influences following the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 CE. There was a division right after his death between the Arabs and the Persians over who would be the leader of Islam. This division led to the split between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. This split has many complex religious and cultural overtones, but it has been historically exacerbated by ethnic and economic tensions throughout the region between Sunni Arabs and Shiite Persians. Sunni Islam is largely influenced by ethnic Arabs and Shiite Islam is largely influenced by ethnic Persians. This is an oversimplification because many Shiite or Sunni Muslims are neither Arabs nor Persians, but this way of framing the conflict helps us to see the influences of Arab colonialism throughout the area.
Following the era of Arab colonialism we come into the period of European colonialism, a time when many of the present day nation states of the region had their borders drawn without regard to pre-existing tribal or ethnic allegiances. Look, for example, at Greater Kurdistan, a well- defined ethnic region which came to be subsumed within Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria.
The next item required for an understanding of the Middle East is the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the slaughter of over six million Jewish men, women, and children under the Nazi leadership of Germany during the Second World War. The Holocaust was the direct result of accumulating attitudes of anti-Semitism in the Christian West. There had been centuries of pogroms and outbursts of anti-Semitic violence throughout Europe prior to the Holocaust. The Holocaust brought about the realization that there needed to be a Jewish sovereign state, a Jewish homeland in the Biblical land of Israel. All religious considerations aside, this was initially a purely practical, secular observation, that there had to be an organized Jewish state in order that the Jews might defend themselves effectively against the threats of widespread anti-Semitism. This concept came to be known as Secular Zionism.
Various definitions are available for Zionism, but for our purposes it will be defined as the belief that there must be a Jewish sovereign nation in the Biblical land of Israel. Today within the modern state of Israel and elsewhere we have both secular and religious Zionists.
After the Holocaust Jewish people migrated back to Israel from all over the world. They claimed and settled the land of Israel. The problem with this was that there were already people living there who called the place Palestine. The Palestinians were forced to leave their homes and property as Israel expended through the 1950’s. The Palestinian refugees moved int ...
Similar to Al Hawl Shame: Another Layer of Dante ́s Inferno for Children | by Cecilia Polizzi | Jul, 2023 | Med.pdf (19)
PREVENT Project: The Targeting of Children by Boko HaramCecilia Polizzi
Boko Haram insurgents abducted 276 girls from a school in Nigeria 10 years ago, sparking global outrage and the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.
Today, 89 girls remain missing, and 30 children were recently kidnapped in Katsina State. These events highlight ongoing challenges in securing the release of abducted children and the persistent threat of violent groups in the region.
The CRTG Working Group, monitors terrorist targeting of children in Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin, understanding the strategic purposes behind such abductions.
Download the report here https://t.ly/iJdyf
This month marks a noteworthy achievement for the CRTG Working Group as we ob...Cecilia Polizzi
As we commemorate the CRTG Working Group inaugural five-year anniversary, I am pleased to share with you this message, where I reflect on our trajectory and lay my vision for the future.
On the occasion of this milestone, it is important to acknowledge how far we have come but also to recognize how much work remains to be done. The recruitment and radicalization of children is an increasingly pressing issue. The ramifications of inaction, as evidenced by the current manifestations of child involvement with terrorism and violent extremism, carry weight and substance.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who has accompanied us so far on this journey. Vision, resilience, strategic thinking, empathy, and commitment to excellence are qualities that propelled CRTG Working Group throughout its first five years and which will continue to inspire us as we blaze new trails and rise to new heights.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cecilia-polizzi-2a9663143_a-new-chapter-for-crtg-working-group-a-message-activity-7177998957522919425-pPX8?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
We are thrilled to announce the onboarding of our new Non-Resident Fellow, Noor Huda Ismail, a catalyst for change in the realm of counter-terrorism and peacebuilding. His unique blend of academic rigor and on-the-ground impact has made him a global influencer, leaving a mark on the discourse surrounding extremism and rehabilitation.
With a Ph.D. focused on Indonesian Foreign Fighters, Dr. Ismail's journey has been both academically significant and personally profound. His dedication became evident during his journalistic stint when he discovered the involvement of a former schoolmate in the Bali bombings.
In 2008, Dr. Ismail founded the Institute for International Peace Building, providing solutions for the social rehabilitation of convicted terrorists. As an Ashoka Fellow, his influence extends globally, acknowledged through prestigious awards such as the EU Leadership and French Cultural Awards.
