Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
U.K. ISIS bride’s child dies in Syria camp
LONDON — British Home Secretary Sajid Javid faced criticism Saturday after the death of a U.K. woman’s baby in a Syrian camp.
Shamima Begum, who had left London as a 15-year-old in 2015 to join the Islamic State group, had pleaded with British authorities before her baby was born to let her return to Britain to raise the child.
But Javid revoked her passport, saying Begum hadn’t shown any remorse. The woman had told newspaper reporters she didn’t have a problem with the militants’ actions, including the beheading of captives.
Begum’s infant son died Friday. Begum’s family said the boy appeared to be in good health when he was born Feb. 17. No clear cause of death has yet been given, but reports suggested he was having respiratory problems.
Fellow Conservative Party lawmaker Phillip Lee said Saturday that he was “deeply concerned” by Javid’s handling of the case, suggesting he had taken a hard line in order to please populists. He said it was clear 19-year-old Begum “holds abhorrent views,” but called her a child who was a product of British society. Britain had a moral duty to her and to her baby, he said.
Kirsty McNeill, a director at Save the Children UK, said Britain should “take responsibility for their citizens” in Syria to prevent further unnecessary losses. “It is possible the death of this baby boy and others could have been avoided,” she said. Javid didn’t comment directly on the baby’s death. A government spokesman said “the death of any child is tragic” and reiterated the British government’s advice that citizens avoid travel to Syria.