Speaking to Express.co.uk, Macer Gifford, who left his job as a currency trader in The City of London in 2015 to pick up a rifle and fight the Islamic State in Syria alongside Kurdish forces, voiced his anger at activists who plead justice for Shamima Begum. Ms Begum left her Bethnal Green home in February 2015 to join ISIS in Syria but has since begged to return to the UK. But Mr Gifford warned Britain is losing sight if it continues to see terrorist sympathisers such as Shamima Begum as victims should be given a second chance, given that she saw the same horrors he saw but made the “conscious decision” to join ISIS.
Mr Gifford, who served three tours as a volunteer with Kurdish security forces explained how there is an attitude in Britain where “we are starting to lose sight of who real victims are.:
He added: “We are so full of criticising our own country and our own institutions that we are not applying any form of agency or responsibility to the people that do harm to others.
“In regards to those that joined the Islamic state, people who call themselves so-called human rights activists saying things like ‘what did we do as a country to let them down’, ‘are we a racist society? ‘Is this what is driving young people to go abroad and join these terror groups, ‘are these young people victims?'”
He explained how this attitude “absolves” terrorists, and those that sympathise with terror groups such as ISIS, of responsibility which he said is an incredibly dangerous route to take.
The former volunteer fighter went on to stress how such an attitude must change, for people such as Shamima Begum made a “conscious choice” to navigate their way to joining ISIS aged just 15 and this should not be forgiven.
He said: “When it comes to Shamima Begum and the dozens and dozens… hundreds of other people that have joined the Islamic State…
“These people saw what I saw, they saw the terrible things happening in Syria and they made and they made the conscious choice to go out and join them and to support them in all the hours they were doing.
Mr Gifford hammered how Britain “genuinely” does not owe these people “anything”, adding how it was the decision of Shamima Begum and her pals, alongside hundreds of other British terrorists, to abandon their country by “ripping up their passports” to join ISIS.
Macer slammed: “The responsibilities we have for them as a country are now incredibly limited.”
The former currency trader turned fighter went on to argue how Britain must realise the true victims of the conflict are those that were mercilessly murdered, tortured, destroyed, and had their lives “ripped apart” at the hands of ISIS.
He explained how Britain needs to “wake up” and see the true evil of ISIS and realise how children as young as 3-years-old were taken and sold into sexual slavery by ISIS, these are the victims he said – not the likes of Shamima Begum and others who joined the terror group.
Mr Gifford said: “When it comes to my sympathies, it lies only with the Yazidi’s [and other ethnic groups], people who lost thousands of their relatives.
“And little girls, some as young 3 years-old, sold into sexual slavery.
“Those are the true victims in the story… Not the likes of Shamima Begum!”
A government spokesperson told Express.co.uk: “As a leading member of the Global Coalition, our priority is to ensure the safety and security of the UK and we will do whatever is necessary to protect the UK from those who pose a threat to our security.
“The UK works closely with a range of international partners to address the threat posed by Daesh and Daesh fighters. Individuals who have fought for, or supported Daesh, should face justice and accountability through prosecution in the most appropriate jurisdiction, often in the region where the crimes took place.”
Macer Gifford joined the fight against ISIS in November 2015 at the age of 27. He fought in Raqqa, Syria with the MFS (Syriac Military Council) and served for three years in the SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) before coming home to Britain where he wrote a book on his experience: Fighting Evil: The Ordinary Man who went to War Against ISIS.
*story by Express Online