Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Bring her home for her innocent baby
Family plea over teenage ISIS bride
THE family of jihadi bride Shamima Begum have begged for her to be allowed to return to the UK for the sake of her “innocent baby”.
The 19-year-old, who fled to join Islamic State in Syria in 2015, is now in a refugee camp in the war-torn country and is nine months pregnant.
She was unrepentant in an interview but said she would “do anything to be able to come home and live quietly with my child”.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid vowed to block her return and MI6 head Alex Younger warned returning jihadis are “potentially dangerous”. But Begum’s family said her baby has a right to grow up here. They said: “We like everyone else were shocked by what we heard Shamima say. But to us, those are the words of a girl who was groomed at 15. “The welfare of Shamima’s baby is of paramount concern and we will do everything within our power to protect that baby, who is entirely blameless. “As a British citizen, Shamima has every expectation to be returned and dealt with under British justice. Shamima’s child, who will also be British, has every right as a total innocent to grow up in the peace and security of this home.”
Begum’s brother-in-law Muhammed Rahman, 36, said they are planning a legal bid to bring her back to London. He added: “I would like to see politicians take a lead in deciding what’s the best way forward. My thoughts are to give her a chance if it’s possible.”
Mr Javid has said he “will not hesitate” to block the return of those “full of hate for our country” who left to join IS. But it may not be possible to bar Begum. Former reviewer of terror legislation Lord Carlile said if she has not gained a second citizenship, she will have to be allowed in. Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu, head of counter-terror policing, said: “Anyone who returns [after supporting] a proscribed group, can expect to be investigated. There can be no hope of repatriation without investigations.” General Joseph Votel, the US’S commander in the war on IS, slammed President Trump’s decision to pull out of Syria, saying IS is not defeated.