A true storyteller at heart, Dr. Ismail communicates the complexities of extremism through various mediums, including writings and documentaries like "Jihad Selfie" and "The Bride." His advocacy for a nuanced understanding of radicalization emphasizes countering online extremism and fostering communication changes that are crucial in our interconnected world.
Dr. Noor Huda Ismail's narrative serves as a compelling call to action, highlighting the essential role of rehabilitation and second chances in the journey toward sustainable peace. As a Visiting Fellow at RSIS | S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, he continues to shape meaningful conversations and drive initiatives in his areas of expertise.
Please join us in extending a warm and formal welcome to Dr. Noor Huda Ismail as our newest Non-Resident Fellow.
Delighted to witness the continued growth of our team. Join me in extending a warm welcome to Thomas Wuchte, whose extensive experience bolsters our efforts in addressing children´s involvement with terrorism and violent extremism. We are eagerly anticipating the meaningful impact that Thomas will make as we work together.
We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Thomas Wuchte as an advisor to the CRTG Working Group!
Thomas Wuchte brings a wealth of experience to our team, having served as the former Executive Director for The International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law (IIJ). A West Point graduate with a postgraduate degree in International Relations from the University of Illinois, his decorated public service background includes leadership in government and multilateral environments related to national security and counterterrorism.
Before the IIJ, he led counterterrorism efforts for the 57 participating States in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna, Austria. Throughout each period, he worked closely in a variety of formal and informal settings to advance #UN and global efforts working to eliminate extreme poverty, strengthen human rights and citizen participation, safeguard a sustainable planet, promote peace, and ensure dignity for all people. His efforts led to a multi-year project funded to emphasize the human rights aspects with particular emphasis on women and youth as key focus for partnerships.
Tom is the recipient of the U.S. Department of State Highest Award for Excellence in International Security Affairs for his efforts to work collaboratively with international partners. At present, he is the Founder of the Multilateral Collaboration and Cooperation Leadership (GCMCC), based in the Washington DC-Baltimore area and Bangkok. His focus is on empowering multilateral collaboration on non-traditional security issues such as climate change, while also working to balance resources for these new issues against the competing interests that often overlook the conditions conducive to violent extremism and terrorism.
Join us in welcoming Thomas Wuchte to our team! His expertise and dedication will undoubtedly enrich our initiatives towards addressing the involvement of children in terrorism and violent extremism.
Generational Warfare in the Sahel: The Khilafa Cubs and the Dynamics of Viole...Cecilia Polizzi
Over the last ten years, Africa has been a crucial strategic region for the Islamic State, with numerous affiliated groups receiving substantial backing. As threats from terrorist and extremist groups intensify, IS-linked entities are increasingly adopting the parent organization's strategies, placing particular emphasis on child radicalization.
Our analysis, led by Guillaume Soto-Mayor, delves into the role of children as pillars in the strategic continuity and expansion of violent insurgency in the #Sahel.
Read it here: https://rb.gy/y8wuju
Generational Warfare in the Sahel: The Khilafa Cubs and the Dynamics of Viole...Cecilia Polizzi
Over the last ten years, Africa has been a crucial strategic region for the Islamic State, with numerous affiliated groups receiving substantial backing. As threats from terrorist and extremist groups intensify, IS-linked entities are increasingly adopting the parent organization's strategies, placing particular emphasis on child radicalization.
Our analysis, led by Guillaume Soto-Mayor, delves into the role of children as pillars in the strategic continuity and expansion of violent insurgency in the #Sahel.
Last month, it was my pleasure to inform HQ Eurocorps Military Contribution to Human Security (MC2HS) in relation to NATO Policy on Children and Armed Conflict.
The effects of armed conflict on children are both direct and indirect, but always pervasive. Violations against children in armed conflict and near-conflict zones, as well as fragile states, span the broad spectrum of international legislative and normative frameworks and oftentimes amount to severe violations of the rule of law, fundamental rights and guarantees, including peremptory norms and jus cogens. The majority of violations have taken place in the past five years, underscoring increasingly severe, complex, and protracted protection crises.
Last month, it was my pleasure to inform HQ Eurocorps Military Contribution to Human Security (MC2HS) in relation to NATO Policy on Children and Armed Conflict.
