(Trinidad Guardian) A female T&T detainee in the Al Hol refugee camp in Syria has written to Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley appealing for the state to bring her and her five children home.
The letter was submitted to media by Islamic Front head Umar Abdullah.
Guardian Media over the last year had reported on almost 68 people – mainly children and women – detained at Al Hol and other refugee camps following the fall of the Islamic State (ISIS) terrorist group.
Among those at the camp are survivors of ISIS members.
About 130 T&T people – fighters and families – went to ISIS conflict zones over 2012 /15.
A group representing families of T&T detainees at the refugee camps has been appealing to bring them home. A spokesman for the group told Guardian Media on Monday that the children’s lives are in imminent danger.
“Only two weeks ago eight children died from preventable diseases at the camp,” the spokesman said.
Meanwhile, the woman at the Al Hol camp who wrote to Rowley said she’s one of the Trinidadians there along with approximately 20 other women. She said she is the mother of five.
She added, “I am a holder of both a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science Degree and I have served the Government successfully on many occasions in the past. I am writing to you cause (sic) I feel I am left with no other choice.”
“All I am requesting of you is simply to bring my children and myself home along with my other colleagues. As a T&T citizen, it makes me liable to all democratic rights whether I am there or not. I have been in this camp with my children since December 2018 and I must say it was not easy and still is not. Why must my children and I suffer because my husband and I decided to migrate to another land which at the time seemed like the best thing for us to do?”
“Being God-fearing Muslims my husband and I wanted our children to be among Muslims like ourselves. What is wrong with that?”
“Decisions were made by us and the ending was not what we expected but as we know we must pick up the pieces, accept our wrong, and we must move on again. My children have a lot of dreams and aspirations and as their parent, I am responsible for helping them through but this task is almost impossible and not to mention difficult for me if I am left to just sit here and let time pass. I am asking you now Mr Rowley if the tables were turned would you have liked to be in the position that I am in? I am quite sure you may have a wife, children, nephews, nieces, brothers, sisters and you would not like what is happening here to me happen to them.”
“I want the opportunity to continue with my life and most importantly for my children to continue their lives where they can be in a more stable environment having the convenience of education, healthcare, food, and even clean water. I do not want to waste any more time waiting, contemplating, and stressing about when is my country coming for me. I am tired of hearing about the term ‘terrorist’ until I feel like I do not even know what this word means. Are we an outcast to society for a simple decision made?”
