Safiyya Amira Shaikh
Safiyya Amira Shaikh, formerly Michelle Ramsden,[1] is a British woman convicted of plotting to bomb St Paul's Cathedral in London. She is thought to be the first lone female Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) bomb plotter in the UK.[2] She was sentenced to life imprisonment in July 2020.[1]
Safiyya Amira Shaikh | |
|---|---|
| Born | Michelle Ramsden 1983 |
| Nationality | British |
| Known for | Plotting to blow up St Paul's Cathedral |
| Movement | ISIL |
| Criminal penalty | Life imprisonment |
| Criminal status | Incarcerated |
Early life
Shaikh was born Michelle Ramsden in Hayes, west London, in 1983.[3] A former company director,[4] Shaikh converted to Islam in 2007 after an act of kindness by a Muslim family in her neighbourhood,[1] subsequently becoming estranged from her dysfunctional family.[1] Changing her name to Safiyya Amira (meaning pure, commander) Shaikh, she became radicalised in 2015, having fallen out with Muslim leaders who disagreed with her violent interpretations of the faith.[4]
Support for terrorism
By 2016, Shaikh had come under surveillance by police and MI5. She was referred at least three times to the deradicalisation programme Prevent, but ceased participating each time. Shaikh became active on "multiple social media platforms" and had set up an account named 'GreenB1rds' on the encrypted Telegram Messenger app; encouraging violent attacks in both the UK and abroad, and disseminating pro-ISIL propaganda. She had enjoyed watching ISIL beheading videos, glorified terrorist atrocities, had been in contact with convicted British jihadist Anjem Choudary, and had listened to lectures by extremist imam Anwar Al-Awlaki.[1]
Sting, "Way into heaven", arrest and conviction
Some time in 2019, Shaikh began formulating a plan for a terrorist attack involving various targets, including blowing up a London hotel, planting a bomb in St Paul's, and a suicide bomb attack in the London Underground. She attempted to contact someone online who could provide her with explosives. She unwittingly made contact with undercover police officers posing as extremists whom she met on at least one occasion.
Inspired by the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings,[5] Shaikh had initially planned to plant explosives at St Paul's at Christmas 2019, but put it back to Easter 2020.
On 18 August 2019, Shaikh was stopped from boarding a flight to Amsterdam at Luton Airport. Her ticket had been bought for her by subsequently-convicted, Netherlands-based, ISIL-supporting terrorist Yousra Lemouesset.[1]
She was arrested at her home on 10 October 2019, after cancelling a meeting with the undercover officers. During one of her arrest interviews, she claimed she believed that killing people and blowing herself up in the process would be "my way into Heaven".[5]
In court, her defence argued that she would not have carried out the attacks, and that she had got cold feet. However, Shaikh was recorded making a phone call from prison, in which she directly contradicted the defence, stating; "I will be honest with you. I did not get cold feet. I am going to be honest with you, I was going to go through with it. I was not having doubts. The reason why I did not turn up on the day is that I was doing drugs. I would have arranged another appointment with them. That day I just did not wake up in time. I just needed to say the truth. I feel like this was all just a big lie to go in the court."
Shaikh was given a life sentence, with a non-parole period of fourteen years.[1] Prior to her sentencing, Shaikh made a Islamic pointing gesture toward journalists.[1]
References
- Bowcott, Owen; Halliday, Josh; Parveen, Nazia (2020-07-03). "St Paul's bomb-plotter Safiyya Amira Shaikh given life sentence". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
- Sawer, Patrick (2020-07-03). "Female Islamic State supporter jailed for plotting to blow up St Paul's Cathedral". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
- Safiyya Shaikh: How undcercover operation caught a drug addict jihadist
- Charters, Cameron (2020-07-03). "Brit jihadi 'too stoned' to get suicide vest for St Paul's bomb terror attack". mirror. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
- The Telegraph YouTube channel Female Islamic State supporter jailed for plotting to blow up St Paul's Cathedral