The effects of armed conflict on children are both direct and indirect, but always pervasive. Violations against children in armed conflict and near-conflict zones, as well as fragile states, span the broad spectrum of international legislative and normative frameworks and oftentimes amount to severe violations of the rule of law, fundamental rights and guarantees, including peremptory norms and jus cogens. The majority of violations have taken place in the past five years, underscoring increasingly severe, complex, and protracted protection crises.
The Radicalisation and Recruitment game_ How Terrorist and Violent Extremist ...Cecilia Polizzi
In this Q&A discussion, our Chief Executive Officer, Cecilia Polizzi, addressed crucial issues of concern. The topics explored included the growing online radicalization among children, an evaluation of the UK's Prevent program, and the challenges facing children within the Sahel region.
The Radicalisation and Recruitment game: How Terrorist and Violent Extremist ...Cecilia Polizzi
I am pleased to have engaged in this Q&A session with CT Insight. Our discussion covered crucial subjects, ranging from the alarming increase in #radicalization among children to the recent evaluation of the UK #Prevent program, and the social, economic, political and security challenges in the #Sahel region.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/cecilia-polizzi-2a9663143_the-radicalisation-and-recruitment-game-activity-7107793736901812225-9PEw?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop
The Radicalisation and Recruitment game: How Terrorist and Violent Extremist ...Cecilia Polizzi
I am pleased to have engaged in this Q&A session with CTInsight. Our discussion covered crucial subjects, ranging from the alarming increase in online #radicalization among children to the recent evaluation of the UK #Prevent program, and the social, economic, political and security challenges in the #Sahel region.
Al Hawl Shame: Another Layer of Dante ́s Inferno for Children | by Cecilia Po...Cecilia Polizzi
In her latest contribution, our President/CEO Cecilia Polizzi analyzes the challenges hindering the repatriation and social reintegration of Iraqi children from the #AlHol camp in north-east Syria.
The Islamic State in Central Africa and the Centrality of Children in its Exp...Cecilia Polizzi
Last month, ADF militants stormed a school in Uganda in a tragic attack that resulted in the deaths of over 40 people, and more students were abducted.
In this analysis, our fellow Guillaume Soto-Mayor traces the trajectory of the ADF, and exposes firmly established ideological, financial, and operational links with the Islamic State.
An increase in the rate of child recruitment and use at the hands of ADF/ISCAP has significant implications. It coincides with the group's adoption of a Salafi-jihadi ideological stance, methods, and purposes of territorial expansionism and poses serious threats to the safety and rights of children and security in the region.
The Islamic State in Central Africa and the Centrality of Children in its Exp...Cecilia Polizzi
Last month, ADF militants stormed a school in Uganda in a tragic attack that resulted in the deaths of over 40 people, and more students were abducted.
In this analysis, our fellow Guillaume Soto-Mayor traces the trajectory of the ADF, and exposes firmly established ideological, financial, and operational links with the Islamic State.
An increase in the rate of child recruitment and use at the hands of ADF/ISCAP has significant implications. It coincides with the group's adoption of a Salafi-jihadi ideological stance, methods, and purposes of territorial expansionism and poses serious threats to the safety and rights of children and security in the region.
The Islamic State in Central African and the Centrality of Children in its Ex...Cecilia Polizzi
Violent extremist threats in Central Africa have been on the rise in recent years. The Allied Democratic Forces, an Islamist rebel group, established increasing ideological, financial, and operational ties with the Islamic State. This association also reflects in ADF/ ISCAP's increasing rate of child recruitment and use. In this report, our fellow Guillaume Soto-Mayor offers in-depth insights into the ADF/ISCAP's trajectory, strategies, and potential impacts in Central Africa and raises awareness of the need to address child protection risks across the region.
Prevention of Radicalization on Social Media and the Internet in this Digital...Cecilia Polizzi
I am glad to share the first volume of the 2023 Children Affected by the Foreign Fighter phenomenon (CAFF) series. The CAFF is an undertaking by the CRTG Working Group expounding the trajectory of child involvement with the Islamic State in relation to the foreign fighter phenomenon and offering solutions across sectors and disciplines.
The present Guidelines initiate this line of thematic work in a very important area - the online ecosystem of terrorism and violent extremism. The Recommendations are categorized into three distinct sections, specifically designed to cater to the roles and responsibilities of different stakeholders, including digital communications technology providers, policymakers, and non-professionals.
