Shamima Begum’s mother Asma says her ‘world fell apart’ when she ran away to join ISIS in Syria
The mother of Shamima Begum, the British schoolgirl who joined ISIS, has said her world “fell apart” when she ran away from home.
Asma Begum said her daughter’s bedroom in the family home has not been touched since she travelled to Syria in 2015.
“My youngest daughter is even more present in my mind, the one I think about almost every hour of every day,” the mother said in a statement read at an appeal hearing against the government’s decision to strip Ms Begum, now 23, of her British citizenship.
“When she left home in 2015, our worlds fell apart. Her drawers are still full, her perfume, pens and jewellery, her clothes are still there. Her pyjamas are folded neatly.
“Her school blazer is still hanging on the door in the front room, just as it was when she left.”
Ms Begum’s citizenship was revoked by the Home Office on national security grounds after she was found in a Syrian refugee camp nine months pregnant in February 2019.
Dan Squires KC, her barrister, told the Special Immigration Appeals Commission on the third day of the appeal that her mother’s words were “a powerful indication” of connection between Ms Begum and her family.
The family, who live in Bethnal Green, east London, were not considered in the decision to remove her citizenship, he said, breaching their human right to a family life.
The decision to strip Ms Begum of her citizenship was taken by Sajid Javid, the home secretary at the time, who contended that she also had Bangladeshi citizenship.
The government was not allowed to leave her stateless under international law.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
‘I didn’t hate Britain, I hated my life’
‘Bangladesh would hang her’
Mr Squires said on Wednesday that she would be hanged if she were to return to Bangladesh and was now effectively stateless.
Mr Javid should have considered the effect of removing Ms Begum’s citizenship, when she had never visited Bangladesh and had no passport for the country, he said.
“It is clear that he gave no consideration to the prospect that the deprivation decision would render the appellant de facto stateless,” Mr Squires said.
The Bangladeshi authorities said they did not consider her to be a Bangladeshi citizen, and would provide her with no assistance.
Mr Squires added: “On the contrary, the Bangladesh authorities would have confirmed that the appellant would be hanged if she entered the country.”
Shamima Begum spoke to Sky News last November at a prison camp in Syria
‘Muslims singled out’
Ms Begum’s lawyers also argued the decision to revoke her citizenship failed to consider anti-discrimination laws and led to British Muslims feeling singled out and discriminated against.
Mr Squires said the government’s actions disproportionately targeted British Muslims, citing findings from the Institute of Race Relations which said the deprivation policy is “almost exclusively” applied to Muslims.
The government maintains that there was no error of law in Mr Javid’s decision to revoke her citizenship and says the power to deprive is an important tool in protecting the public.
Read more:
I will not leave Shamima Begum ‘stateless’, says Sajid Javid
Shamima Begum’s IS husband: We made a mistake
Lawyers for the Home Office, who are due to make their oral arguments on Thursday, said that Ms Begum was in Syria “as a result of her own choice to leave the UK”.
Sir James Eadie KC, for the department, continued in written submissions: “It is not appropriate to start from the point at which Ms Begum left the UK, and assume family ties would have remained the same.
“There was, in reality, no equality issue raised by the individual decision in Ms Begum’s case.”
The hearing in London before Mr Justice Jay is due to finish on Friday, with a decision expected in writing at a later date.
The Israeli embassy has said it’s “deeply disturbed” by chants of “death to the IDF” at Glastonbury – as police also investigate the incident.
Video shows one of the members of Bob Vylan shouting the slogan into the mic and some of the crowd joining in.
The duo were performing ahead of a performance by Kneecap, the Irish act who the prime minister said should be ditched from the line-up.
“The Embassy of Israel in the United Kingdom is deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage at the Glastonbury Festival,” a statement said.
It said slogans like Saturday’s chant “advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel”.
The BBC said some of the comments by Bob Vylan were ‘deeply offensive’. Pic: PA
The post on X added: “When such messages are delivered before tens of thousands of festivalgoers and met with applause, it raises serious concerns about the normalisation of extremist language and the glorification of violence.”
Avon and Somerset Police said they are looking at whether a criminal offence was committed.
“Video evidence will be assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation,” the force said in a post on social media.
Bob Vylan also performed in front of a screen quoting a claim that Israel’s actions in Gaza amount to genocide.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has spoken to BBC boss Tim Davie for an “urgent explanation” about what due diligence it carried out into Bob Vylan.
Thousands watched the set on the West Holts stage. Pic: PA
A spokesman said the government strongly condemned the “threatening comments” by the group, whose X bio describes them as a “punk/rap/alt thing”.
A BBC statement said: “Some of the comments made during Bob Vylan’s set were deeply offensive.
“During this live stream on iPlayer, which reflected what was happening on stage, a warning was issued on screen about the very strong and discriminatory language.
“We have no plans to make the performance available on demand.”
Tory leader Kemi Badenoch re-posted a clip of the incident and called it “grotesque”.
“Violence against Jews isn’t edgy. The West is playing with fire if we allow this sort of behaviour to go unchecked,” she said on X.
👉 Listen to Sky News Daily on your podcast app 👈
Read more:
Kneecap rapper tells Glastonbury he’s a ‘free man’
Lewis Capaldi plays ‘secret’ set at Glastonbury
Robbie Williams addresses Glastonbury rumours
A statement from Glastonbury Festival said it “does not condone hate speech or incitement to violence of any kind from its performers”.
