Aqsa Mahmood (born 1993) is a citizen of the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

, from

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

, who stirred controversy in 2013 when she was one of the first UK women to voluntarily slip into

Daesh The Islamic State (IS), also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and Daesh, is a transnational Salafi jihadist organization and unrecognized quasi-state. IS occupied signif ...

territory, when she was 20 years old.

Early life

Mahmood was born in

to Pakistani immigrant parents (her father Muzaffar was the first Pakistani to play cricket for the

Scottish cricket team The Scotland national men's cricket team represents the country of Scotland. They play most of their home matches at The Grange, Edinburgh, as well as at other venues around Scotland. Scotland's history in cricket dates back to the 18th centu ...

). Mahmood attended

Craigholme School Craigholme School was a private school for girls situated in the Pollokshields area of the South Side of Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, ...

and

Shawlands Academy Shawlands Academy is a state secondary school in the Shawlands area of Glasgow, Scotland. Admissions Shawlands Academy was Glasgow's designated International School and one of Scotland's most multicultural schools. It was situated in Shawland ...

in Glasgow.

ISIS

In 2015, her family challenged the allegation that she played a role in recruiting three teenage girls, the Bethnal Green trio, to follow her example. Her family expressed surprise over her travel to Daesh territory. In April 2015, Mark Rowley, the Assistant Commissioner for

Specialist Operations The Specialist Operations directorate is a unit of the Metropolitan Police in London, England. It is responsible for providing specialist policing capabilities, including national security and counter-terrorism operations. As of May 2025, the Spe ...

of the Metropolitan Police Service and the concurrent Chair of the

National Police Chiefs' Council The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) is a national coordination body for law enforcement in the United Kingdom and the representative body for senior police officers in the United Kingdom. Established on 1 April 2015, it replaced the forme ...

Counter-Terrorism Coordination Committee, told the

UK House of Commons The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the upper house, the House of Lords, it meets in the Palace of Westminster in London, England. The House of Commons is an elected body consisting of 650 memb ...

Home Affairs Committee The Home Affairs Select Committee is a departmental select committee of the House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of ...

that security officials were close to compiling enough evidence to charge Mahmood, if she returned to the UK, or to request extradition, if she tried to settle elsewhere. On 28 September 2015 the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

placed her on its sanctions list, reserved for those with ties to

Al Qaeda , image = Flag of Jihad.svg , caption = Jihadist flag, Flag used by various al-Qaeda factions , founder = Osama bin Laden{{Assassinated, Killing of Osama bin Laden , leaders = {{Plainlist, * Osama bin Lad ...

. UK authorities rescinded her passport, to prevent her return to the United Kingdom. In February 2019, '' The Mirror'' reported that Mahmood was believed to have died in the warzone.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mahmood, Aqsa 1993 births People from Glasgow British expatriates in Syria Scottish people of Pakistani descent Scottish female criminals Female Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant members Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant members from the United Kingdom Possibly living people People educated at Shawlands Academy 21st-century Scottish criminals 21st-century Scottish women

Early life

ISIS

See also

References