Humanists demand help for ISIL children to come home
“The Norwegian authorities are obliged to ensure that children of parents who have supported ISIL in Syria come home safely to Norway,” the Association of Humanists states.
“The children are hostage to their parents’ poor choices. This cannot Norway sit back and watch. The children cannot be disenfranchised because of the religious delusions of their parents,” Leader of the Humanists, Tom Hedalen, believes.
The Federation of Humanists (Human-Etisk Forbund) governing body state that “these children are innocent and do not represent their parents’ religion or ideology. As Norwegian citizens, they have“All children have independent rights under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. These children are Norwegian citizens. This obliges Norway to help the 30 Norwegian children who currently are stuck in unsafe camps in the wake of the war in Syria,” General-Secretary of the humanists, Trond Enger maintains.
Learned from our mistakes
The Federation demands that the Norwegian authorities actively arrange for children of Norwegian ISIL members to return to Norway. These children are entitled to both rehabilitation, protection, education, and care as all other Norwegian citizens, the humanists believe.
The Humanists makes a comparison with the treatment children of Norwegian women and German soldiers received after WWII. Norway must, therefore, prove that we have learned from past mistakes.
“The war children were stigmatized, and many had their lives destroyed. Let us learn from that lesson on to handle this situation better, ” the Executive Board writes.
Will not dispatch personnel
Many women and their children are stuck in camps in Syria, Norway and other countries have shown little or no willingness to bring them back home, Save the Children have pointed out several times lately.
Prime Minister Erna Solberg (Conservatives) is adamant that Norway can’t send personnel to assist Norwegian children whose parents support ISIL.
“There are areas where we will not send in diplomatic or other personnel as the situation is today,” Solberg tells NTB.
Aren’t Jihadists
Indian Peace Prize winner, Kailash Satyarthi, recently made a strong appeal to European countries to assist the children.
“These children are not jihadists,” Satyarthi points out.”
If they are not taken care of and receive the protection, care and respect they are entitled to as human beings, there is an immense possibility that they will be abused and manipulated. It’s better to embrace them,” Satyarthi continues.
Satyarthi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with Malala Yousafzai in 2014.
67,000 at al-Hol in Syria
“Over 60,000 men, women, and children – mostly civilians – have come out of Baghouz since the US-backed rebellion alliance, SDF, launched the last offensive against the Enclave in January,” SDF spokesperson, Kino Gabriel, informs.
34,000 civilians have already been evacuated from Baghouz. Most are transferred to a camp at al-Hol in the northeast of Syria. The camp now consists of 67,000 persons, 90 per cent of whom are women and children, according to the UN.
© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today
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