ISIS supporter Begum claims she was groomed online before going to Syria

Shamima Begum says she was the victim of online grooming for months before she decided to leave Britain in 2015 and go to Syria to marry an ISIS fighter.

Begum, from east London, said: “I let my family down”, but said she was hopeful of reconciling with them.

In February 2015, Begum, then 15, left England with two friends for the promise of paradise in the so-called caliphate. She was married to a Dutch extremist 10 days after she arrived in Syria.

Shamima Begum, from east London, said: “I let my family down”. AP

They had three children, none of whom survived.

The British government stripped Begum of her passport and said she would pose a national security threat if allowed to return.

The 22-year-old, who said that her only crime was travelling to Syria, is calling on Britain's home secretary to reinstate her citizenship.

Speaking to Sky News from the Al Roj camp in northern Syria, where she lives with other women and children linked to ISIS, Begum repeated her denial of accusations that she was responsible for atrocities under the terrorist regime, saying they were “all completely false”.

“I’m willing to fight them in a court of law, but I’m not being given a chance,” she said.

Al Roj camp in northern Syria, where relatives of people suspected of being members of Isis are being held. Shamima Begum has been living in the camp since 2019. AFP

“I feel like the only crime I committed was coming here, so I would be willing to go to prison for that, but as for the accusations made against me, I’m just going to have to fight against them."

Looking back on her journey to the ISIS caliphate, Begum said she was promised “paradise, basically, but it was actually hell on earth”.

She claimed said she was a victim of online grooming, but she did not say who was responsible.

Asked if she went looking for ISIS propaganda on the internet, she said: “No, they kind of just find you online.

“I would not have made such a big decision like that if it were not for weeks and weeks and maybe months and months of, like, grooming,” she said.

She said: “I didn’t hate Britain. I hated my life really.”

Begum said she is not in contact with her family in the UK but is hopeful the ties can be mended one day.

"I don't think they failed me, in a way I failed them. When the time is right, I want to reconcile,” she said.

War 2

Director: Ayan Mukerji

Stars: Hrithik Roshan, NTR, Kiara Advani, Ashutosh Rana

Rating: 2/5

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.