Children Affected by the Foreign Fighter Phenomenon: Guidelines on the Preven...Cecilia Polizzi
The 2023 Children Affected by the Foreign Fighter Phenomenon (CAFF) Series aims to provide insight and advice for states, professionals, practitioners, and other relevant stakeholders. The CAFF expounds the trajectory of child involvement with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in relation to the foreign fighter phenomenon and the life-cycle of the present scenario, offering solutions across sectors and disciplines and tackling the full range of issues it exerts. It encompasses key themes such as online safety, the Al-Hol crisis, repatriation, reintegration and rehabilitation, and offers four sets of Guidelines.
This line of effort by the CRTG Working Group proposes comprehensive, integrated and multi-faceted approaches to progress towards sustainable and meaningful solutions to the prolonged child protection and security crisis stemming from the issue of foreign fighters. Central to CAFF is ensuring that human rights, the rule of law, and children’s rights remain at the forefront throughout the development and implementation of interventions and programs.
These syntheses of accumulated experience and expertise on selected themes provide comprehensive, detailed, and nuanced overviews of their subject matter. The present Guidelines initiate this line of thematic work by the CRTG Working Group in a very important area - the online ecosystem of terrorism and violent extremism. It is the result of CRTG Working Group specialized knowledge and draws from a CRTG Working Group-led technical session with Ms. Hallie Stern, Founder and Director of Mad Mirror Media, and Mr. Ardian Shajkovci, Co-Founder and Director of the American Counterterrorism Targeting and Resilience Institute, concerned with preventing and mitigating harms against children in the digital sphere. Thus, acknowledging how ISIL and other terrorist and violent extremist actors exploit technological innovation, social media, and the Internet to entice, mobilize, recruit and radicalize children and seeking to enable appropriate responses, guaranteeing online safety and a secure online experience for all children and young people.
UNICEF Innocenti_Children´s Involvement in organized violenceCecilia Polizzi
I was honored to have participated in the UNICEF Innocenti roundtable on children's involvement in organized violence. It was an informative discussion, bringing together a diverse group of experts to exchange ideas on this crucial issue.
The current trends in child involvement with terrorist and violent extremist groups are a major concern:
1. The recruitment and use of children by UN-designated terrorist groups have risen sharply over the past two decades.
2. The landscape of terrorism and violent extremism has become more diverse and fragmented, with actors being empowered by advances in emerging technologies, adding other layers of complexity to this issue and enhancing risks for children and young people.
3. The radicalization of children and youth has become a primary focus for terrorist and violent extremist actors, with the potential to lead to their involvement in violent activities.
Moderation_Prevention of Child Recruitment and Radicalization: Online SafetyCecilia Polizzi
I am delighted to have moderated a panel discussion on the prevention of child recruitment and radicalization in the digital environment. It was an incredibly stimulating conversation that shed light on the ways in which children are targeted online, appropriate measures to limit the spread of violent propaganda and messaging, and ensuring online safety and a secure digital experience for all children and young people.
Donate to charity during this holiday seasonSERUDS INDIA
For people who have money and are philanthropic, there are infinite opportunities to gift a needy person or child a Merry Christmas. Even if you are living on a shoestring budget, you will be surprised at how much you can do.
Donate Us
https://serudsindia.org/how-to-donate-to-charity-during-this-holiday-season/
#charityforchildren, #donateforchildren, #donateclothesforchildren, #donatebooksforchildren, #donatetoysforchildren, #sponsorforchildren, #sponsorclothesforchildren, #sponsorbooksforchildren, #sponsortoysforchildren, #seruds, #kurnool
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
ZGB - The Role of Generative AI in Government transformation.pdfSaeed Al Dhaheri
This keynote was presented during the the 7th edition of the UAE Hackathon 2024. It highlights the role of AI and Generative AI in addressing government transformation to achieve zero government bureaucracy
Monitoring Health for the SDGs - Global Health Statistics 2024 - WHOChristina Parmionova
The 2024 World Health Statistics edition reviews more than 50 health-related indicators from the Sustainable Development Goals and WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work. It also highlights the findings from the Global health estimates 2021, notably the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on life expectancy and healthy life expectancy.
Understanding the Challenges of Street ChildrenSERUDS INDIA
By raising awareness, providing support, advocating for change, and offering assistance to children in need, individuals can play a crucial role in improving the lives of street children and helping them realize their full potential
Donate Us
https://serudsindia.org/how-individuals-can-support-street-children-in-india/
#donatefororphan, #donateforhomelesschildren, #childeducation, #ngochildeducation, #donateforeducation, #donationforchildeducation, #sponsorforpoorchild, #sponsororphanage #sponsororphanchild, #donation, #education, #charity, #educationforchild, #seruds, #kurnool, #joyhome
Jennifer Schaus and Associates hosts a complimentary webinar series on The FAR in 2024. Join the webinars on Wednesdays and Fridays at noon, eastern.
