ALEPPO, Syria — The Syrian Center for Anti-Extremist Ideology opened its doors Oct. 28 in the city of Marea in the northern Aleppo countryside. The inauguration was attended by Free Syrian Army (FSA) commanders, local activists, administrators and lecturers at the center, which received its first batch of students the next day.

The center will take in people who have been indoctrinated in the ideology of the Islamic State (IS), putting them through courses on moderate interpretations of Islamic law, and intellectual and cultural lectures. It will also offer counseling and psychological support. The aim is to rid the participants of extremist ideology, with various recreational and sports programs, all offering daily classes over a period of three months.

Hussein Nasser, the center’s director, told Al-Monitor, “Students at the center are all detainees accused of adopting IS ideology, defectors from the group or prisoners who belong to it but were captured during battles between the FSA and IS in 2016 during Operation Euphrates Shield. They have received various sentences depending on the crimes they committed.”

The detainees attend lectures and stay at the center during their prison sentence, and depending on their success can be eligible for reduced terms.