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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Abigail O'Leary

ISIS bride Shamima Begum claims she wants to help Boris Johnson solve terrorism

ISIS bride Shamima Begum has claimed she wants to help Boris Johnson solve terrorism.

Begum, who had her UK citizenship revoked by the Home Office on national security grounds in 2019, travelled from East London to Syria in 2015 when she was 15-years-old.

She married jihadi Yago Riedijk and the couple had three children, who have all died.

Filmmaker Andrew Drury interviewed Begum in Syria for GB News to find out how she thinks the Government can better tackle terrorism and what life in Syria looks like.

Shamima claims to have been de-radicalised and is no longer a threat.

Begum, who had her UK citizenship revoked by the Home Office on national security grounds in 2019, travelled from East London to Syria in 2015 (GB News)

In footage of the exchange, Andrew asks whether Shamima believes she has the tools to help the government stop other children following in her footsteps.

She says: "I do. I mean the fight against terrorism isn't a one man job - it's multiple people with multiple skills.

When asked if she was in danger now, Shamima replied: “Of course yes, when the first fire happened we just got to sleep like normal and then the second fire happened and we feel it constantly."

Andrew Drury interviewed Shamima Begum in Syria (GB News)

Andrew is seen asking Shamima on a message she may wish to send to the people back home, before she replies: "I don’t have any messages, I’m tired of giving messages and not being believed.

“If I give a message to my family I want it to be face to face not over the media, that’s private.

“My family are very private people and I respect their privacy.”

When asked if she would be willing to explain how she became radicalised and left her UK life for Syria, Begum said: “Of course. I actually think it’s important that they know so that they can prevent it in the future for other people.

“The fight against terrorism is not a one man job. It’s multiple people with multiple skills.”

Andrew asked: “Do you think you have the tools to stop people from believing in this?”

Shamima replied: “I do.”

Andrew said: “When these messages about suicide vests come out, people think what they want.

“I don’t think if we’re honest that your husband has helped much. He can’t speak for you, he hasn’t seen you in how long?

“When was the last time you saw him and would you ever want to see him again?”

Begum is accused of stitching suicide bombers into explosive vests - an allegation she has denied (BBC)

Shamima claimed the last time she saw her husband was three years ago, saying she would not wish to ever see him again.

When asked how she was treated by her husband and if she was beaten, she said" I don’t want to say.”

Shamima was accompanied by another former ISIS bride, Hoda who said: “It’s also scary being in a camp, you cannot talk too freely because when they talk about something online, phones are forbidden here but people can have a phone and they look for it, they will find it.

“At the end, it’s us that are in danger.”

Appearing on ITV ’s Good Morning Britain on Wednesday 15 September, Begum, looked completely different from the first time she made headlines, where she wore a large black Chador.

Shamima Begum claims she wants to help Boris Johnson solve terrorism (GB News)

While appearing on-air, the young woman wore a snapback, covering her long and loose wavy hair, as well as a tank top and neon red painted nails.

Begum is accused of stitching suicide bombers into explosive vests - an allegation she has denied.

She said: “I know that I didn’t do anything in ISIS apart from being a mother and a wife.”

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