Recordings are on YouTube and the company website.
https://www.youtube.com/@jenniferschaus/videos
Presentation by Jared Jageler, David Adler, Noelia Duchovny, and Evan Herrnstadt, analysts in CBO’s Microeconomic Studies and Health Analysis Divisions, at the Association of Environmental and Resource Economists Summer Conference.
This session provides a comprehensive overview of the latest updates to the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards (commonly known as the Uniform Guidance) outlined in the 2 CFR 200.
With a focus on the 2024 revisions issued by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), participants will gain insight into the key changes affecting federal grant recipients. The session will delve into critical regulatory updates, providing attendees with the knowledge and tools necessary to navigate and comply with the evolving landscape of federal grant management.
Learning Objectives:
- Understand the rationale behind the 2024 updates to the Uniform Guidance outlined in 2 CFR 200, and their implications for federal grant recipients.
- Identify the key changes and revisions introduced by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in the 2024 edition of 2 CFR 200.
- Gain proficiency in applying the updated regulations to ensure compliance with federal grant requirements and avoid potential audit findings.
- Develop strategies for effectively implementing the new guidelines within the grant management processes of their respective organizations, fostering efficiency and accountability in federal grant administration.
2017 Omnibus Rules on Appointments and Other Human Resource Actions, As Amended
Al Hawl Shame: Another Layer of Dante ́s Inferno for Children | by Cecilia Polizzi | Jul, 2023 | Med.pdf
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“Abandon all hope, you who enter here” was the haunting inscription that
Dante read as Virgil led him through the gates of Hell. It was Good Friday,
1300. Dante had lost his path and, though he realizes the peril, is now unable
to return. As the poet descends into the nine circles of torment, he witnesses
the suffering of damned souls with repugnance and pity. These, constantly
afflicted by wounds, plagued and diseased, burning with fire, submerged in
a river of boiling blood, spending the eternity gnawing on the heads of their
imprisoners. Even today, when the theology and politics of late medieval
Florence seem so remote, Dante´s magnum opus, The Divine Comedy, still
resonates and remains vivid. In the Al Hawl Camp. With its suffering,
forsakenness, and desperation, a hypothesis of Dante´s early contemplation
of the Al-Hawl finds plausibility.
The Al-Hawl Camp, which has gained a reputation as the most dangerous place
on Earth, is an open wound left by Syria’s 12-year conflict. Historically, Al
Hawl was established by the United Nations to host refugees from Iraq in
1991. In 2016, it was reopened by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces
(SDF) to harbor civilians displaced in the course of operations against the
Islamic State (ISIS/Daesh) in Eastern Syria. The camp´s demographics
however, changed dramatically as the caliphate collapsed. After the fall of
Baghouz, the camp received an influx of 64,000 women and children of
Syrian, Iraqi and third-country nationality. The end of the territorial
caliphate did not only increase sixfold the camp´s population but also
coincided with a change in the function and nature of Al Hawl, from a
refugee camp to an open-air prison, with security and living conditions
becoming increasingly unsustainable over the years.
The 50% of Al Hawl residents are children, most of whom do not exceed the
age of twelve years, who were brought by their ISIL-affiliate parents to Syria
and Iraq, were born into ISIL-occupied areas, or even within the confines of
Al Hawl itself. However, the Al-Hawl is no place for children. Overcrowding,
latrine overflow, sewage leaking, lack of adequate infrastructure, potable
water, or regular food delivery are only a few of the persistent issues
affecting them, and critical gaps continue to exist across all sectors. The site
is characterized by an alarming prevalence of death, crime, and violence. To
date, over 450 children have died in Al Hawl, drowning in sewage pits,
perishing in tent fires, being fatally struck by water trucks, dying of
preventable diseases, hypothermia, and delays in accessing urgent medical
care.
In late 2019, US military officials evaluated that ISIS had been militarily
defeated but not eliminated, and the Al Hawl, ever since considered the last
surviving pocket of Daesh, stood as a cautionary tale of its resurgence.
