The 22-year-old from east London, who fled her home in 2015 to join terror group Isis, was questioned today on comments she made about the bombing on Good Morning Britain.
Shamima Begum pictured in 2019 // BBC
Asked for a message to Boris Johnson, Begum said that she could help the Prime Minister in his “fight against terrorism because [he] clearly don’t know what [he’s] doing”.
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She told Good Morning Britain: “I want to say that you are clearly struggling with extremism and terrorism in your country. And I want to help with that with giving my own experience from with these extremists and what they say and how they persuade people to do what they do and to come to places like Syria.
“I think I could very much help you in your fight against terrorism, because you clearly don’t know what you’re doing.”
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Begum added that while she believes the only crime she committed was being “dumb enough” to come to Isis, she still deserves a fair trial.
GMB
She said: “Honestly, the only crime I think I committed was being dumb enough to come to Isis, and even that can be refuted because I was 15 when I came, and you can’t, you know, judge a 15-year-old for making a mistake which he or she very quickly regretted making.
“If you really think I did do this, why don’t you bring me back and put me on trial, and hear my side of the story.
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“If you if you honestly believe that, don’t you think I just have to go to jail for it.
“The fact that you think I should rather rot here, instead of face trial… the democracy that you live in, says that everyone deserves a fair trial.”
EXCLUSIVE: @susannareid100 questions Shamima Begum on how she can seek forgiveness after her comments on the Manchester Arena terrorist attack.
In 2019 Ms Begum said the Manchester Arena attack was “justified” because of airstrikes that killed civilians in Syria. pic.twitter.com/WO8nGp60uP
Richard Madeley also grilled Ms Begum on her 2019 comments about the Manchester Arena attack. She said the attack was “justified” because of airstrikes that killed civilians in Syria.
She said: “I didn’t know about the Manchester bombings when I was asked I didn’t know that women and children were killed.
“I had no connection to the outside world when I was in Isis. I didn’t have a phone, my husband couldn’t use the internet.
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“So we were really unaware of anything going on outside. We were only aware of what was going on in the Middle East. I know it is hard for some people to believe.”
ISIS bride Shamima Begum drops Islamic garb for Western clothes
Richard Madeley asked her why she decided to stay in the terror group after Begum claimed she would “rather die” than return to Isis.
She told him: “It was not possible to leave at all. You had to find connections and even then those connections could be fake Isis police trying to find people trying to leave so they could put them in prison.
“My husband was being watched very closely by Isis he couldn’t even use a phone or go to an internet café so how can we find connections to leave?
“You had to have a lot of money and we didn’t have access to that money to enable us to leave.”
Speaking from Syria and wearing a black Nike baseball cap, Begum said it was “not justifiable to kill innocent people in the name of religion”.
UK News
Andy Burnham introduces new rules to tackle ‘rip-off’ parking charges
Daisy Jackson
City centre parking is at a premium, especially in a city like Manchester – but we’ve surely all made honest mistakes when paying and been slapped with eye-watering fines as a result.
Well now, Andy Burnham has announced a new Private Parking Code of Practice, which will clamp down on ‘rip-off’ private parking charges.
It will also make it easier for drivers to challenge unfair charges, capping charges for ‘smaller slip-ups’ at £20, and scrapping charges altogether on appeal for ‘honest mistakes’.
The new Code will get drivers a guaranteed five minutes to decide whether to park and 10 minutes to leave once their session ends.
Under the new Private Parking Code of Practice laid in Parliament today, you’ll be able to appeal to have all charges scrapped for honest mistakes like stopping briefly to check directions, and for situations like a medical emergency, breakdown or broken ticket machine.
Then charges will be capped at £20 for other mistakes such as forgetting a parking permit, entering the wrong vehicle’s registration or forgetting to confirm it in the machine when parking.
The Code also freezes the maximum parking charge at £100. Operators who don’t comply risk losing access to DVLA data, meaning that even if they issue a charge, it will be far more difficult to identify the registered owner to pursue payment.
Data shows just under 17 million private parking charges were issued in the UK last year alone.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “Being a few minutes late back to your car or typing one digit of your numberplate wrong shouldn’t end with a hefty fine landing on your doormat.
“These charges leave people feeling ripped off and out of pocket, so I’m putting a stop to them.
Andy Burnham introduces new rules to tackle ‘rip-off’ parking charges. Credit: Unsplash, Samuel Isaacs
“We are introducing clearer rules, longer grace periods and lower charges for genuine mistakes, while going after the deliberate scams that rip drivers off.”
Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government Angela Rayner said: “Parking should be straightforward, not another everyday hassle. These changes mean drivers get a fairer deal, protected time to park and leave without fear of being unfairly charged, and confidence that private parking providers are held to a higher standard.
“It’s yet another step forward in this government’s plan to take the stress out of everyday life and ease the pressure on people’s pockets.”
Minister for Consumer Action, Kate Dearden, said: “Nobody works hard for their money just to be deceived by a dodgy trader, and this is exactly the kind of everyday rip-off this government is going after.
“By making it easier to take action against car clocking, we are protecting consumers’ hard-earned money and supporting businesses that play by the rules.”
A Greater Manchester neighbourhood has been named one of the ‘coolest’ in the UK
Clementine Hall
A neighbourhood in Great Manchester has been crowned one of the coolest in the country – and this time, it’s not Ancoats.
Every year, we wait with bated breath to see which UK neighbourhoods have made the cut in Time Out’s annual ranking of the coolest places in the world.
But, as it turns out, Britain is just so damn cool that we’ve earned a list of our own.
In its latest guide, ’11 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the UK’, Time Out has rounded up the places across the country that are really making a name for themselves.
Images: The Manc
And one neighbourhood here in Greater Manchester has made the cut, and although you’d immediately think of Ancoats that has made its way to similar lists before, this time there’s a newbie on the block.
Coming in at a very respectable fourth place, Stockport and the Underbanks received a glowing report in the coveted list.
Images: The Manc
Are we surprised? Not one bit.
We love Stockport for its flourishing food scene, cool community vibe and ever-growing roster of independent businesses – not to mention its brilliant mix of old-school charm and new-school cool.
It’s a place that feels like it’s constantly evolving, without losing the character that made people fall in love with it in the first place. And clearly, Time Out agrees.
Images: The Manc
Kyle MacNeill, contributing writer, said: “If you live anywhere near Manchester, you may have heard this one on the rumour mill: ‘Stockport is The New Berlin’. It’s a gag, alright: the humble market town hasn’t got a club, let alone the most hedonistic nightlife scene in the world. But it is true that SK is rapidly becoming the place-to-move-to for the Second City’s creatives, thanks to cheaper rent and some serious suburban tenacity.
“The Underbanks, a cobbled high street once home to hat-makers and hosiers, has been transformed into a bustling hub of forward-thinking vendors, while various local institutions have embraced Euro-style cafe culture, midcentury decor, sustainable fine-dining, small plates snacking and chic drinking dens. All of which, actually, come to think of it, is very Berlin… “
High praise indeed, you can read the full list of the UK’s coolest neighbourhoods here.
The Manc -
15th September 2021 
