Shamima Begum, a British-born woman who left the UK at 15 to join the Islamic State, has lost her bid to regain UK citizenship. The case has sparked a divisive debate over whether Begum, now effectively stateless in Syria, was a victim of trafficking or willingly joined the terrorist group. Security expert Prof. Anthony Glees and journalist Dr. Yvonne Ridley clashed over this, with Glees asserting Begum knowingly joined ISIS, while Ridley argued she was trafficked as a '15-year-old child'. Human Rights Lawyer Shoaib Khan and filmmaker Andrew Drury debated her grooming, with Khan highlighting her vulnerability as a '16-year-old with a baby'. Lord Sumption criticized the removal of her citizenship as a 'gross injustice,' emphasizing the need for redemption for youthful mistakes. The debate touches on broader issues of justice, mercy, and national security, with opinions divided on Begum's responsibility and the UK's moral stance.
'Now after spending two years with her...I have no sympathy for her at all.' 'She was 15, and a child.' 'There's no proof of grooming.' Shamima Begum 'knew what she was doing', says journalist @andrewdrury, as he debates with @Matthew_Wright after her appeal was rejected. https://t.co/CAA8vMsskg
'The idea that we continue to punish a British-born person - who was a child when this happened - I find very difficult.' @Matthew_Wright weighs up Shamima Begum's age and national security concerns as he responds to her losing the appeal to regain her citizenship. https://t.co/s62hJQ5ABs
ICYMI... ‘Tell me your evidence she was groomed.’ ‘The evidence was she was a 16-year-old with a baby!’ Human Rights Lawyer @ShoaibMKhan fumes at filmmaker and associate of Shamima Begum, @AndrewDrury, over comments about whether she was trafficked. https://t.co/cQ4ZI24ZzW
Where is the mercy in the treatment of Shamima Begum? Do we have no judges left who understand that justice is tempered with mercy? She was 15. Were none of them ever 15?
‘Tell me your evidence she was groomed.’ ‘The evidence was she was a 16-year-old with a baby!’ Human Rights Lawyer @ShoaibMKhan fumes at filmmaker and associate of Shamima Begum, @AndrewDrury, over comments about whether she was trafficked. https://t.co/LxWjLZp92r
Opinion | Has the UK dodged a moral question by stripping Shamima Begum of her citizenship? Although Begum is only a small part of that picture, her fate is symbolic, writes @KateEMcCann https://t.co/bOjpApKF4F
“The follies of a fifteen year old girl must be redeemable.” Lord Sumption makes the case at @UnHerd that withdrawing British citizenship from Shamima Begum is an act of “gross injustice” https://t.co/8B4DaeEM4D
“The follies of a fifteen year old schoolchild must be redeemable” — Lord Sumption makes the case at @UnHerd for the injustice of removing Shamima Begum’s citizenship: 👇👇👇 https://t.co/C9K0I123eK
Shamima Begum has lost a bid to regain UK citizenship, but what does her life look like now? Listen to Joshua Baker, creator of I’m Not A Monster, The Shamima Begum Story, on the latest #BBCNewscast...
Shamima Begum has lost a bid to regain UK citizenship, but what does her life look like now? Listen to Joshua Baker, creator of I’m Not A Monster, The Shamima Begum Story, on the latest #BBCNewscast..,
Yes, yes, I know it’s divisive. Hate me. But stripping Shamima Begun of her citizenship, leaving her in Syria, effectively stateless, says as much about us as a nation as it does about her. She was a 15 year old child when she went to Syria. https://t.co/fPN1sYG1o3
Security expert Prof. Anthony Glees and journalist who was captured by the Taliban Dr Yvonne Ridley clash over Shamima Begum’s citizenship appeal. Anthony: “She willingly, knowingly joined the so-called Islamic State!” Yvonne: “She was trafficked. She was a 15-year-old child!”… https://t.co/sihR1pNUWe