Unhealthy prison environments can create or amplify conditions conducive
to radicalization and terrorism. In many respects, Al Hawl mirrors Camp
Bucca, a heavily populated and inadequately managed US detention center
in Iraq that gained notoriety as a ´jihadist university´ and as a breeding
ground for the insurgency of top ISIS leaders, including Abu Bakr al-
Baghdadi. Al Hawl is also seen by some commentators as part of a deliberate
ISIS strategy of survival. Allegedly, Baghdadi himself ordered ISIS females to
surrender en masse to the SDF in 2019. Whether this is true or not, pro-ISIS
women seek to replicate the caliphate rule within Al Hawl, and the site is
both an echo chamber and an incubator for its violent ideology.
Children are central to ISIS´ military strategy and purposes to self-
perpetuation. At the height of ISIS, in areas under its control in Syria and
Iraq, children were forced to attend ISIS-administered schools and
indoctrinated to its imposed Salafi-Jihadi curriculum, reflecting ideological
precepts and military training. The tens of thousands of interned children in
Al-Hawl continue to be exposed to the same degree of forceful
indoctrination and IS-inspired violence. Pro-ISIS elements recruit,
radicalize, and abuse children in Al Hawl. Children are forbidden from
accessing education services and are instead imparted lessons on jihadi
ideology and weapon training, instigated to perpetrate acts of violence and
crimes to avenge the deaths of their ISIS-militant fathers, and adolescent
boys are forced into marriages or sexually exploited to serve ISIS
expansionistic aims. The longer children remain, the higher the risk they
adhere to ISIS under duress or by choice. However, going home poses its
own set of challenges.
The Kurdish-led authority in north-east Syria, international bodies, and
security and child protection experts alike have been urging states to
repatriate their nationals from the camp for years. However, as the dire
situation for children in Al Hawl lingers on, the political stand against
repatriation remains replete with legal, ethical, and practical questions with
respect to obligations and capabilities of handling a child returnee
contingent, and many have nowhere else to go.
The Iraqi government, whose nationals make up the highest proportion of Al
Hawl foreign nationals, has recently performed another round of
repatriations, a move praised by the international community and Iraqi
authorities alike as a vital effort fostering humanitarian principles, stability,
and security.
Iraq’s willingness to confront the issue of repatriations represents an
important opportunity to make headway on addressing the protracted Al
Hawl crisis. However, the obstacles encompassing repatriation processes
remain significant, including the risks of violence and the lack of adequate
preparations in terms of safety, lodging, economic needs, and social
reintegration. In addition, Iraq has endured cycles of warfare, a massive
refugee crisis, sectarianism, violent extremism, the COVID-19 health and
economic crises, regional and global power competition, and the early
impacts of climate change. As a result, the social and political landscape
remains highly vulnerable and volatile. In these conditions, an unstructured
repatriation process will likely engender adverse ramifications for safety,
security, and child rights and put increased strain on institutions.
Another key issue affecting the return of children is the perception of Al-
Hawl residents and grievances. The attitude towards Al-Hawl children is
marked by ostracism both at the official and community levels, as they are
perceived as an implicit threat and a source of danger rather than as victims
of ISIS violence in their own right or non-responsible for the choices of their
parents and relatives.
These perceptions force severe stigmatization and a high-risk for children of
becoming victims of secondary violence by communities, law enforcement,
and military forces following their return, and inhibit and prevent social
reintegration. While there is little data available on the reintegration
transitions of Al-Hawl returnees through Jeddah-1 camp, the experience of
Iraqi families with perceived ISIL affiliation displaced within Iraq
demonstrates that return to their communities is oftentimes hindered by
security actors and challenged by community rejection. The intensity of the
attitude towards the return of children and their mothers reduced once the
government started to pay compensation to the victims of ISIS crimes.
However, this does not mean that they enjoy acceptance. Rather, it means
that another form of stigmatization and alienation is evolving.
These sentiments have been simmering for years. The Iraqi community and
civil society leaders flagged adverse conditions for Iraqis in al-Hawl as early
as 2016, when the camp was mostly unheard of and had a smaller
population. At that time, the perception was that they were either Sunni
Arabs who fled from the clutches of ISIS or Iraqi armed forces fearing of
becoming targets. However, following the military defeat of ISIS in Baghouz,
while there existed ambiguity regarding the association of these Iraqis with
ISIS, a prevailing perception emerged that anyone in Al Hawl was linked to
the group or accepted to live under its rule.
