Yesterday, Shamima Begum addressed the people of the UK in her first-ever live broadcast interview with Good Morning Britain.
The wide-ranging discussion saw the 22-year-old former Islamic State bride ask the country she fled in order to join the terror organization for forgiveness.
She apologized for her actions, offered to help the UK government in its fight against terrorism, denied she played an active role in the terror group, changed her stance on the Manchester Arena attack, and said she would rather die than go back to IS.
In 2019, Begum had her British citizenship revoked by the Home Office and in 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that she was not allowed to return to the UK.
It's been more than six years since the then-15-year-old left her family in East London to join IS and the British public is still divided over whether the young woman should, indeed, be allowed to come back to the UK.
And yesterday's GMB interview only served to further highlight this division.
Following the interview, activist Shola Mos-Shogbamimu took to Twitter to insist that despite the revocation of her citizenship, she is British and should be put on trial in the UK.
She wrote: "Shamima Begum is British and our mess. Crimes she’s committed should be investigated/prosecuted/punishable in UK. We have worse criminals & mass murderers, terrorists etc in our prisons whose citizenship have not been revoked. Your hate should have no bearing on her citizenship."
Responding to Mos-Shogbamimu's tweet, another user on the platform named Shona McGee argued that if Begum had been a white teenager who was groomed online, entered into a marriage while underage, and was found in a refugee camp having lost her children, a "movie of her life would be in cinemas."
She went on to refer to Begum's treatment as "racist".
When others countered McGee's point by stating that she was "missing out the terrorism part", she insisted: "No, I’m very firmly making the point that if this had happened in exactly the same way, all the things she is accused of, but was white, no one would be looking at stripping her of her citizenship. She would be treated as having Stockholm syndrome and excused."
Another person argued in favor of bringing Begum back home, writing: "Shamima Begum was a London schoolgirl when she was groomed by fanatics who’d be prosecuted if they did it in Britain. Bring her home, investigate, punish if appropriate then use her to stop others falling under the spell of extremists."
Yet another commenter said: "Shamima Begum was a child when she was groomed. She’s British. It really is as simple as that."
However, there were a number of people who felt little sympathy for Begum and argued that she should never be allowed to return to the UK.
Outspoken commentator and ex-GMB presenter Piers Morgan told his followers: "Just as well I’m not interviewing this lying, sniveling, cold-hearted, self-serving ISIS bride monster or I’d have seriously lost my temper by now.
"Begum should never be allowed back to Britain. Let her rot in the terror bed she made for herself."
Another wrote: "Tip to broadcasters: stop giving Britain-hating jihadi bride Shamima Begum airtime You’re humanizing a monster. The moment she joined ISIS she forfeited her right to a life in Britain."
A third commented: "Omfg why are @GMB interviewing shamima begum [sic]. We don’t want her, she committed treason, said the Manchester attack was justified, and had no remorse, Shame on you for giving her airtime."
Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
.jpg_CjiGsw?tr=h-40&config=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)
.jpg_CjiGsw?tr=h-184&config=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)
