A Daily Mail photographer was allegedly struck by one of the men accompanying a group of ISIS brides and their children as they left Melbourne Airport for a waiting vehicle.
Incident at Melbourne Airport
David, the photographer, spent over two hours at the Arrivals gate on Tuesday night, awaiting the arrival of two women and seven children. The women, identified as Kirsty Rosse-Emile and Kawsar Kanj, were formerly linked to ISIS fighters and had spent the last seven years in the al-Roj refugee camp in northeastern Syria after the fall of ISIS in 2019.
The group likely anticipated a commotion, similar to the one that occurred when four other ISIS brides arrived earlier this month. David claimed that two men escorting the women were immediately aggressive. 'I spotted the second group, a woman and two children, coming out and sprinted after them towards the waiting four-wheel-drive. That's when I was approached by two men,' he told Daily Mail. 'I can't tell you exactly what happened - I just got hit. I was trying to take pictures and then I couldn't see. I suspect he hit me with an open palm and it hit me in the face. It was hard enough to mess up my settings, so I lost about a minute of time to take pictures. My camera wouldn't work, he hit it that hard.'
Identification of the Escort
One of the men who allegedly yelled at David has been identified as Abraham Abbas, a relative of accused slave owners Kawsar Abbas and Zeinab Ahmad, who were arrested upon their arrival in Australia earlier this month. Abbas is not accused of hitting the photographer. David described the alleged confrontation as a 'blur'. 'He hit me and I told him to f*** off. I wasn't going to be intimidated by them. I'm allowed to be there and I'd done nothing wrong,' he said. 'They were yelling at me but, honestly, I don't remember what they were saying. I was busy trying to get my camera working again. It was all a bit of a blur. I'm okay, I'll wear a hit. But obviously, it's not ideal.'
Jason Edwards, a photographer for News Corp, had quickly joined David by the group's car and claimed his equipment was also struck.
Police Response and Previous Arrivals
Australian Federal Police offered to discreetly escort the women and their children from the airport. Neither woman was arrested or charged. David was the first to spot the cohort exiting through a security door to the side of the main arrivals exit. 'I saw a large trolley coming out a door where arrivals is - there's another little emergency sort of door that can open up,' he said. 'I remembered that door from when Katy Perry came in 2019 so I was watching it and a group of people wearing hijabs quickly started filing out, followed by a second group. Last time the group came out the main door but this time they used the sneaky door on the side. By the time you see them from the main door, you're going to miss them.'
He was shocked no police officers had walked out with the group. 'There was no police presence, at all, when they came out. They came over after the cars had gone,' David said. 'I'm assuming they were around but they weren't right with the group. They got the A-list treatment. The same treatment Katy Perry got in 2019. They just walked straight out of the quiet door, no police on them.'
The arrival of four women and six children in Sydney on Tuesday night was smoother. Qatar Airways' Sydney flight touched down about 5.30pm, following the Melbourne flight about 4.30pm. The four women who arrived in Sydney have been identified as Hyam Raad, Nesrine, Amina and Sumaya Zahab. Police assisted the group to waiting rental cars, and a line of AFP officers shielded the women and children from cameras by forming a line in front of the vehicles.
Government and Legal Context
The 19 arrivals on Tuesday follow the arrival of several other women and children from al-Roj earlier this month. On May 7, a total of four women and nine children landed in Australia. Zahra Ahmad arrived in Melbourne alongside her mother Kawsar Abbas, 53, and sister Zeinab Ahmed, 31. The three women travelled with eight children. Kawsar Abbas and Zeinab Ahmed were arrested at the airport, and only Zahra was allowed to walk free. Kawsar Abbas will face charges of enslavement, using a slave, and engaging in slave trading. Zeinab Ahmed will be charged with enslavement and using a slave. Janai Safar arrived in Sydney alongside her nine-year-old son. She was taken to Mascot Police Station from the airport and charged with entering or remaining in declared areas and being a member of a terrorist organisation.
Members of the Victoria and NSW Joint Counter Terrorism Teams confirmed none of the ISIS brides who arrived in Australia on Tuesday were charged on arrival. Australian Federal Police said officers searched the group's belongings and downloaded their devices to be forensically examined. 'No one arriving within this cohort has been charged, however, investigations into the activities of Australians who travelled to Syria – including those who have since returned – are ongoing,' AFP said in a statement.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke stated earlier on Tuesday that the government would not assist the women. 'The government has not and will not provide any assistance to this group,' he said. 'These are people who have made the horrific choice to join a dangerous terrorist organisation and to place their children in an unspeakable situation. As we have said many times, any members of this cohort who have committed crimes can expect to face the full force of the law.'
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also addressed the matter during Question Time on Tuesday. 'I make three points,' Albanese said. 'I have nothing but contempt for anyone who has any sympathy with ISIS as I hope everyone in this chamber would agree. This should not be partisanship. Point two, the government has provided no assistance for these people. Point three, any breaches of the law will mean these people will face the full force of the law, to the extent available, upon the advice of the security agencies.'
Just one Australian ISIS bride remains in Syria. She has been subject to a temporary exclusion order which bans her from entering Australia until February 2028. Abby left Sydney for Syria at 18 years old. She attempted to join the group headed to Australia this week but was turned around at the airport. Her relatives have hired Birchgrove Legal principal solicitor Moustafa Kheir to fight the exclusion order.
