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Shamima Begum

(118 Posts)
Jaffacake2 Fri 26-Feb-21 18:42:22

Just wondered what others thought about the decision by the Supreme court not to allow this young lady to return to the UK to plead her case for continued British citizenship.
I have mixed feelings as she was an ISIS bride and has previously spoke of her allegiance to their terrorism and barbaric acts. She could be a terrorist threat to this country.
However I also consider that she was 15 years old when she went to Syria. We still don't know definitely if she was groomed or trafficked to go there. I seem to remember some of the stupid decisions I made at 15 !
She then had and lost 3 babies and both her husbands were killed. Such a sad life and now she seems stuck in a refugee camp at 21 years old.
What do others think should happen to her ?

Jaxjacky Fri 26-Feb-21 20:54:59

There’s probably more to this that we will ever know. I trust in our intelligence services who I assume have advised the relevant parties.

Jaffacake2 Fri 26-Feb-21 20:57:54

It's very difficult to separate the child from the emerging terroist. Before she left England she was just another 15 year old schoolgirl. Probably looking on the internet she became seduced by the idea of another life with men fighting for their cause. Now years on she has nothing not even a country,she is stateless.
Do I feel sorry for her situation ? I'm not sure how I feel. But I would have liked to have heard her own story and not just the media presentation. Also where are her parents and family ? We don't seem to have heard them fighting for their daughter.

heath480 Fri 26-Feb-21 21:05:08

Correct decision,she must never come back here.

She has shown no remorse,agreed with the Manchester bombing etc.etc.

Jaffacake2 Fri 26-Feb-21 21:12:13

Have just read on internet her comments that she felt the Manchester bombings were " justified ". They were the comments of a young woman and not an impressionable schoolgirl. Yes I think she would be a threat to security and maybe a role model for other ISIS sympathisers.

Calendargirl Fri 26-Feb-21 21:13:53

Good decision in my view.

The pictures of her on the News tonight, dressed in jeans, top and sun hat, presented a different look to the ones 2 years ago.

NellG Fri 26-Feb-21 21:17:13

I have no idea what the domestic legalities on this are but, if I were 'in charge' I would have been led by her citizenship and not made her stateless. I'd have brought her back here, tagged her and placed her on a curfew and appointed someone like a probation officer to monitor her. I would have also made her family legally responsible for her whereabouts/activities whilst tagged. She would not have been able to live elsewhere other than with her family for a minimum period of five years. I doubt any of things are possible under current law here - unless she were to be declared insane and placed under a home office section under the MHA. Perhaps joining a terrorist organisation is an act of criminal insanity? Anyway it's all moot, a decision has been made.

Mapleleaf Fri 26-Feb-21 22:51:22

No sympathy with her.

LauraNorder Sat 27-Feb-21 00:01:59

She was a fifteen year old child. As a compassionate society I think we should bring her back, she can be monitored if she poses a threat but more importantly if treated with kindness we might learn a great deal from her so that other impressionable youngsters are not drawn to the same fate.
Her life must be vile right now, there but for fortune ..........

AmberSpyglass Sat 27-Feb-21 00:18:54

I don’t believe in rescinding citizenship. She was groomed while in the UK and while she may have gone elsewhere, we have a duty of care and a responsibility to try and rehabilitate her.

tickingbird Sat 27-Feb-21 00:40:08

No sympathy from me. She stated she was ok with it. ‘It’ being beheadings, torture and young Yazidi girls sold like meat to be raped repeatedly. No I won’t waste any time wondering about this decision plus it sends out a message to any others thinking of doing the same. It’s about time the UK stopped being so soft.

Katek Sat 27-Feb-21 08:03:49

She has only been refused permission to return to fight her appeal case from within the UK. Her case for reinstatement of citizenship can still continue from Syria albeit a much more difficult process.

I cannot support the sentimental notion that ‘she was only a child’ Many 15 year olds are no longer children nowadays. Saffie Roussos, the youngest victim of the Manchester Arena bombing (supported by Ms Begum) was a child. She was 8 years old and probably still believed in Father Christmas.

Galaxy Sat 27-Feb-21 08:08:18

She was a child. It's like saying you cant support the notion that the earth is round. Legally she was a child.

Anniebach Sat 27-Feb-21 08:11:50

How time changes things, she was a child aged 15, the boys who murdered James Bulger were 10 ,

vickymeldrew Sat 27-Feb-21 08:17:48

The bottom line is the precedent that would be set by allowing her back to plead her case. There are at least 150 others awaiting this verdict who would then have the same right to return here.
Not all of them are photogenic young women with a ‘grooming’ back story.

