Family of Glasgow Jihadi Woman Calls Sanctions "Useless Grandstanding"
The family of 21-year-old Glasgow woman Aqsa Mahmood who fled the UK for Syria in 2013 in order to join Islamic State has described restrictions placed on her as "little more than useless grandstanding".
She and 3 other British jihadis have had UN sanctions imposed on them meaning all their assets are frozen and they will not be allowed to leave Syria.
It's at the request of the UK government who hope it will deter other young people from following in their footsteps but the family, who have continuously criticised their daughter's actions, has described this move as "deluded."
The Mahmoods' lawyer Aamer Anwar earlier released a statement on behalf of the family.
He said: “Aqsa’s family described today’s sanctions as little more than useless grandstanding by the Prime Minister which will have zero impact on the activities of Aqsa Mahmood, but more importantly do very little to deter young people from being recruited to ISIS.
"The Prime Minister will know that Aqsa had no global assets to freeze and if he thinks that young people thinking of joining ISIS will be worried about their pocket money being frozen in high street Banks then he is sadly deluded.
"Aqsa’s family remain full of rage at her activities which they describe as a twisted and distorted perversion of Islam, but they had always hoped that one day she would see ISIS for the barbaric death cult it is and return home.
"They appreciated that if Aqsa did, then she must face the full force of the law, but to impose a travel ban simply means that we are washing our hands of British citizens who want to break with ISIS.
"They believe an imposition of a travel ban will have absolutely no deterrent effect on radicalised young ISIS recruits, but the real danger is a future where some families will fail to inform the authorities when their children leave for ISIS, in case that door is closed for their return.
"The nightmare scenario for our security services is if those radicalised individuals return to this country, they will do so unmonitored and undetected. But it is also unacceptable that our Government is effectively absolving itself of any responsibility for British Citizens by forcing those who wish to leave ISIS to remain in Syria and carry on committing atrocities.
"Whilst Aqsa has destroyed any chance of happiness for her own family, they are saddened that the UK Government has failed to take ay genuine steps to win the hearts and minds of other young people on the cusp of radicalisation."