They were taught math using the example of the quantity of grenades and “kafirs.”
UNICEF Representative to Iraq, Mohammad Al-Sheikhi, and President of Iraqi NGO Gates of Justice, Feraz Laiq Hasan, have told Asia-Plus how they revealed Tajik children and why it is necessary to deal with integration of the repatriated children.
Feraz Laiq Hasan says it was a long process that started in 2017. According to him, they identified children by DNA tests.
“Media reports earlier said that there are 95 Tajik children in Iraq, but we now speak about 85 children and 84 of them have already been brought to Tajikistan, and now there is only one Tajik baby in Iraq with his mother who is serving her jail term in Iraq,” Feraz Laiq Hasan said, noting that 43 Tajik mothers are serving their jail terms in Iraq.
According to him, Tajik authorities have also helped them “and we have received DNA tests of children’s relatives from them.”
Mr. Feraz Laiq Hasan has also expressed gratitude to the Tajik Government and Tajikistan’s Embassy in Kuwait for their assistance. “Tajik Ambassador and Consul were working twelve hours per day and gave us any information we asked. Tajikistan has become a unique example for other countries in how to bring children home. We ask embassies of other countries to adopt Tajikistan’s experience,” he said.
According to him, the children repatriated to Tajikistan are under 16 and more than 85 percent of them have relatives. They will be placed with family members and the children who do not have relatives will be sent to orphanages.
Mr. Mohammad Al-Sheikhi, for his part, has noted that the repatriated children had tragic life and they need psychological assistance. Children should begin a new life and not to think about ISIS and what they were learned.
Tajikistan and Iraq do not have an agreement on extradition of prisoners, and therefore, the Tajik authorities cannot bring Tajik women serving their jail terms in Iraq to Tajikistan.
Besides, Tajikistan has taken efforts to repatriate about 300 women and children from Syria.
The majority of children were attending ISIS schools where they were taught bad things, including wrong interpretation of Islam.
Therefore, the Government of Tajikistan and all international organizations should work heartily with them in order to help them begin new life and integrate into society.
According to Feraz Laiq Hasan, ISIS militants taught children to beat and kill and see enemies and “kafirs” in all people.
“For example, I saw with my own eyes how children were taught math using the example of the quantity of grenades and “kafirs. Teachers explain math like this: “two grenades plus two grenades equal to four grenades” or “if you killed one kafir and then killed five others it will equal to six killed kafirs.”
Recall, Tajikistan has repatriated 84 minors aged 1.5 to 16 from Iraq, where their Tajik mothers have been imprisoned under charges of belonging to the ISIS terror group or are awaiting trial.
Iraqi Fly Erbil flight carrying the 84 children and teenagers landed at Dushanbe airport late on April 30.
The kids were set to undergo medical checkups before being given to relatives.
The Tajik government thanked the Kuwaiti and Iraqi foreign ministries as well as the UNICEF office in Baghdad for helping with the repatriation.
Hundreds of Tajik citizens went to Iraq and Syria to join the IS group, according to the authorities, and Dushanbe has repeatedly said it doesn't intend to leave any Tajik children behind in the two war-torn Middle Eastern countries, fearing that they might pose security threats in the long run.
