Shamima Begum Allegedly Smuggled into Syria by Canadian Spy

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Facts

  • Claims have emerged that Shamima Begum, who traveled from East London to Syria at the age of 15 to join the Islamic State (IS), was smuggled into the country by a Canadian spy.
  • The allegations, made by Richard Kerbaj in his new book "The Secret History of the Five Eyes," have prompted calls for an official inquiry. Kerbaj, a former security correspondent for The Sunday Times, even accuses Britain of later conspiring with Canada to cover up the role of spy Mohammed al-Rashed in the events of 2015.
  • Begum left the UK with two school friends (one 16-year-old and another 15-year-old) seven years ago, after being radicalized. She married an IS fighter, and her British citizenship was removed in 2019 after she was located in a Syrian refugee camp.
  • Rasheed was reportedly acting as a double agent to Canadian intelligence while people smuggling for IS. He was arrested shortly after facilitating Begum and her peers' journey to Syria in Turkey, where he revealed his status as a double agent for Ottawa to authorities.
  • The claims are likely to reignite fierce debate over Begum's legal status, last seen when the UK Supreme Court last year upheld a decision to ban her from the UK.
  • Tasnime Akunjee, the Begum family's lawyer, has said that a hearing is set for the Special Immigration Appeals Commission court for November, where the removal of Shamima Begum's UK citizenship will be challenged on the grounds that she was groomed and trafficked, according to new evidence.

Sources: Guardian, Week, Style, BBC News, and Al Jazeera.

Narratives

  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Guardian. Kerbaj's claims reveal that the UK was complicit in covering up a Western ally's role in trafficking young Brits. Begum was a victim under the terms of the Modern Slavery Act - her citizenship shouldn't have been removed and Britain must take full responsibility for her statelessness.
  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Daily Mail. Regardless of the means by which Begum may have entered Syria, she made a conscious decision to join a murderous terror group who she stayed with and supported for years. She only decided she wanted to return to the UK because three of her children had died. Former Home Sec. Sajid Javid is right to stand by his decision to remove her citizenship.