Radical cure The centre that aims to re-educate

In the first initiative of its kind, a rehabilitation centre has opened in northern Syria to try to de-radicalise Isil fighters.

The caliphate may have collapsed, but years of control over some six million people has left an army of radicalised, angry and leaderless young men. The Syrian Counterextremism Centre was set up by moderate Islamic scholars who have drawn 100 prisoners from various jails for rehabilitation.

The centre’s eight imams specialise in Islamic law (Sharia), sociology and psychology.

Imam Hasan al-dughaim said: “Most have only primary school education and have not even read the Koran. That’s why they took to Isil so readily.”