Shamima Begum Siblings: Meet Sisters Aklima Begum, Renu Begum, Shamima Begum & Brother
Shamima Begum is a British-born woman who left the UK in 2015, at the age of 15, to join the Islamic State (IS) in Syria. She became known as one of the Bethnal Green trio, along with her school friends Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana, who also travelled to Syria. She married an IS fighter, had three children who all died, and lost her British citizenship in 2019. She is currently living in a refugee camp in Syria, where she has been trying to appeal the decision to revoke her citizenship and return to the UK.
Aklima Begum: The eldest sister who lives in Bangladesh
Aklima Begum is the eldest sister of Shamima Begum. She is a British citizen who currently lives in Bangladesh with her husband and children. She was born in England to immigrant parents of Bangladeshi origin and citizenship. She attended the same school as Shamima, Bethnal Green Academy, but left before Shamima did.
Aklima has not spoken publicly about her case, but according to some reports, she has been in contact with Shamima through phone calls and messages. She has also reportedly visited she the al-Roj refugee camp in Syria, where Shamima lives now. Aklima has expressed sympathy and support for S.Begumin, and has urged the British government to allow her to return to the UK.
Shamima Begum Profile View
| Name | Shamima Begum |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 August 1999 |
| Place of birth | London, England |
| Ethnicity | Bangladeshi |
| Nationality | Stateless (formerly British) |
| Religion | Islam |
| Education | Bethnal Green Academy |
| Occupation | Former IS member |
| Spouse | Yago Riedijk |
| Children | 3 (all deceased) |
| Current location | al-Roj refugee camp, Syria |
| Links | Instagram- #shamimabegummemes Homepage- Newsunzip |
Renu Begum: The second sister who lives in London
Renu Begum is the second sister of Shamima Begum. She is also a British citizen who lives in London. She was born in England to immigrant parents of Bangladeshi origin and citizenship. She also attended the same school as S.Begum, Bethnal Green Academy, but left before Shamima did.
Renu has been the most vocal and visible of Shamima’s siblings, speaking to the media and appealing for her return. She has described S.Begum as a “young and vulnerable” girl who was groomed and manipulated by IS recruiters. She has also said that she hopes Shamima went to Syria to bring back another girl from their school, Sharmeena Begum (no relation), who travelled to Syria in 2014.
Renu has said that she loves Shamima and misses her, and that she wants her to come back to the UK and face justice for any crimes she may have committed. She has also said that she is worried about her safety and well-being in the refugee camp, where S.Begum has faced threats and abuse from other residents.
Shamima Begum: The third sister who joined IS in Syria
Shamima Begum is a British-born woman who joined IS in Syria in 2015, at the age of 15. She was born in England to immigrant parents of Bangladeshi origin and citizenship. She attended Bethnal Green Academy in London, where she was a good student and had many friends.
She left the UK in February 2015, along with her school friends Amira Abase and Kadiza Sultana, who also joined IS in Syria. They travelled via Turkey to Syria, where they were facilitated by an IS smuggler who was providing information to Canadian intelligence. S.Begum married a Dutch IS fighter, Yago Riedijk, 10 days after her arrival, and had three children with him, who all died young.
Shamima was discovered alive in the al-Hawl refugee camp in Syria in February 2019, by war correspondent Anthony Loyd. She told him that she wanted to return to the UK, and that she did not regret joining IS, but that she was saddened by the loss of her children and the collapse of the IS caliphate. She also said that she had seen severed heads in bins, but that it did not faze her.
The following day, the British Home Secretary, Sajid Javid, revoked Shamima’s British citizenship, on grounds of national security. The British government believed that S.Begum held dual citizenship due to her Bangladeshi parents, but this has been contested by the Bangladeshi government, who said that Shamima was never a Bangladeshi citizen and that they would not accept her.
Shamima received threats from other residents at al-Hawl, and was moved to the al-Roj refugee camp for her safety, where she still lives. She has been trying to appeal the decision to revoke her citizenship, and to return to the UK to contest it fairly and to instruct lawyers properly. However, her appeals have been dismissed by various courts, including the Supreme Court of the UK, which ruled unanimously against her in February 2021.
She has changed her appearance and her views over time, wearing western clothes, removing her hijab, and expressing remorse and regret for joining IS. She has also said that she wants to be rehabilitated and to help prevent other young people from being radicalized. She has also said that she wants to give her fourth child, who she is pregnant with, a better life.
Brother: The youngest sibling who remains anonymous
Shamima Begum has a younger brother, whose name and age have not been revealed to the public. He is also a British citizen who lives in London. He was born in England to immigrant parents of Bangladeshi origin and citizenship. He did not attend the same school as Shamima, Bethnal Green Academy, but went to a different school.
| Name | Age | Citizenship | Location | Occupation | Relationship with Shamima |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aklima Begum | Unknown | British | Bangladesh | Unknown | Eldest sister, supportive, in contact, visited S.Begum in Syria |
| Renu Begum | Unknown | British | London | Unknown | Second sister, supportive, in contact, vocal and visible, appealed for Shamima’s return |
| Shamima Begum | 24 | None | Syria | None | Third sister, joined IS in Syria, lost British citizenship, appealed to return to UK, changed appearance and views |
| Brother | Unknown | British | London | Unknown | Youngest sibling, supportive, in contact, visited Shamima in Syria, anonymous and out of the spotlight |
The brother has not spoken publicly about S.Begum’s case, and has remained anonymous and out of the spotlight. He has reportedly been in contact with her through phone calls and messages, and has also visited her in the al-Roj refugee camp in Syria, where S.Begum lives now. He has also expressed sympathy and support for S.Begum and has urged the British government to allow Shamima to return to the UK.
Shamima Begum and her siblings have different backgrounds, views, and relationships with each other. They are all British citizens, but Shamima lost her citizenship in 2019, after joining IS in Syria in 2015. She is currently living in a refugee camp in Syria, where she has been trying to appeal the decision to revoke her citizenship and return to the UK. Her siblings have been in contact with her, and have supported her in various ways. They have also spoken to the media and appealed for Shamima’s return, except for her brother, who has remained anonymous and out of the spotlight.
