It’s not really clear what message the U.K. is trying to send the rest of the world when they authorize “legal aid” for a woman that was at one time allegedly considered an “enforcer” for the Islamic State (ISIS).
Shamima Begum, a 19-year-old who left London in 2015 to join ISIS in Syria, is going to be receiving legal aid in order to appeal the decision “to revoke her U.K. citizenship.”
According to the BBC:
Legal aid is financial assistance provided by the taxpayer to those unable to afford legal representation themselves, whether they are accused of a crime or a victim who seeks the help of a lawyer through the court process[…]
Earlier, the BBC reported Ms Begum's case had been approved - but sources now say it will be formally signed off in the coming days.
Some people might have just a little problem with providing Begum legal aid through their tax dollars, especially since a story broke over the weekend that Begum’s association with ISIS was more involved than previously thought.
The Daily Mail reported on Sunday:
Last night there was fury at the decision by the Legal Aid Agency (LAA), which emerged on the day it was alleged that Begum had stitched suicide bombers into explosive vests. It was also claimed she carried a Kalashnikov rifle and served in a senior role in the IS’s ‘morality police’ as an enforcer of its laws.
The kicker of the whole “legal aid” ordeal? Begum apparently never applied for the legal aid herself. All this for someone considered a “strict enforcer,” also known as the “morality police.”
Which morality could ISIS possibly be talking about? How can you instill morality when you have very little of your own?
Begum may actually be contrite in her want to return to the U.K. But, she should have thought of that before joining a terrorist organization. She should not be allowed to pass the proverbial “Go” and not allowed to collect anyone’s tax money.