Shamima Begum’s friends face uncertain fates as family fears grow over their safety
London: The story of Shamima Begum has stirred up a lot of talk again. Her case has caught the attention of Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who insists she won’t be allowed back in the UK.
But what about her friends, Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase? They were just schoolgirls from Bethnal Green Academy, all straight-A students, who made a life-altering decision back in 2015. They left London for Syria, and things took a dark turn.
Begum was only 15 when she joined ISIS, and now at 25, she’s still trying to return home. Lammy’s recent comments are just another setback for her. Meanwhile, the fates of her friends remain a mystery.
Remember when those CCTV images of the girls at Gatwick Airport went viral? They were just kids, traveling alone, and it was too late to stop them. They made it to Turkey and then crossed into Syria to marry fighters.
What roles they played in ISIS is still unclear. Begum claims she was just a housewife, but some say she was involved in more dangerous activities. Kadiza, the oldest, had married an American fighter and expressed fear about returning home in a phone call to her sister.
Her sister described Kadiza as terrified and emotional, feeling helpless about the situation. Tragically, Kadiza is believed to have died in a Russian airstrike, but no one can confirm it for sure.
Begum has shared her grief over losing Kadiza, saying she thought they would die together if it came to that. As for Amira, she married a fighter known as the Ginger Jihadi, who was killed in a drone strike. Her mother hasn’t heard from her in a while and fears the worst.
Begum herself has had a tough time. She married an ISIS member and lost all three of her children. Stripped of her British citizenship in 2019, she’s been trying to fight that decision but faced another setback in court recently.
With the political landscape shifting, the debate over whether she should return to the UK is heating up again. Lammy has made it clear that she won’t be coming back, prioritizing national security over her case.
It’s a complicated situation, and many are left wondering what will happen next for Begum and her friends. The story continues to unfold, and it’s hard not to feel for the families caught in this turmoil.
