Bring the Daesh brides back home

“Those seeking our votes must promise that they will allow calls to prayers five times a day in our schools,” lamented a 12-year-old child in Birmingham.

I came across the boy three years ago, while producing a series of programs on the UK general election. We had hit the city, after conducting similar programs in London, Bradford and Manchester. The host of our series was journalist Hamid Mir. Through our programme, we aimed to highlight the real issues being faced by the Pakistani communities and to also get an idea of who they vote for in the upcoming election.

When the boy spoke, Mir was equally shocked to hear his demands. The over 300 British Pakistanis and Kashmiris, packed inside the town hall, applauded the boy’s call. When he was further probed, he admitted that he had limited school timings. But, he remained adamant that his institution must be open to prayer five times a day.

The boy’s home, Birmingham, is the second largest city in England. It is better known for its ethnic diversity. Muslims constitute 22 per cent of the population. It is also home to some of the most beautiful mosques. In almost all Muslim-dominated areas, one can find a prayer place at a walking distance. And, if need be, properties are being bought to make prayer houses. In such a city, it is difficult to comprehend why the boy felt restricted.

The answer may lie in the backwardness, and indoctrination of some communities. In cities like these, one can easily find schools, in immigrant-dominated areas, without a single white student. It is a fact that these communities choose to live in isolation. But the Western governments are to equally blame for promoting such a mindset.

They backed such so-called opposition/extremist groups in different Middle Eastern countries for a regime change. They supplied these groups with weapons and training and transformed them into a semi-skilled fighting force.

Towing foreign policy, their right-wing media glorified these fighters. Most of their journalists even entered war zones through areas controlled by Daesh and aired sensational interviews. They thought it appropriate to broadcast videos of terrorists raining populations with rockets, home-made bombs or blowing up buildings with explosive-laden trucks. They projected the miseries of those that came under retaliatory action of the armies and kept mum about atrocities committed by the terrorists.

These steps conveyed a clear cut message to the indoctrinated class.

To them, travelling to crisis-hit countries like Syria became justified. Looting banks and museums appeared rightful as they viewed rulers as usurpers and tyrants.

These sycophants found solace in toppling regimes. After all, their so-called Caliphate had to emerge from the ashes of the ruins. To them, an ideal piece of territory was being carved out, where everyone would drive a brand new 4/4, enjoy a harem with an unlimited number of girls and lavishly spend income pouring out of oil wells.

British Bangladeshi, Shamima Begum, and her Dutch Daesh fighter husband, Yago Riedijk, were among such Europeans that fled their countries to opt for that promised land. Begum, now 19, left her home in Bethnal Green area of London in 2015 along with her two friends. She flew from Gatwick to Turkey and then took a bus to the Syrian border.

One wonders why British intelligence didn’t question the Muslim girls travelling alone to Turkey? The agencies knew well that Turkey was being used as the launching pad against Bashar ul Assad. One may argue that these girls were apparently travelling for vacations. But, those who know the addresses of these girls could easily smell the rat.

In the now aborted Islamic State, almost 60 per cent of the European terrorists’ hailed from France, UK and Germany. According to the United Nations, over 40,000 foreign terrorists from 110 countries may have travelled to Syria and Iraq. One fifth have already returned. An unknown number of them have perished. And, thousands are still languishing in the hotbed of terrorism.

So now the US President has a point when he demands that the European governments take these terrorists back and put them on trial. But, will he apply the same rule to Washington as well?

Now, putting these young men and women on trial will not be easy. How will the prosecutors gather evidence of their crime from Syria and Iraq? Above all, how would Riedijik and others justify raping fifteen-year-old Shamima Begum in the name of marriage? Such men are considered paedophiles in Europe.

The returnees may have their own tragic stories to tell. One is saddened to know that Shamima lost three babies due to poor health facilities. But who will guarantee that after serving sentences, these zealots will assimilate into the secular societies?

Studies have concluded that one in nine had returned only to perpetrate attacks.

Belgium has already witnessed horror committed by these returnees. In 2014, a Jewish museum was attacked and then two years later the heart of Brussels was also stabbed. Brussels is still coming to terms with the worst terrorist incident at its international airport and an underground station that killed 32 people.

France that contributed the largest contingent has faced the most planned terrorist incidents. The November 2015 Paris attacks were the deadliest attacks committed by Daesh in Europe. Eight of the attackers were returnees from Syria and had some connection to the Molenbeek area of Brussels.

Even Shamima Begum’s city not only witnessed 7/7 but also the slaughter of a soldier on its streets. Lee Rigby was hacked to death in broad daylight by a newly converted terrorist Adebolajo. Brainwashed in Britain, Adebolajo sought an eye-for-an-eye and a tooth-for-a-tooth from British soldiers who had killed Muslims elsewhere.

With that background, settling returnees will not only endanger the lives of soldiers and politicians but also pose risk for liberal Muslims. Still, they should be taken back, as this way the governments will be able to at least keep a track of them.

Despite being poorly trained, these terrorists have fought with the least resources and learnt how to survive in the most difficult of situations. If anyone of them carries out another terrorist attack, the incident will be used by white supremacist like Brenton Tarrant who has killed 50 Muslims in New Zealand this month.

Giving exemplary punishment to returnees may also serve as a lesson to other fanatics. In addition to that, a reform drive should be carried out to de-radicalize the extremists of all kind.

If the west fails to make such basic things known to the new generation, the gulf between different communities will become unbridgeable.

Note: The views expressed are those of the author, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Geo News or the Jang Group.