20 year old Glasgow girl marries Islamic State jihadist
Aqsa Mahmood was a ordinary younger lady. Supported via loving mother and father, educated at private faculty and studying radiography at Glasgow Caledonian University. Today, she's the front web page information, having travelled to Syria, joined the ranks of Islamic State (IS) ? The extremist terror group accountable for the beheading of two American journalists ? And married a jihadist. Yesterday, she tweeted a picture of a infant posing with a Kalashnikov rifle and an IS flag.
Her grief-troubled dad and mom have now spoken to the clicking, and made clean their shock and sadness at what has grow to be in their daughter, whom they trust has been "brainwashed."
Reading out their announcement, the family's solicitor said: "We aren't in denial and do no longer make any excuses for her and certainly condemn her involvement in Isis and recent remarks. If our daughter, who had all the probabilities and freedom in existence, should come to be a bed room radical then it's miles viable for this to happen to any own family."
Aqsa's faculty friends have spoken out in shock, with one saying, "She wasn't specific. She were given on with anybody. As quickly as she decided to do some thing she could by no means alternate her mind. I wager that became something that become remarkable approximately her, however additionally one in every of her downfalls."
'Bedroom radicals' urge copycat assaults
Since she left Scotland in November, Aqsa had kept in touch together with her circle of relatives thru social media but she's extensively utilized Twitter to call for copycat terror attacks just like the grotesque beheading of drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich, ultimate year. She has been often posting images of life underneath IS, and urging others to enroll in her. One message read: 'We are created to be moms and better halves - as plenty because the western society has warped your views in this with a hidden feminist mentality.' Her Twitter account has now been deactivated.
Aqsa's involvement has fuelled concerns over the numbers of younger British Muslim women and men who have been attracted via IS. At least 500 ? And perhaps as many as 2000 ? People from the UK are believed to have long past to fight in Syria, and its believed that a few 250 are already returned on British soil and can have plans for terror strikes here. Another British girl from London who has travelled to Syria and married a jihadist has stated she desires to be the first woman to kill a British or American captive.
Writing underneath the call of Muhajirah fi Sham, this means that "immigrant in Syria", she said: "Any hyperlinks four da execution of da journalist plz. Allahu Akbar. UK ought to b shaking up ha ha. I wna b da 1st UK woman 2 kill a UK or US terorrist!" (sic).
David Cameron has this week brought measures which include a brief ban on British jihadists returning to Britain and measures to make it less difficult for intelligence agencies to get records on airline passengers.
And today, President Obama and other NATO international leaders will no question be discussing what can be performed to convey down the group, which experts agree is scarily nicely-organised and funded.
But now attention needs to turn to the underlying query - what is fuelling Brits' choices to sign up for their ranks within the first place?