ISIS bride opens up about the one thing she missed most from Australia

Two of three women linked to Islamic State are expected to be charged over the alleged enslavement of at least one woman from the persecuted minority Yazidi community in Syria once they touch down in Melbourne. The cohort consists of four Australian women - grandmother Kawsar Abbas, 54, her two daughters Zahra Ahmad, 33, and former Sydney nursing student Zeinab Ahmed, 31, Janai Safar - and their nine children. Kawsar and her family will land on Melbourne on Thursday on a Qatar Airway flight via Doha. She is accompanied by her brother, boxing coach Abraham Abbas. It's understood Kawsar and one of her two adult daughters will be arrested upon arrival and charged over serious allegations made by two women from the Yazidi community in Syria, The Australian reports. Safar - who will touch down in Sydney with her son - is expected to be charged with offences related to entering or remaining in a declared terrorist area.
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Two of three women linked to Islamic State are expected to be charged over the alleged enslavement of at least one woman from the persecuted minority Yazidi community in Syria once they touch down in Melbourne. The cohort consists of four Australian women – grandmother Kawsar Abbas, 54, her two daughters Zahra Ahmad, 33, and former Sydney nursing student Zeinab Ahmed, 31, Janai Safar – and their nine children. Kawsar and her family will land on Melbourne on Thursday on a Qatar Airway flight via Doha. She is accompanied by her brother, boxing coach Abraham Abbas. It’s understood Kawsar and one of her two adult daughters will be arrested upon arrival and charged over serious allegations made by two women from the Yazidi community in Syria, The Australian reports. Safar – who will touch down in Sydney with her son – is expected to be charged with offences related to entering or remaining in a declared terrorist area.

Historic Prosecution

Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said evidence collected since 2015 had been used to determine whether the women breached Commonwealth laws, including 'humanity offences such as engaging in slave trading'. 'Some individuals will be arrested and charged, some will face continued investigations when they arrive in Australia,' Ms Barrett said on Wednesday. If the case went to court it would mark the first time any Australian citizen had been prosecuted for the crimes under domestic law. Meanwhile, one of the returning women revealed she had missed Melbourne lattes the most while living in camps in northern Syria.
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Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett said evidence collected since 2015 had been used to determine whether the women breached Commonwealth laws, including ‘humanity offences such as engaging in slave trading’. ‘Some individuals will be arrested and charged, some will face continued investigations when they arrive in Australia,’ Ms Barrett said on Wednesday. If the case went to court it would mark the first time any Australian citizen had been prosecuted for the crimes under domestic law. Meanwhile, one of the returning women revealed she had missed Melbourne lattes the most while living in camps in northern Syria.

Lattes Amid the Caliphate

There were no trendy coffee shops in the ISIS caliphate, where public beheadings became a symbol of the terror group's rule. Women were forced to follow harsh dress codes and had restrictions on daily life and those accused of crimes faced floggings, amputations and public punishments. ABC News reporter Bridget Rollason spoke to some of the women at Doha Airport while they were in transit. 'One woman told me she missed lattes most of all and was looking forward to having a coffee on Collins Street in Melbourne,' she said. 'They told me they were really looking forward to getting back to Melbourne and said they missed Australia. 'Some of the children even had Australian accents, despite being born in Syria . 'When we spoke to the women, they appeared excited about returning home. 'We asked how they felt about potentially being arrested, but they declined to comment. One of their uncles told us to stop filming and stop speaking to them. We were only able to have a brief conversation before they boarded the flight.'
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There were no trendy coffee shops in the ISIS caliphate, where public beheadings became a symbol of the terror group’s rule. Women were forced to follow harsh dress codes and had restrictions on daily life and those accused of crimes faced floggings, amputations and public punishments. ABC News reporter Bridget Rollason spoke to some of the women at Doha Airport while they were in transit. ‘One woman told me she missed lattes most of all and was looking forward to having a coffee on Collins Street in Melbourne,’ she said. ‘They told me they were really looking forward to getting back to Melbourne and said they missed Australia. ‘Some of the children even had Australian accents, despite being born in Syria . ‘When we spoke to the women, they appeared excited about returning home. ‘We asked how they felt about potentially being arrested, but they declined to comment. One of their uncles told us to stop filming and stop speaking to them. We were only able to have a brief conversation before they boarded the flight.’

The returning group is among dozens of Australian women and children who have been stranded in Syrian camps since the collapse of the ISIS caliphate in 2019. The group of 13 is the third contingent of families linked to ISIS who have returned to Australia. Eight orphaned children came back under Scott Morrison in 2019. Four women and 13 children were then allowed into the country by the Albanese government three years later. The latest cohort of women and children spent two weeks in Syria's capital after leaving the Al Roj refugee camp in the north, where they had lived for seven years. They spoke about their hopes for life in Australia as they boarded a connecting flight in Doha on Thursday morning. 'We just want our children to be safe. It was like hell (in Syria) for them,' one of the women told ABC News. 'One of the boys has an Australian accent, even though he's never been to Australia,' another told the publication.
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The returning group is among dozens of Australian women and children who have been stranded in Syrian camps since the collapse of the ISIS caliphate in 2019. The group of 13 is the third contingent of families linked to ISIS who have returned to Australia. Eight orphaned children came back under Scott Morrison in 2019. Four women and 13 children were then allowed into the country by the Albanese government three years later. The latest cohort of women and children spent two weeks in Syria’s capital after leaving the Al Roj refugee camp in the north, where they had lived for seven years. They spoke about their hopes for life in Australia as they boarded a connecting flight in Doha on Thursday morning. ‘We just want our children to be safe. It was like hell (in Syria) for them,’ one of the women told ABC News. ‘One of the boys has an Australian accent, even though he’s never been to Australia,’ another told the publication.

The children who return will undergo community‑integration and therapeutic support, as well as countering violent extremism programs. It follows reports it would cost around $2million to monitor each of the ISIS brides once back in Australia. This cost applies to high-risk individuals who may require 24-hour surveillance by two police or security personnel. Estimated monitoring costs are based on similar cases in NSW, where convicted extremists were placed on Extended Supervision Orders by the Supreme Court after judges found they posed an 'unacceptable risk' to public safety.
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The children who return will undergo community‑integration and therapeutic support, as well as countering violent extremism programs. It follows reports it would cost around $2million to monitor each of the ISIS brides once back in Australia. This cost applies to high-risk individuals who may require 24-hour surveillance by two police or security personnel. Estimated monitoring costs are based on similar cases in NSW, where convicted extremists were placed on Extended Supervision Orders by the Supreme Court after judges found they posed an ‘unacceptable risk’ to public safety.

Those orders can impose electronic ankle monitoring, curfews, unannounced home visits, strict movement controls, drug and alcohol testing, and constant scrutiny of phones and laptops - measures requiring significant manpower and funding. When asked by the Daily Mail about the cost of monitoring, Anthony Albanese refused to comment, repeating that authorities were not providing assistance. He also did not respond when asked if his government expects other Australian families to follow suit now that refugee camps are being closed in Syria.
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Those orders can impose electronic ankle monitoring, curfews, unannounced home visits, strict movement controls, drug and alcohol testing, and constant scrutiny of phones and laptops – measures requiring significant manpower and funding. When asked by the Daily Mail about the cost of monitoring, Anthony Albanese refused to comment, repeating that authorities were not providing assistance. He also did not respond when asked if his government expects other Australian families to follow suit now that refugee camps are being closed in Syria.