Kneecap also performed – with the BBC not showing them live. Pic: Reuters
Irish group Kneecap followed Bob Vylan – with the broadcaster not carrying their performance live amid concern over what they might do or say.
However, it’s understood their show will be made available on demand after a review.
One of its members, Liam Og O hAnnaidh, was charged with a terror offence in May after being accused of displaying a flag in support of proscribed terror group Hezbollah at a gig.
Pic: Reuters
There were Palestinian flags among the crowd for Kneecap’s show. Pic: Reuters
Bandmate Naoise O Caireallain told the packed Glastonbury crowd they should “start a riot outside the courts”, before clarifying: “No riots just love and support, and support for Palestine.”
O hAnnaidh – also known as Mo Chara – wore a Palestinian keffiyeh scarf for Saturday’s set and told fans he was a “free man”.
One girl has died and another is in a critical condition after a tree partially collapsed at a park in Essex.
The girls, aged seven and six, suffered serious injuries when they were among a number of children caught beneath the tree at Chalkwell Park in Southend.
Essex Police confirmed the seven-year-old girl died in hospital and her family is receiving support from specialist officers.
Three other children suffered minor injuries following the incident.
An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 2.55pm to reports that a tree had fallen in Chalkwell Park in Chalkwell.
“Six ambulances, three ambulance officer vehicles, the London Air Ambulance and Kent Air Ambulance were sent to the scene.”
Police said an investigation is continuing into what caused the tree to collapse.
‘Unimaginable hardship’ for families
Chief Superintendent Leighton Hammett said: “Families are facing unimaginable hardship this evening and all of our thoughts are with them at this time.
“I cannot begin to put into words how difficult today’s events have been, and continue to be, for them.
“It’s also not lost on me how traumatic it must have been for the members of the public who witnessed this awful incident.
“Across a matter of moments, many of them went from enjoying the warm summer weather to rushing to the aid of strangers without a second thought.”
Chief Sup Hammett also paid tribute to police, ambulance and fire crews who “did all they could,” adding that “today’s loss is one they will all take personally”.
Death is ‘truly devastating’
Local MP David Burton-Sampson said: “The news of the sad death of one of the children involved in the incident at Chalkwell Park today is truly devastating.
“I am sure I reflect the thoughts of all our residents here in Southend in sending my deepest condolences to the child’s family and friends.
“My thoughts are also with the other children injured and I wish them a full and speedy recovery.
UK
Hundreds of NHS quangos to be axed – as plans unveiled for health funding to be linked to patient feedback
NHS funding could be linked to patient feedback under new plans, with poorly performing services that “don’t listen” penalised with less money.
As part of the “10 Year Health Plan” to be unveiled next week, a new scheme will be trialled that will see patients asked to rate the service they received – and if they feel it should get a funding boost or not.
It will be introduced first for services that have a track record of very poor performance and where there is evidence of patients “not being listened to”, the government said.
This will create a “powerful incentive for services to listen to feedback and improve patients’ experience”, it added.
Sky News understands that it will not mean bonuses or pay increases for the best performing staff.
NHS payment mechanisms will also be reformed to reward services that keep patients out of hospital as part of a new ‘Year of Care Payments’ initiative and the government’s wider plan for change.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player
Do you want AI listening in on chats with your doctor?
Speaking to The Times, chief executive of the NHS Confederation Matthew Taylor expressed concerns about the trial.
He told the newspaper: “Patient experience is determined by far more than their individual interaction with the clinician and so, unless this is very carefully designed and evaluated, there is a risk that providers could be penalised for more systemic issues, such as constraints around staffing or estates, that are beyond their immediate control to fix.”
He said that NHS leaders would be keen to “understand more about the proposal”, because elements were “concerning”.
Read more from Sky News
Amber health heat alert issued
Patient died ‘unexpectedly’ after NHS cyber attack
Doctors told to stop using unapproved AI
Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “We will reward great patient care, so patient experience and clinical excellence are met with extra cash. These reforms are key to keeping people healthy and out of hospital, and to making the NHS sustainable for the long-term as part of the Plan for Change.”
In the raft of announcements in the 10 Year Health Plan, the government has said 201 bodies responsible for overseeing and running parts of the NHS in England – known as quangos – will be scrapped.
These include Healthwatch England, set up in 2012 to speak out on behalf of NHS and social care patients, the National Guardian’s Office, created in 2015 to support NHS whistleblowers, and the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB).
The head of the Royal College of Nursing described the move as “so unsafe for patients right now”.
Professor Nicola Ranger said: “Today, in hospitals across the NHS, we know one nurse can be left caring for 10, 15 or more patients at a time. It’s not safe. It’s not effective. And it’s not acceptable.
“For these proposed changes to be effective, government must take ownership of the real issue, the staffing crisis on our wards, and not just shuffle people into new roles. Protecting patients has to be the priority and not just a drive for efficiency.”
Elsewhere, the new head of NHS England Sir Jim Mackey said key parts of the NHS appear “built to keep the public away because it’s an inconvenience”.
“We’ve made it really hard, and we’ve probably all been on the end of it,” he told the Daily Telegraph.
“The ward clerk only works nine to five, or they’re busy doing other stuff; the GP practice scrambles every morning.”
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike