ISIS: The British Women Supporters Unveiled aired on Channel 4 on Monday, November 23 at 9 p.m. Watch it here:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/isis-the-british-women-supporters-unveiledRevealed: The three British women ISIS supporters who are spreading extremist ideology in UK and encouraging young girls to join the jihadists in SyriaA group of British women have been exposed as ISIS sympathisers who are promoting extremist ideology in the UK and encouraging 'impressionable young girls' to travel to Syria.
Their behaviour came to light following a 12-month undercover investigation which saw a team of Muslim reporters infiltrate the group's inner circle.
The three ISIS supporters are seen glorifying jihadis, telling young Muslim women that Britain is waging war against them and using racially abusive language to describe Jews and Israelis.
In a trailer for a documentary that aired on Monday one is heard saying 'We do not submit to the law of any country, any nation' while Syria is promoted on Twitter as 'the best of Allah's lands on earth'.
ISIS: The British Women Supporters Unveiled was shown on Channel 4 this evening. It uncovered extremist ideology being spread both online and in person to women and 'impressionable young girls', often in front of very young children.
The investigation was brought to a close a month before the terrorist attacks in Paris when one of the female ISIS supporters became suspicious of an undercover reporter.
The trio identify themselves as Umm Saalihah, Umm L and Umm Usmaan on Twitter. Two operate in positions of authority within their circles and lecture women in secretive study sessions, the programme makers said.
All three were tracked down after promoting pro-ISIS ideology on social media platforms.
An undercover reporter was able to meet them after extensive direct messaging on Twitter and by making contacts at a demonstration outside Regents Park Mosque.
She is seen coming face-to-face with the British ISIS supporters at an Islamic roadshow on Lewisham High Street in London.
After gaining their trust, the reporter is granted access to closely-guarded women-only study sessions which are strictly by invitation only.
In the two-hour lectures, female Islamic State sympathisers are heard spreading ISIS's extremist ideology and encouraging people to abandon democracy and join the terrorist group in Syria.
In one study session in East London, Umm L is heard saying that what the government calls extremism is simply being a good Muslim.
Identified as a mother-of-four named Rubana, who lives in the capital, she adds: 'The vocal or active opposition to fundamental British values including democracy, that places every single Muslim in the category of extremist you know why?
'Because the statement “Lá iláha illallah” [there is no god but Allah] that statement that makes you Muslim, that is a rejection of democracy and the rule of law. Because that statement says la – you reject all other any ruling any legislation, you’re rejecting to obey anything other than Allah.'
Preaching to the women and teenagers in the room, she goes on to say: 'These people who plot and they plan against the Muslims they are no match for Allah, they may be making all these plans in the corridors of Whitehall, in 10 Downing Street and in the White House and wherever they may be, but the same thing has happened time and time again do you think anyone ever defeated Allah.
'It’s not the first time nations have plotted against the believers. It’s not the first time the alliance has been formed like they have now with this coalition against the Khilafah [Islamic State]. But Allah one by one he will destroy them.
'The good days have already begun, nobody ever have thought in our lifetime we would see the establishment of the Khilafah [Islamic State]. The thing is the more they plot, the more they plan, Allah has got his own plan, remember that don’t ever lose hope.
'There is a plan of Allah, that we can’t see unfolding already, very soon we will be seeing. It doesn’t matter how many bombs they drop on innocent men, women and children. It doesn’t matter that there’s Russian intervention, you know, all the enemies they can come together.
'Allah will not allow them, Ummah and the progress and the spread of Islam, Allah will not allow them to be quelled. David can say what he likes.'
She goes on to criticise the UK government's counter extremism plan, saying 'more and more people are becoming what they call radicalised' rather than deradicalised.
Umm L adds: 'If extremism is to have a voice or actions against British values and democracy, they couldn’t have done anything worse than what they have done, because this is really changing the way Muslims feel in this country.'
Umm Saalihah, a mother in her 30s, was in charge for a session at a local government-funded community centre in North London.
In the undercover footage she attacks the US-led coalition for bombing ISIS, telling an audience of women and children: 'Not like the cowards that you have who are throwing air strikes on to the Khilafah [Islamic State] and killing innocent people, you know, they are cowards because they will never come down and show their boots on the ground.'
Umm Saalihah also praises hate preacher Omar Bakri Mohammed, who has been banned from Britain and is now in jail in Lebanon, and speaks of her admiration for jihadi fighters.
The reporter was ultimately challenged by Umm L, who prevented her from leaving one of the lectures unless she allowed the group to look through her possessions.
Eventually the reporter was able to leave but was banned from future contact and attending any more sessions.
After viewing the undercover footage, counter-terrorism expert Hannah Stuart said: 'The fact that there are women, young girls and children is particularly worrying in terms of what these children are being taught to believe about their own state versus one of the most brutal terrorist organisations.
'At the moment we’re not just concerned about young men going to fight for Islamic State, we are concerned about entire families leaving this country to emigrate and live in Islamic State, and it’s lessons like this that will encourage women to do that and make them believe that it’s their religious duty to do so.'
Around 700 Britons are thought to have travelled to join ISIS, including teenage girls, while about 450 have returned to the UK.
Police say the returnees pose a significant threat yet only a handful have been prosecuted. Instead they are being referred to the Government’s Prevent strategy which aims to deradicalise extremists and change their thinking.
Yesterday it emerged that a suspected extremist is walking Britain’s streets despite being arrested on the Syrian border in September.
Waheed Ahmed, 21, and eight relatives, including a one-year-old, were picked up by Turkish police who feared they planned to join the Islamic State terror group.
They were all deported and Ahmed, a student whose father is a Labour councillor, is now a regular sight in Rochdale. He is one of a number of suspected extremists released without charge in Britain after being stopped at the Syrian border.
Meanwhile, a poll has revealed that one in five British Muslims has sympathy for those who have travelled to Syria to join ISIS.
More than 5 per cent have 'a lot' of sympathy with young Muslims who leave the UK to join the fighting, with another 14.5 per cent having 'some' sympathy.
Among women, a quarter had at least some sympathy, the Survation poll conducted for The Sun revealed.
Topic: 'Islamic State' a.k.a. ISIL