LONDON: A woman who lost her British citizenship after joining Daesh said Wednesday she would be prepared to return to face terror charges so she can prove her innocence.
Shamima Begum was 15 when she traveled from her home in London in 2015 with two school friends to Syria, where she married a Daesh fighter and had three children.
Dubbed “IS bride,” she was stripped of her British citizenship after a right-wing media outrage when she was tracked down by reporters to a displacement camp in 2019 and defended the militants.
The Supreme Court earlier this year rejected her permission on public safety grounds to return to Britain to challenge the government’s decision.
But she has denied being directly involved in the preparation of acts of terror.
“I am willing to go to court and face the people who made these claims and refute these claims because I know I did nothing in IS but be a mother and a wife,” she said.
“These claims are being made to make me look worse because the government do not have anything on me. There is no evidence because nothing ever happened,” she told ITV.
Begum, now 22, said the only crime she had committed was “being dumb enough to join IS,” and asked for forgiveness from all those who had lost loved ones to the extremists.
“I am so sorry if I ever offended anyone by coming here, if I ever offended anyone by the things I said,” Begum, wearing a baseball cap and vest top, said from Syria.
Lawyers for Begum, whose father is Bangladeshi, have accused Britain of racism in its treatment of her, accusing the government of making her a scapegoat.
They have said she was “a child trafficked to and remaining in Syria for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced marriage” and the government’s actions leaves her stateless.
Bangladesh’s foreign minister has said he will not consider granting her citizenship.
Some 900 people are estimated to have traveled from Britain to Syria and Iraq to join Daesh, creating a legal headache for the UK authorities now the conflict is over.
About 150 are believed to have been stripped of their citizenship.
Begum, whose three children conceived after her arrival in Syria all died, was first seen in 2019 wearing a black hijab and said she did not regret traveling to Syria.
But she has since been seen in Western clothing and expressed remorse for her actions, and sympathy for Daesh victims.
Daesh bride Shamima Begum says prepared to face terror charges in UK
https://arab.news/jzzd7
Daesh bride Shamima Begum says prepared to face terror charges in UK
- Shamima Begum was 15 when she traveled from her home in London in 2015 with two school friends to Syria
- Lawyers for Begum have accused Britain of racism in its treatment of her
Indonesia becomes first Asian country to ban elephant rides
- Elephant-ride ban is nationwide, including in popular holiday destination of Bali
- Animal rights group urges officials in Thailand, Nepal, India to follow Indonesia
JAKARTA: Indonesia has banned elephant rides, becoming the first Asian nation to outlaw the popular tourist activity on animal welfare grounds.
Indonesia, home to the critically endangered Sumatran elephant and the endangered Bornean elephant, first announced the nationwide ban in December, with authorities gradually monitoring compliance since the start of this year.
The move followed widespread calls to ban elephant rides, with many Indonesians now using social media to alert authorities on sites still offering such activities especially in Bali, the country’s most popular holiday island.
All of Bali’s conservation sites, including Bali Zoo and Mason Elephant Park & Lodge, have officially banned elephant rides by the end of January, according to the Bali Natural Resources Conservation Agency.
“Based on our most recent monitoring, all five of the conservation sites in Bali have complied and are no longer offering elephant rides for visitors,” Ratna Hendratmoko, who heads the agency, told Arab News on Tuesday.
Elephant rides were a popular tourist attraction in Bali, which last year welcomed nearly 7 million foreign visitors.
“There was demand from visitors, tourists, who are enthusiastic and attracted to elephant rides, even if it’s just for 10 to 15 minutes.
“But maybe for them, it’s an opportunity to show off on social media, showing that they’re doing something that they think it’s cool, something that not many others can do,” Hendratmoko said.
“I’m thankful to online friends who have been raising their concerns and reminding us to continue our monitoring. We are giving our best to do our job.”
Indonesian authorities are urging conservation sites to prioritize animal welfare, offer educational activities for visitors and shift to “innovative and non-exploitative” attractions, such as wildlife observation without direct physical contact.
In November, an investigation by the rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, showed that elephants in Bali are routinely chained and beaten with sharp bullhooks to force them to obey for tourist rides.
The action that followed “puts Indonesia at the forefront of elephant welfare,” and makes it “the first country in Asia to ban elephant rides nationwide,” said Jason Baker, president of PETA in Asia.
The ban is “a huge step toward improving the treatment of elephants,” PETA Asia said in a statement to Arab News.
“We are optimistic that the new guidelines will provide a framework for phasing out all harmful practices in the future.”
Elephant camps are also major tourist attractions in other parts of Asia, with Thailand being their largest promoter.
“We urge the Thai government and other countries, including Nepal, Laos and India to follow Indonesia’s lead,” PETA said.
