Shamima Begum’s story raises questions about her ISIS friends and their fates
London: Shamima Begum, the schoolgirl who became an ISIS bride, is back in the spotlight. Foreign Secretary David Lammy has made it clear she won’t be allowed back in the UK.
She left London for Syria in February 2015 with two friends from Bethnal Green Academy. They were all bright students, but their lives took a wild turn.
At just 15, Begum joined ISIS, which led to her losing her British citizenship and ending up in a detention camp in Syria. Now 25, she still wants to return home, but Lammy’s comments are another setback for her.
As her story resurfaces, people are curious about what happened to her friends, Sultana and Abase, who also joined ISIS.
The girls became infamous when CCTV showed them at Gatwick Airport, trying to leave for Syria. They were traveling alone, and their outfits were memorable—Begum in a leopard print scarf, Abase in a bright yellow hoodie, and Sultana in a grey checked scarf.
Unfortunately, the police appeal to stop them was too late. They made it to Turkey and crossed into Syria to marry ISIS fighters.
What roles they played in ISIS is still unclear. Begum claims she was just a housewife, while some say she was involved in making suicide vests.
Sultana, the oldest, married an American fighter. In phone calls with her sister, she expressed a desire to return but was scared. Her sister described her as terrified and emotional, feeling helpless about the situation.
Sadly, Sultana is believed to have died in a Russian airstrike in 2016, but that’s never been confirmed. Her family’s lawyer mentioned that she quickly realized the harsh reality of life in ISIS.
Leaving ISIS was risky. If caught, the punishment was severe. A young girl trying to escape was reportedly beaten to death, which likely made Sultana think twice about leaving.
Years later, Begum reflected on losing her friend, saying she was in denial at first. She thought they would die together if it came to that.
Abase married an Australian fighter known as the Ginger Jihadi, who was killed in a drone strike. Abase’s communication with her mother suddenly stopped, leading her to believe her daughter is also dead.
However, Begum has claimed that Abase is still alive. Begum herself married an ISIS member and had three children, all of whom died. She was stripped of her citizenship in 2019 and lost her appeal in 2023.
Now, she reportedly sells food parcels in the detention camp to buy clothes and hair dye.
Last year, she tried to challenge the government’s decision to revoke her citizenship, but judges ruled against her, stating her case didn’t raise any legal points worth considering.
Her lawyer has said they won’t stop fighting for her to get justice and return home.
The debate about whether she should be allowed back has reignited, especially after the fall of the Assad regime. Lammy has firmly stated that she will never return to the UK.
In an interview, he emphasized that British security comes first and that many in those camps are dangerous radicals. He mentioned that if they were to return, some would need to be jailed immediately.
It’s a complicated situation, and many are watching closely to see what happens next.
