Shamima Begum's jihadi husband refuses to condemn beheadings or the use of sex slaves and says he still hopes to see a 'caliphate' as he describes the couple's 'beautiful' former life under ISIS
Shamima Begum's jihadi husband has refused to condemn ISIS beheadings or the use of sex slaves and said he still hopes to see a caliphate established.
Speaking in an interview from Kurdish-run al-Roj prison in northern Syria, Yago Riedijk, 29, described the couple's 'beautiful' former life under the extremist group.
He said ISIS-claimed attacks on the West were not 'Islamicly responsible' because they involved killing innocent people which is 'prohibited in Islam' but refused to condemn the group's violence against Yazidis, who were sold as sex slaves, and other Muslims.
Riedijk also stayed silent on ISIS beheadings, saying only 'I can't really comment' when pushed to condemn the extremist group's brutal punishments.
The 29-year-old later said he did not believe ISIS was finished and said he still hoped to see a caliphate which adheres to 'Islamic traditions' established.
He smiled as he spoke about married life with Begum in the caliphate and described 'beautiful memories' of baking cakes as a family.
The Dutch extremist married Begum days after she arrived in Syria from East London, aged 15, in 2015 and the couple had three children together, all of whom have died.
Begum is being held in Kurdish-run refugee camp al-Roj in northern Syrian amid an ongoing battle to return to the UK after she was stripped of her citizenship in February 2019.
Riedijk is being held in al-Roj detention centre. He was convicted in a Netherlands court in 2018 for joining the extremist group and will face a six-year jail term if he ever tries to return to Europe.
Riedijk married Shamima Begum (pictured with her son Jerah in 2019), days after she arrived in Syria from East London, aged 15, in 2015 and the couple had three children together, all of whom have died
Begum (pictured) is being held in Kurdish-run refugee camp al-Hol in northern Syrian amid an ongoing battle to return to the UK after she was stripped of her citizenship in February 2019
Speaking to Alan Duncan, a former Scots soldier who is making a documentary on ISIS, Riedijk said he did not agree with ISIS-claimed terror attacks on Germany, France and the UK because they involved killing 'innocent people'.
'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],' he said.
However, questioned about attacks on other Muslims and Yazidis - who were sold to ISIS fighters as sex slaves - Riedijk shook his head and said 'no comment'.
More than 2,800 Yazidi women and children are still missing and are thought to be being held by ISIS.
Riedijk also revealed he discussed marriage directly with Begum when she arrived in Syria in 2015 and agreed on conditions before they tied the knot.
'It was not really anything big. Small things like going out shopping - stuff like this. She asked for some freedoms which I agreed to give her. Going shopping, seeing friends. Basic stuff,' he said.
He said Begum asked for a dowry of an English translation of the Quran, which he agreed to.
He smiled on camera as he recalled the family baking cakes to make money while Begum was pregnant with their second son Jalah.
'There were some nice days with my wife and kids at home. Some beautiful memories,' he said.
Riedijk has said he wants to reunite with Begum and 'start a family again'. Last year he urged Begum to 'do whatever you can to build a future for us' as she fought against the Home Office decision to strip her of her British citizenship.
The Dutch husband of Shamima Begum, Yago Riedijk, (pictured) has described 'beautiful memories' of their family life under the ISIS caliphate in an interview from prison
Riedijk (pictured in the Netherlands in 2011) also revealed he discussed marriage directly with Begum when she arrived in Syria in 2015 and agreed on conditions before they tied the knotRiedijk said he found it hard to take that Begum had two miscarriages, before giving birth to their three children. Talking about the first miscarriage, he said: 'It was difficult to take. I'm a family man, I love family, I love children.'
He added Begum got pregnant immediate after the first miscarriage but lost the baby for the second time.
The 29-year-old added that while living in the caliphate he contacted his family back home more often than Begum spoke to hers, but declined to elaborate.
Riedijk also refused to comment much on how Begum viewed ISIS's beheadings and punishments. But he described seeing corpses left on the street as an example as 'not a pleasant picture', but refused to condemn the act as wrong.
'I can't really comment', he said. He went on to describe death as part of daily life, blaming coalition bombing for the killing of innocent Muslims.
Asked if ISIS was finished, Riedijk said 'no', later adding when questioned that he would like to see a caliphate which adheres to 'Islamic traditions' established.
Begum was one of three schoolgirls from Bethnal Green Academy who went to join ISIS, shortly after Sharmeena Begum, who is no relation, travelled to Syria in December 2014.
Kadiza Sultana and Amira Abase, then 16 and 15 respectively, joined Begum on a flight from London to Istanbul before making their way to Syria.
Shamima Begum (centre) was one of three schoolgirls (pictured) from Bethnal Green Academy who went to join ISIS in 2015
Begum and two girls flew to Istanbul from Gatwick then helped by ISIS traffickers through Turkey to Syria
Aged 19 and heavily pregnant, Begum resurfaced at a Syrian refugee camp in early 2019 and said she wanted to return to Britain.
In an extraordinary interview she admitted she did not regret going to join ISIS, saying the experience had made her 'stronger and tougher'.
She acknowledged she knew the group was carrying out beheadings and executions before she left, adding that she was 'OK with it at first'.
'I had my kids, I did have a good time there. It's just that then things got harder and I couldn't take it any more and I had to leave,' she said.
She also revealed she had left Raqqa in January 2017 with her husband, but her children, a one-year-old girl and a three-month-old boy, had both since died.
The baby boy she was carrying later died in a camp in northern Syria, with reports suggesting he had suffered from breathing difficulties.
In September, a dolled-up Begum appeared on Good Morning Britain and begged the UK public for forgiveness and to be allowed to return
Begum is being held at the al-Roj refugee camp in northern Syria, where she is faced with 'dire conditions', according to her legal teamBegum's case became a major political controversy in Britain, resulting in then-home secretary Sajid Javid revoking her British citizenship on national security grounds in February 2019.
She challenged the government's decision, and in 2020, the Court of Appeal ruled that 'the only way in which she can have a fair and effective appeal is to be permitted to come into the United Kingdom to pursue her appeal'.
The supreme court later overturned the ruling and said Begum could not return to the UK to contest the case.
In September, a dolled-up Begum appeared on Good Morning Britain and begged the UK public for forgiveness and to be allowed to return.
She also made a surprising direct offer to help Boris Johnson's government tackle extremism and terrorism.
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