She was only 15 when she fled the UK to join a fantasy death cult, who would give her an environment where she would have 3 miscarriages and would be forced to come back to the UK in shame.
Shamima Begum has been through a lot joining ISIS, but the recent events surrounding the death of her 3 week old child have put some perspective into how I look into her case and identify it.
She was 15
At that age I was still watching spongebob, but Shamima in that age was being groomed, influenced to become a bride of a soldier in fanatical death cult and she did in the end. My point is, at that age no one and when it comes to woman, think clearly. She was sold a dream, of living in some fantasy war and fight for god, at that age any kid would believe it. However does this excuse her joining ISIS, no. Reason being, at the end of the day it was her choice and her decision to go to Syria. Though she was 15, she wasn’t naive or gullible, she should’ve known what her actions could cause and long term effects.
She’s been through a lot
This baby which died only after surviving for 3 weeks, wasn’t the only one. She’s had 2 miscarriages before, she might be the wife to death cult soldier, but she was a mother to what could’ve been 3 innocent children had they survived. Ask any mother, losing a child is difficult and there is a lot of mental toll that can take on a mother.
It was her decision despite the factors surrounding it.
I feel sorry for Shamima, she wasn’t close to her father nor to her family for them to be able to reach out to her and tell her to stop. In a recent interview her father didn’t even know she went off ISIS which shows the family situation and has the audacity to call for her persecution. Family situation affects a person’s mind and how they view the world, if people don’t have a connection with the right people and right influences in their life, they then become very insecure and then the bad influences then start creeping in the void and take their place. As much as she is to be blamed for her decisions, let’s not forget her friends and family who were negligent towards her also contributed to her decision of going to ISIS.
Should she persecuted
Personally, it would be cruel of me to say yes and this is based upon two things. Though she was part of the death cult, she hasn’t killed anyone nor, as far as I know, shown any type of ISIS like behaviour. 2nd, she lost her child and despite whatever her beliefs are, she is still a mother and a child’s death to a mother is heavy and painful and can take a toll on a person.