Islamist groom of Shamima Begum refuses to condemn beheadings, sex slavery: Report

Shaima Begum, the London-born Bangladeshi woman who fled the UK for Syria to join the Islamic State, has refused to condemn the beheadings or the use of Yazidi women as sex slaves, according to reports. Yago Riedijk, a 29-year-old convicted terrorist from the Netherlands, said he ‘can’t really comment’ when asked whether he condemned the Islamic State’s brutal methods of punishment, reported Daily Mail. He is currently held in the Kurdish-run al-Roj prison in northern Syria.

The report states that ISIS terrorists are still hopeful of the group’s revival and establishment of a caliphate that adheres to ‘Islamic traditions’. Despite not agreeing with the terror attacks in Europe, Riedijk had nothing to say about attacks against other Muslims or Yazidis.

‘Personally, I don’t agree with these attacks for a couple of reasons. The prohibition of killing innocent people in Islam, women and children, I see these attacks as not being Islamicly responsible [sic]’, Daily Mail quoted the ISIS terrorist as saying. The Daily Mail reported that when he was asked about his life with Shamima Begum, he smiled and recalled ‘beautiful memories’ of making cakes with his family.

Having been stripped of her British citizenship in February 2019, Shamima Begum is currently being held in a refugee camp in northern Syria as she struggles to return to the UK after she was stripped of her citizenship. During a live interview from a refugee camp a few weeks ago, the jihadi bride apologized ‘from the bottom of my heart’ as she pleaded with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for the chance to face the UK justice system.

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According to Shamima Begum, she was ‘groomed and taken advantage of and manipulated,’ adding, ‘the reason I came to Syria was not for violent reasons. At the time I did not know it was a death cult, I thought it was an Islamic community I was joining. 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’.