A ticking timebomb in IS Al-Hol camp northeast Syria
March 3, 2021, 1:46 pm

A ticking timebomb in IS Al-Hol camp northeast Syria

Zara saleh

Last Friday 27th February, the Supreme Court in the UK had rejected Shamima Begum's appeal to return back to the UK in order to fight for her British citizenship. Begum is well-known as an ISIS bride and had received the Court of Appeal last July 2020, ruled that they should allow her to enter the UK, but the Home Office had appealed against the decision to the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision. The president of the Supreme Court said that Shamima Begum's return to the UK "would create significant national security risks".

Shamima left London and joined the so-called Islamic State in Syria when she was 15. Like thousands of wives of ISIS fighters, she is living in Al-Hol camp in northeast Syria under the Kurdish self-administration autonomous. Moreover, more than 60,000 ISIS families, women, and children are living in the Al-Hol camp including 20,000 Syrians and 30,000 from Iraq after the collapse of the ISIS Caliphate by Kurdish forces in 2019. Whereas, in the foreign section of the camp there are about 10,000 ISIS families from 57 countries including the UK and EU citizens. This section considers like a "small Islamic State" run by highly extremist ISIS wives where children grow in radical environment.

Besides that, there are nearly 10 thousand ISIS foreign fighters in prisons since the collapse of IS (Islamic state) caliphate, and the EU countries refused to repatriate their nationals including children who were born there, despite the human rights observatory and experts warnings about the risks of inaction in this case. Added to that, the ISIS refugee Al-Hol camp expected to become a "ticking timebomb" that can explode at any time. For example, recently in this camp many crimes have been committed, and the camp turned into a "mini ISIS state". According to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights, only in January, 13 murder crimes were committed by Islamic State members inside the camp.

The Kurdish authorities in the self-governing region have been, repeatedly, calling the United Nation Council and warning the European Union capitals to find a solution to this serious case that can be considered as an international challenge. However, the foreign countries' response to the Department of Foreign Relations of the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria was quite weak. For instance, only France and Ukraine were handed over a few orphaned ISIS children in recent months whereas, most of the EU countries are still ignoring the call of Kurdish authorities.

Consequently, with the rise of the Islamic State in different areas in Syria’s recent months, the risk of terrorist attacks can become a real fact as ISIS fighters and their families are attempting to escape from the camp. Added to that, the Turkish attacks and threats against the Syrian Democratic Forces can be another factor to complicate the situation in favour of the so-called Islamic State.

Zara Saleh

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.