Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Tuesday, Jul 15, 2025

ISIS Bride Says Prepared To Face Terror Charges In UK

ISIS Bride Says Prepared To Face Terror Charges In UK

Shamima Begum was 15 when she travelled from her home in London in 2015 with two school friends to Syria, where she married an IS fighter and had three children.
A woman who lost her British citizenship after joining the Islamic State group said Wednesday she would be prepared to return to face terror charges so she can prove her innocence.

Shamima Begum was 15 when she travelled from her home in London in 2015 with two school friends to Syria, where she married an IS fighter and had three children.

Dubbed "IS bride", she was stripped of her British citizenship after a right-wing media outrage when she was tracked down by reporters to a displacement camp in 2019 and defended the jihadists.

The Supreme Court earlier this year rejected her permission on public safety grounds to return to Britain to challenge the government's decision.

But she has denied being directly involved in the preparation of acts of terror.

"I am willing to go to court and face the people who made these claims and refute these claims because I know I did nothing in IS but be a mother and a wife," she said.

"These claims are being made to make me look worse because the government do not have anything on me. There is no evidence because nothing ever happened," she told ITV.

Begum, now 22, said the only crime she had committed was "being dumb enough to join IS", and asked for forgiveness from all those who had lost loved ones to the extremists.

"I am so sorry if I ever offended anyone by coming here, if I ever offended anyone by the things I said," Begum, wearing a baseball cap and vest top, said from Syria.

Lawyers for Begum, whose father is Bangladeshi, have accused Britain of racism in its treatment of her, accusing the government of making her a scapegoat.

They have said she was "a child trafficked to and remaining in Syria for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced marriage" and the government's actions leaves her stateless.

Bangladesh's foreign minister has said he will not consider granting her citizenship.

Some 900 people are estimated to have travelled from Britain to Syria and Iraq to join IS, creating a legal headache for the UK authorities now the conflict is over.

About 150 are believed to have been stripped of their citizenship.

Begum, whose three children conceived after her arrival in Syria all died, was first seen in 2019 wearing a black hijab and said she did not regret travelling to Syria.

But she has since been seen in Western clothing and expressed remorse for her actions, and sympathy for IS victims.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
×