Since 2007, greater than 3000 terrorists and extremists have been housed in a ravishing rehabilitation heart in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in hopes of reentering them into society.
Surrounded by palm timber, the trendy facility boasts a swimming pool, artwork studio, billiard and ping pong tables and televisions. A few of its inhabitants who go on tenting journeys and play volleyball acted as bodyguards for Osama Bin Laden and have been a part of the Taliban.
A brand new documentary that premiered Saturday within the Sundance Movie Pageant, “Jihad Rihab,” ventures contained in the controversial constructing — with permission from the Saudi authorities — and profiles 4 former terrorists’ yearlong stint.
“This program is directed to extremists, terrorists, so it’s tailor-made for this group,” stated Dr. Hameed, who runs the middle, within the documentary. “Once we discuss terrorists, society wish to punish them. OK. Have your punishment. However find out how to take care of him after we’ve already punished him? And that is what occurs on the heart.”
The Muhammad bin Nayef Counseling and Care Center was based by its namesake Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, as a pillar of Saudi Arabia’s new methodology for coping with terrorism. As soon as launched from Guantanamo Bay, prisoners — not not like American convicts — are inclined to relapse again to their outdated, damaging behaviors. The middle’s intention is to rewire them.
“Our aim,” stated one trainer, “is to show them essential considering, beginning with eliminating the extremist ideologies they have been force-fed.”
They declare an 85% success charge.
“Jihad Rehab” introduces 4 Yemeni terrorists, who have been launched from Guantanamo and despatched to the middle with cooperation from the Saudi Arabian and US governments.
They be taught a couple of floor guidelines: they can’t be launched till not less than 12 months of studying and analysis; they put on ankle bracelet trackers; they can not see or contact their fellow residents as soon as they go away; and not less than one member of the family in Saudi Arabia must sponsor them.
That relative is accountable for what the person does when he leaves the middle. If he returns to terrorism, the member of the family faces jail time.
If Guantanamo Bay was harsh and inhuman, the counseling and care heart is something however. Throughout artwork lessons, the residents paint brightly coloured flowers, oceans and fists punching by means of the earth.
“Use the medium of your alternative to precise what’s inside you, your emotions,” the artwork trainer says within the doc.
“It’s loopy,” provides a person named Ali. “How can I put my anger on the paper.”
Ali is the youthful brother of Yemeni Al Qaeda chief Qasim al-Raymi. Qasim compelled him to coach in weaponry on the Al Farouq camp, which led to 16 years spent in Guantanamo. He claims he was regularly tortured to get him to confess that Qasim was his brother, and he lastly cracked underneath the stress.
“I really like my brother, and I hate what he did to me,” Ali says after a number of months on the heart. “And so long as he’s alive, extra individuals will die. The extra issues he’ll trigger for me and my household. It’s as a result of I really like him, I want him to die earlier than shedding every little thing.”
Al-Raymi was killed in a US airstrike round early 2020.
The residents are additionally taught theology — that terrorist organizations’ understanding of the which means of jihad is unsuitable (it’s imagined to be performed by the state, not people or splinter teams) and that they know little or no about their spiritual “enemies.”
“Right here, I discovered one thing I didn’t know earlier than,” says a person named Mohammed, a member of Al Qaeda who was incarcerated for armed hostilities in opposition to the US. “Like, what’s it imply to be Christian and Jewish. It opened my thoughts. Like, why did I take the weapon? Like, why did I do one thing unhealthy? Like what Jesus stated, ‘Forgive me.’”
Returning to the skin world after greater than a decade of imprisonment is a wrestle for the lads. Many Saudis don’t need to befriend or make use of former Guantanamo inmates. Additionally, since most of them have been recruited to terrorist cells as teenagers, it’s troublesome to discover a spouse and begin a household of their 30s.
One scene depicts a category giving recommendations on marriage and girls.
“Girls are very detail-oriented,” the teacher says. “For instance, now you odor like sweat. You sweat quite a bit. How will she put up with you? Gown properly for her. Spoil her! Give her a ravishing nickname.”
They’re additionally taught the fundamentals of budgeting and inspired to search out work to maintain themselves busy.
Once they “graduate,” they’re every given a automobile, a home and spending cash. The middle believes that in the event that they don’t present them the fundamentals on which to reside, Al Qaeda will snare them again.
This system, nevertheless nicely supposed, is hardly ironclad.
“Simply the opposite day we had an incident,” an teacher says within the doc. “An individual who was on the heart. And after his commencement we minimize his ankle bracelet, [and] he disappeared. Once they discovered him, he had a weapon with him. He was in a confrontation with the police. Officers, they shoot again and he was killed.”
One other man, the movie says, “conned” the middle, pretended to be rehabilitated and instantly returned to Al Qaeda upon launch.
“We don’t declare that we’re 100% profitable,” provides the teacher. “However we’re positive what we’re doing is heading in the right direction.”
