Just over 48 hours after landing back on Australian soil, the widow of an Islamic State (IS) fighter has been spotted at a McDonald’s in Punchbowl, enjoying a meal with her children.
Mariam Dabboussy landed in Sydney on Saturday morning.
The 31-year-old woman and her three children were among a cargo plane rescued by the Australian government from Al-Roj refugee camp in northern Syria, where they have languished for three years since the fall of Baghouz controlled by the ‘Hey.
Mariam Dabboussy at a McDonald’s in Punchbowl, just over 48 hours after returning to Australia. (9 News)
In a statement on Saturday, the government confirmed it had repatriated four Australian women and their 13 Australian children and that “allegations of illegal activity will continue to be investigated… (and) any offenses identified may result in action being taken to comply with the law”.
But 9News understands criminal charges are unlikely.
Dabboussy is subject to voluntary orders, but is not required to wear an ankle bracelet, is not under 24-hour police supervision, or is subject to strict terrorism control orders, because there is no legal basis for this.
On Saturday, 9News was told the rescued families were being held in a secure location to be interviewed by police.
But on Sunday afternoon, Dabboussy was at her family home near Blacktown, her three children enjoying a visit to a park, exploring flying foxes and play equipment.
Mariam Dabboussy and her three children were part of a cargo plane rescued from a camp in Syria. (9News) Dabboussy is subject to voluntary orders, but is not required to wear an ankle bracelet. (9 News)
Dabboussy’s young son has become obsessed with the vegetation in his western Sydney backyard, while his eight-year-old daughter is malnourished, currently the weight of a four-year-old.
All three children have dental problems and are now looking for schools in the new year.
They receive medical and counseling support from the NSW Government.
Daboussy left her home in Condell Park with her husband Kaled Zahab in 2015.
He claims he thought he was on holiday in Turkey.
Her husband died fighting for IS three months after her arrival.
In a 2019 interview, she told the ABC that her husband had tricked her into coming to Syria.
His father Kamalle maintains there is no evidence to suggest he joined IS.
Dabboussy’s sister-in-law Mariam Raad, 31, was also on Saturday’s plane with her four children.
Raad, who may have been in Syria since 2013, is the widow of Muhammad Zahab, a former maths teacher from western Sydney who became one of Australia’s most senior IS leaders.
He is accused of luring at least a dozen of his extended family to Syria, including his brother Kaled.
Kaled Zahab and his wife Mariam Dabboussy. Zahab was killed while fighting for the Islamic State. (Supplied)
Yazidi refugee Salam Qaro, now based in Armidale, has told 9News the women are dangerous “to everyone living in Australia”.
Qaro escaped from northern Iraq in 2019, where he says IS committed horrific and brutal crimes against the Yazidi people.
He doesn’t believe the IS widows say they were all coerced into Syria and he doesn’t believe they can be rehabilitated.
“They are very dangerous,” he said.
“To be honest, if not today, next year, if not next year, in the future.
“They made their decision and went to be part of (IS) and be part of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
“And they shouldn’t be coming back anyway, under no circumstances.
“Because they chose to go and be part of killing the Yazidi people and community.”
Qaro says the Australian government should be “locating more places for Yazidis and people who make Australia better, not bringing in those people who make Australia worried and (put us) in danger”.
After being informed of the Premier’s rescue plans, NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet wrote to Anthony Albanese seeking assurances that the NSW cohort posed no risk to the community, intelligence agencies intelligence were monitoring the people and that resettlement and reintegration costs were being federally subsidized. government
No response has been received from the state government.
The Morrison government refused to repatriate the women and children in 2019 due to security risks.
The decision to repatriate the families came after the previous government had refused to do so. (9 News)
On Sunday, Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews said she was “concerned for the people of Australia”.
“I am concerned about what will be put in place to ensure that these women and children are not in a position to cause any risk to Australians,” he said.
The families of IS widows have been campaigning for years with the advocacy group Save the Children to bring them home.
“They are victims of war,” CEO Mat Tinkler told 9News.
“And first of all they are children.
“These children are innocent and we have to give them the benefit of the doubt. They are Australian citizens at the end of the day.
“Other countries in the world, the United States, Germany, Denmark, have made this choice.
“It’s a difficult choice, but at the end of the day a country has to take responsibility for its own citizens.”
The Prime Minister said yesterday: “These are Australian citizens who have a right to be in Australia … our one and only priority is to keep Australians safe.
“We are following national security advice in all of these matters and will continue to do so.”
Another 43 Australian women and children are expected to be repatriated from the Syrian camp in the coming months.