Why the UK Government’s decision to strip citizenship off Shamima Begum is wrong?

Why the UK Government’s decision to strip citizenship off Shamima Begum is wrong?

Shamima Begum is a British citizen who is as a child have been tricked into joining terrorist group IS. It seems that the U.S-led coalition won the war against the so-called Islamic State (in the words of PM Theresa May; IS neither Islamic, nor State), and have managed to destroy them. However, the battle of hearts and minds are far from over, and that is the hardest battle that awaits us as a society. If we don’t win this battle, then our efforts of destroying IS would look wasted resources and lives. Certainly, the government’s decision to strip citizenship off Ms Begum would not help the efforts to defeat the terrorist’s ideology, which is widespread these days; instead, it may confirm for those who secretly have sympathy for terrorists, that they do not belong here. Fighting terrorism ideologies is not about law and order or making tough decisions, it’s about working from grassroots, and matching or bettering what terrorists are offering youngsters.

The primary weapon for terrorists to recruit youngsters seems their efforts to offer youngsters a sense of belonging, which sadly is something that young Muslims are finding hard today in Britain. Terrorists are criminals who manipulate and target people in their dire situations, particularly confused youngsters who are lacking the knowledge and the mental strength to resist the terrorist’s advances. It is our duty as society and government, working together to protect our children from falling in the hands of those who want to destroy us all. It is a shame that terrorists are using our own children to harm us. Moreover, the language which is being used in the mainstream media is more harmful to women’s movements to get equality than to terrorists, whom by the way are happy their women to be referred to as ‘jihadi brides’.

Ms Begum was referred to as ‘jihadi bride’ by mainstream media, this shows how ignorant and misogynistic the society is becoming. First of all, as stated above, Ms Begum was a child when she ascribed to this idea, it is overwhelmingly clear that the decision to join IS was made for her (i.e. she was tricked and brainwashed). So, therefore, it is not right to refer to her as ‘jihadi’. Secondly, the term ‘jihadi bride’ is belittling women and making them unequal to men by condemning women to a sexual object. This derogatory term and language are designed to lower women’s ability and role in the society and, to make them inferior to men—to demonstrate that women, at best, are only good for bedroom antics. This term goes against all the efforts that women’s movements being doing over the decades to acquire equality with men. How can women achieve full equality if we (as a society) are still holding medieval beliefs that women are a sex object? Or, is it ok in this instance, because the person we are dealing with is a ‘Muslim’? Imagine if we call women soldier as ‘soldier’s bride’? I am not saying Shamima, and other women who choose to join terrorists should be compared to other women who are doing a decent job, however, the language to demean any woman whether terrorist or not, is wrong. To use this offensive term in the 21st century shows we have a long way to achieve equal rights between genders.

The fact that Shamima made this wrong and life-changing decision when she was a child, she should not be crucified for it; instead, we should see her as a victim who's been sexually exploited. Apparently, as it seems, terrorists did not lure her there to fight in the frontline but to use her and other girls as sex objects. Shamima, like any other child who’s being sexually exploited, needs our protection and guidance, not our denouncement and rejection.

The government’s decision to strip citizenship off Ms Begum, it seems to me that the government is hoping to deter youngsters from ever joining terrorist groups, and teach Ms Begum a lesson, which is not a bad idea. Though, this very decision to deny Ms Begum to come back home is likely to alienate more young Muslims. In my opinion, Shamima and other youngsters who joined IS are failed by us, (society and government). According to reports, Shamima joined IS in February 2015, when she was just 15 years old, a child, apparently it was a bad decision, but she was just a naive and brainwashed 15 years-old. Shouldn’t we ask the immigration officers at airports why they allowed 3 unaccompanied children to travel on their own without their family knowing? Isn’t it right that we should not allow children to travel on their own unless their parents know?

Shouldn’t the government (in particular, the Home Office who failed to stop her travelling without her parents in the first place) shoulder much of the blame, instead of condemning a sexually exploited victim, naive and brainwashed teenager? Wouldn’t be the right decision to bring Shamima home and go after those who influenced her and lured her to IS in the first place? Also, how about bringing her home and taking her to court to stand a trial for her actions and choices, in a fair and just environment, instead of strengthening the terrorist’s belief of “us and them”? It is possible to de-radicalise and persuade people to abandon terrorist ideas, Shamima is no different. Imagine what Shamima can do for the governments’ “prevent” programme to fight extremism ideologies—if she is given the opportunity to be de-radicalised entirely. After all, she lived the life of a terrorist, if she is shown the right path, she can inspire youngsters not to join terrorist groups. Any of those options would have been a better decision than condemning her without no place to call home.