UPDATE: Home Secretary Sajid Javid has taken the decision to remove Shamima Begum’s British citizenship.
Begum, 19, escaped the terrorist group whilst heavily pregnant to a refugee camp in Syria. where she has given birth. Now, she has announced she regrets leaving the UK to join ISIS, and wishes to come home.
Shamima Begum was just fifteen when she was radicalized by the terrorist group Islamic State and left her home in London join ISIS, becoming one of the youngest Brits to ever join.
Her mother was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in 2013 and told she had only six months to live. Begum’s mother died in January 2014, when it is believed that she was targeted by online extremists who took advantage of her vulnerable grieving state. She fled to Syria less than a year later.
By joining a terrorist group, she has broken the law and despite now being in a refugee camp, the UK government cannot directly help her as ministers will not order personnel to risk their lives. Around half of the Brits who have left for Syria or Iraq have returned, as the government have specialist units to deal with this situation.
Responding to concerns that her return could endanger lives, Begum told Sky News: “They don’t have any evidence against me doing anything dangerous. When I went to Syria, I was just a housewife, the entire four years I stayed at home, took care of my husband, took care of my kids. I never did anything. I never made propaganda, I never encouraged people to come to Syria.”
Featured Image Credit: James Longman/ABC News
Film Media and Journalism student at the University of Stirling. Editor in Chief at Brig Newspaper. Edinburgh / Stirling