As the camp became infamous as an ISIS-dominated site, some vivid realities
became neglected. Largely overlooked was the fact that the population of Al-
Hawl extends beyond ISIS militants. It is a complex mosaic, encompassing
radicalized and non-radicalized elements, perpetrators and victims of Daesh
crimes, bystanders, and those who, forcibly or not, have lived under ISIS
rules. No attempt has ever been made to isolate extremists from IDPs,
refugees, and victims of ISIS crimes, including minorities or ethnic groups —
who are mainly Syrians and Iraqis — who were the original inhabitants of the
camp before the fall of Baghouz. The lack of categorization not only led to an
inauspicious forced cohabitation but virtually condemned every child in Al-
Hawl to bear the long-lasting shame and stigma of ISIS proximity, whether
this perception of proximity is accurate or not, and risk creating a
generation that is worse than the first ISIS version.
Children born into the ISIS milieu, regardless of the circumstances, are
exposed to forms of collective punishment, whether due to the actions of
their family members or their perceived association with a terrorist
organization. In most areas of Iraq, a de facto ban on returns is imposed to
crack down on those who some clans, authorities, local communities, or the
Popular Mobilization Forces believe were sympathetic to ISIS or had a
relative affiliated with or cooperating with ISIS. In 2019, in Garma, north-
east of Fallujah, authorities issued official documents labeled with the
inscription “ISIS member” thereon, effectively subjecting children and their
mothers to harassment, stigmatization, and constant fear of reprisal and
violence. In other governorates, return is allowed on the condition that
children, irrespective of their age, are abandoned. Any family sheltering
such a child is to be banished.
The absence of proper civil documentation intensifies the difficulties
surrounding the prospects of child repatriation and reintegration. Most Al
Hawl children are unregistered, lack birth certificates and nationality
documents. Children without these documents are at high risk of being
sentenced to a life on the margins of Iraqi society — giving rise to a neglected
generation incapable of traveling between Iraqi cities and towns, barred
from attending formal schools and obtaining educational certificates, and
deprived of essential health care or state social welfare programs. Failing to
address this issue prior to their transition into adulthood poses further
challenges, as these children may risk being denied having their marriages
legally recognized, acquiring ownership or rental rights to property, or
having a fair chance at formal employment.
The experience of violent extremism, whether as victims, perpetrators,
supporters, or bystanders, causes major trauma. Psychological distress can
make it difficult for children to process and verbalize their experiences,
especially when they fear adverse reactions. Continuous insecurity may
exacerbate post-traumatic stress disorder in children, as the absence of
permanence and a sense of safety prevents them from metabolizing the
events they have witnessed.
Under these difficult psychological and living conditions, children are at risk
of being exploited or becoming tools in the hands of violent parties.
Protracted displacement, child welfare and mental health needs, injustice,
social exclusion, and the inability to access education or employment
opportunities exacerbate extreme adversity and grievances. Vulnerabilities
on which ISIS so well capitalizes. To some, the appeal of engaging in violent
extremism is then more acceptable, but for many others, it is the only
chance for survival.
Iraq has adopted a series of plans, established various mechanisms, and
formulated ambitious targets to raise the level of child protection. In
general, there are no special services rendered to the children born to
families perceived to be associated with ISIS or needs assessments of this
group, which suffers from special circumstances requiring tailored
intervention strategies. Paradoxically, the same policies that discourage the
return of families, the social, economic, and political ostracization, and the
communal and institutional attempts at De-ISIS-fication exacerbate factors
that contribute to extremism and the very threats that the government seeks
to combat.
The children have no choice about their upbringing, yet inevitably bear the
consequences. Trapped in a world of lack, stigma and despair, while we label
these children as lost, damaged and irreparable, ISIS embraces them. Its
intention to prioritize them as a vehicle to propagate dogma and conflict
through future generations then lives on, and the Daesh child lab dream
remains fulfilled.
A conversation with an 11-year-old Iraqi boy in Al Hawl. His father had died
some years prior. His mother had passed away because of illness. He and his
six siblings were on their own, trying to survive in the camp. The boy had
only one dream: to return to Iraq. To return to the places his mother had told
him about. To have a life worth living. Eleven years old. Better no life, than
this life — he said.
Eventually, Dante and Virgil reach the Lethe, the river of forgetfulness, and
travel from there out of Hell and back onto Earth. They emerge from Hell on
Easter morning, just before sunrise.
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