Zaman al-Wasl TV visited a rehabilitation center for Islamic State members set up in the FSA-held town of Marea, north of Aleppo. The Syrian Centre for Countering Extremist Thinking was set up in October to address a problem emerging across swathes of Syria and Iraq - how to handle thousands of people living there who joined Islamic State as it enforced its brutal rule.
Hussein Naser, the center’s director, said the men will stay there for no more than a year, mainly because it does not have the capabilities to hold them longer.
“The goals of the center are to defeat the extremist ideology of the IS members that we have, ensuring their safety when they leave the center and that they can live with civilians,” Naser said.
Naser told Zaman al-Wasl that the centre launched by a group of volunteers, psychologists and medical staff as well Shariah jurists and clerics.
There are 40 ex-members now at the center where they take classes in religious doctrine and law. Psychological counseling is mandatory; some get individual sessions to help wean them off extremist ideology. The center is funded by the director as well as small donations, and its staff are all volunteers.
Abdul al-Ghani, former ISIS fighter, said he joined Daesh because he needs money to feed his family and tens more from his mates did so. Some of them have wounded family members or who with disabilities and need treatment.
The center evaluates former jihadists each month and shares its views with local authorities, which base their release decisions on the center’s recommendations.
Reuters contributed in this report.
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