Urmstongran Sat 27-Feb-21 08:19:55

If she came back she would cost the UK a fortune as she is so high profile and recognisable she would be needing a whole new identity. Hasn’t she cost us more than enough already? I think so, She isn’t the brightest and was easily seduced and recruited. Why take another chance on her? Nah, sorry.

Iam64 Sat 27-Feb-21 08:23:51

I understand the anger and the fact many people support this decision. I’m uneasy with it because she was 15, groomed and since then has been traumatised.
The press report that many young men Who went to fight with Isis have been allowed back into the U.K. I accept she may continue to pose a threat but that isn’t stopped by taking her citizenship. Her family is campaigning for her return. They say they weren’t aware she was being radicalised day that they would cooperate with authorities if she returns.
I’d like to see her prosecuted if a crime has been committed. Our male prisons are rife with radicalisation, so perhaps she could cause problems if imprisoned. I’m not minimising the problems.

Ginnytonic5 Sat 27-Feb-21 08:32:50

The question I want to know, is what sadly happened to her 3 babies.. just how did they die?
And while I agree she may possible have been groomed in the beginning, I cannot forgive her for the comment and shrug of shoulders on the Manchester arena bombing .

yggdrasil Sat 27-Feb-21 08:33:16

quote from twitter:
UK government says as a 15 year old you can’t:
- Vote
- Have sex
- Drink
- Join the army
- Get married
- Leave home
- Buy a pet
- Get a piercing

But apparently Shamima Begum knew exactly what she was doing when she was groomed online by ISIS extremists and lured out to Syria

Katek Sat 27-Feb-21 08:39:54

The age of criminal responsibility in England is 10 so legally she would be deemed to have an understanding of her actions. This 15 year old child -,along with her friends - managed to have an entire hidden life, deceived her parents, made travel plans either directly or through an intermediary, accessed travel documents, got her luggage out of the house unseen, travelled to and through some hazardous countries and territories to reach her final destination. She walked away from her home and family without it seems so much as a backward glance. Even with help, that would surely all be quite daunting for a mere child. She is not stateless, she can claim Pakistani citizenship but doesn’t want to, and what is the situation if she has a legal Dutch husband? Does that give her any rights in the Netherlands? .

Iam64 Sat 27-Feb-21 08:43:54

I suspect her husband’s nationality may assist her.
Her babies died. The boy born in this camp had pneumonia (I think)

TerriBull Sat 27-Feb-21 08:52:23

In retrospect, and in spite of being appalled about everything associated with Islamic State including the complicity of some of the women, taking into account the age she was when she left, I would reluctantly let her come home. I just think some young people are very susceptible to suggestion grooming and other malign influences during teen years, and whilst nothing evil or life changing happened to me, I don't think I was the sharpest tool in the box at aged 15 and a few years beyond that.

Of course she would have to live under surveillance for a long period of time. I think she's had a pretty harsh learning curve and has paid a heavy price for her naivety.

rafichagran Sat 27-Feb-21 09:00:38

I do not think she should be allowed back. She casually stated that she did not think about the beheaded heads in dustbin, and she also did not think about the torture of the Yazidi women.
You are of the age of criminal responsibility at 10, she was 15. At that age you know right from wrong.

Witzend Sat 27-Feb-21 09:03:33

Must say I’m torn on this.

On the one hand, she was still just a child when she left, and shouldn’t be judged for making such a stupid decision.
Plus I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the 3 girls (all probably leading somewhat restricted lives at home) had vague, Mills-and-Boon-y ideas of running away to marry a handsome warrior - and doing it in the name of Allah, which made it perfectly all right.
I doubt they ever imagined what turned out to be a horrific reality, instead of some (in their minds) Islamic State utopia.

On the other, I dare say any anti-West ideas have been firmly entrenched since then, and even if she were to escape prison, she’ll still cost the taxpayer a fortune in constant monitoring and presumably living on benefits for goodness knows how long.

Franbern Sat 27-Feb-21 09:05:25

I do not have much sympathy with this young woman.

However.....I am much more concerned that any Home Secretary has the right (it is legal?) to remove British Citizenship from ANYONE!!!

Surely, this sets a very dangerous precedent for the future. Does this mean that an extremely right wing HS could find excuses to remove citizenship from people due to their more left-wing activities (or vice versa)???

This woman was born and brought up in the East End of London. Most definitely she IS (de facto) a British Citizen - no matter what Pritti Patel or anyone else states. She should be here answering charges against her.

Gwyneth Sat 27-Feb-21 09:42:55

I agree with the court decision. Hopefully it will act as a warning to others who may decide to leave and join Islamic State.